Maine lawmakers are considering a shift that would make the state’s free community college program permanent—while tightening eligibility and coverage. A supplemental budget bill would add the program to the state budget, but it would require students to have lived in Maine for a year before applying, cover three years instead of four, and remove coverage of institutional fees. The update responds to cost concerns and lawmakers’ belief that out-of-state students previously benefited from Maine taxpayer dollars. Officials cited that about 4% of recipients had come from out of state. For higher education affordability leaders, the change offers a clear model of how free-college policies may evolve from broad access to more targeted eligibility—raising questions about how fee exclusions affect enrollment for the students most sensitive to added costs.