North Idaho College wants to offer free summer courses, but the Idaho Legislature has to agree to fund them first.

The Summer Completion Initiative, if included in the Legislature’s final budget, would offer Idaho residents one or two courses at NIC, tuition-free, during the summer of 2017 in hopes of helping raise the number of students who enroll in college or technical school within 12 months after graduating high school.

NIC has asked lawmakers to include the $594,900 project in the state budget for fiscal year 2018.

“There are people that we know could be successful here, but whatever barrier was preventing them from coming here, hopefully this will help them overcome it,” said Chris Martin, the vice president for finance and business affairs at NIC.

The Summer Completion Initiative was originally planned for students who weren’t able to complete their degrees. The program would let those students come back in the summer to get the three or six credits they need without charging them tuition.

Martin said if the Summer Completion Initiative is approved by the Legislature, the program would be open to the whole community. NIC wants to give people access to campus and the community college environment, Martin said, to encourage them to seek higher education and help them realize they are “college material.”

Each year, the three community colleges in Idaho submit a few line items to be approved by the State Board of Education and to get recommendations from the governor. Regardless of the governor’s recommendation, the Legislature can create the state’s budget how it pleases.

The Summer Completion Initiative was not recommended by Gov. Butch Otter, but NIC officials got feedback from legislators when they went to Boise to present the college’s budget.

“There’s interest in this but legislators and the governor weren’t willing to put money toward a pilot program,” said Laura Rumpler, NIC’s chief communications and government relations officer. “This proposal is just for NIC, but if the support is great enough statewide and it generates enough interest and momentum, there could be potential funding down the line for a statewide program.”

Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d’Alene, said the proposed budget and the budget the Legislature approves can be very different, especially in education.

“I can see the value of [the Summer Completion Initiative],” Malek told The Press. “If it’s something that can be fit into the budget, I’d be interested in pursuing it.”