Transferring credits in Maine

The Maine Department of Education's Aspirations Program funds the tuition, so an eligible student pays nothing for college courses taken within their Aspirations credit allotment (the Maine Community College System describes it as enrolling in for-credit college courses 'without paying any tuition or fees'). The allotment is a hard ceiling: starting with the Class of 2027 a student gets 18 Aspirations credits for their high school career (CTE students in approved career pathways get an additional 6), plus a per-term cap of 3 courses in fall, 3 in spring and 2 in summer. Once a student exceeds the limit they are notified and then billed at the college's normal rate. Books, supplies and transportation are not stated as covered.

Who can enroll. Publicly funded (or registered home-instruction) high school students in grades 9-12 who are enrolled at a Maine school and are residents of Maine; limited exceptions exist for foreign exchange students approved by the superintendent and attending at public expense. Courses must be taken at a Maine Community College System or University of Maine System institution, and the colleges determine Aspirations eligibility by application date. MCCS additionally requires roughly a 3.0 (B) high school GPA or an administrator's recommendation, satisfied prerequisites, school and parent approval, and available seats.

Anchored on 7 public colleges in Maine · verified 2026-07-31.