AUGUSTA (AP) — A program that aims to prepare Maine adults for college is growing.

The Maine Department of Education’s Maine College Transitions Program reached 22 communities and fewer than 500 students when it was launched in 2007. Today, more than 1,300 people are enrolled in the program, which serves as a pathway to college for adults who’ve been out of the academic setting for some time.

The program includes career planning, college preparatory coursework, college placement testing, financial aid and college application activities.

Belfast resident Samwel Waithaka said the program “smoothed the way” when he decided to get back on an academic track nine years after graduating from high school. He is currently a student at Eastern Maine Community College and plans to join the nursing program next fall.