Enrollment in Maine’s community colleges has grown 48 percent – to 11,153 students – since the Legislature changed the name and mission of the former technical colleges four years ago. As a result, 3,635 more students are seeking degrees at one of the seven colleges in 2006-07 than were enrolled in 2002, the year before the community colleges were established.

Gov. John Baldacci joined Maine Community College System President John Fitzsimmons in making the announcement, after a fall meeting of the MCCS board of trustees at Central Maine Community College in Auburn.

Fitzsimmons also announced that the number of students entering directly from high school has jumped 75 percent during the same four-year period. The numbers are preliminary.

In helping to announce the enrollment numbers, Baldacci, who led efforts to create the community college system in Maine, said, “Our community colleges have more than lived up to their potential. They are one of Maine’s real success stories, and our goal is to continue to build on that success. Their programs represent the heart of the Maine economy and the best hope for the future of Maine people.”

Despite the continued growth of the system, Fitzsimmons said that financial constraints have begun to slow enrollment increases.

Systemwide, enrollment grew by 4.4 percent this fall and some programs have been forced to establish lengthy waiting lists for admission.

“I am enormously proud of the work of our faculty and staff to serve 48 percent more students with only a 10 percent increase in state funding,” Fitzsimmons said. “The success of the system rests on their shoulders. We are concerned that without additional state investment, we will be forced to cap enrollment next fall.”

Adding faculty and staff, as well as updating and expanding college facilities, are the major challenges before the system, said Fitzsimmons.

Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield experienced the largest enrollment jump this fall, a rise of 8.6 percent, to 1,429 degree students.

Southern Maine Community College in South Portland continued its rapid growth – its enrollment grew by 6.8 percent, to 4,690 students.

Central Maine Community College in Auburn rose 4.3 percent, to 1,714 degree students.

York County Community College in Wells and Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor also experienced increases of 3.6 percent, to 694 students; and 2.8 percent, to 1,499 students, respectively.

Enrollment at Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle declined by 1.5 percent to 794 students, although enrollment in the college’s incoming class shows an increase over last year’s entering class.

Enrollment at Washington County Community College declined by 15 percent, to 333, due in part to a decrease in the number of dislocated workers seeking retraining.

Since the community colleges were established in 2003, the schools have experienced dramatic growth in the number of high school students enrolling directly in the colleges.