Starting this year, Anne Arundel County Public Schools will provide free enrollment for its sophomores, juniors, and seniors at Anne Arundel Community College.

On Tuesday, the school system announced it will cover the cost of tuition and fees for high schoolers moving forward, and retroactively for the summer and fall. The system will use $3.9 million this year for the program, which will become part of the AACPS operating budget discussion, currently underway for fiscal 2024. For students who have not been able to participate because of cost, this removes a barrier, said schools spokesman, Bob Mosier. He added that AACPS will use state funds, related to legislation passed by the Maryland General Assembly, Blueprint for Maryland’s Future,  which specifically earmarked money for college and career readiness of public school students.