An Act To Ensure Funding for Higher Education
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 1103
Committee Amendment CA_A_S269 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 355, L.D. 1103, Bill, "An Act To 
Ensure Funding for Higher Education" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'Resolve, To Determine the Impact of Funding for State Higher Education on 
the Distribution of Higher Education Costs among Families, Taxpayers and 
Publicly Supported Institutions of Higher Education' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and before the summary and 
inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. Review of funding for state higher education. Resolved: That the 
University of Maine System, the Maine Community College System, Maine Maritime 
Academy and the Finance Authority of Maine, referred to in this resolve as "the review 
panel," shall collaboratively conduct a review of the impact of funding for publicly 
supported higher education in the State during the period from fiscal year 2002-03 to 
fiscal year 2006-07 on the following policy questions. 
1. How have Maine finance policies related to the distribution of public subsidies 
influenced the distribution of student-related higher education costs among parents and 
students, state taxpayers, federal taxpayers and publicly supported institutions of higher 
education in the State? 
2. 
As perceived by the review panel, what conclusions and implications can be 
drawn from the data concerning the degree to which state finance policies related to the 
distribution of public subsidies have sustained access, advanced equity of higher 
education opportunity and promoted equitable cost-sharing for all Mainers? 
The review panel shall determine the methodology for this review in accordance with 
section 2; and be it further 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "4 .. to S.P. 355, L.D. 1103 
Sec. 2. Scope of review; methodology. Resolved: That the review panel shall 
determine the methodology for this review after consideration of the research literature on 
higher education finance pertaining to the implications of state appropriations for the 
operating costs of publicly supported institutions of higher education and pertaining to the 
distribution of the costs and benefits of higher education for students and their families, 
state taxpayers, federal taxpayers and the publicly supported institutions of higher 
education. The data complied and analyzed must include, but is not limited to, the 
following: 
1. The amounts and levels of state general funds appropriated during each year from 
fiscal year 2002-03 to fiscal year 2006-07 to support the so-called "educational and 
II 
general" operational expenditures of the University of Maine System, the Maine 
Community College System and Maine Maritime Academy; 
2. The amounts and levels of state general funds appropriated during each year from 
fiscal year 2002-03 to fiscal year 2006-07 to the Finance Authority of Maine for awarding 
need-based grants through the Maine State Grant Program in order to subsidize tuition 
prices and provide need-based tuition assistance for eligible students to attend publicly 
supported institutions of higher education in the State; 
3. The amounts and levels of state tax support for higher education, including state 
General Fund appropriations for universities, colleges, community colleges and state 
higher education agencies compiled by the Grapevine project at the Center for the Study 
of Education Policy at Illinois State University. The review team shall consider the 
Grapevine project data reported for the level of state appropriations for higher education 
as a percentage of the total state appropriations, on a per capita basis, and as a percentage 
of income. The review team shall also compare these state appropriation trends for 
Maine, for the New England states and for an appropriate set of comparison states whose 
demographic profile and higher education systems are reasonably comparable to the 
system of higher education in Maine; 
4. The proportion of state General Fund appropriations as a source of revenue as 
compared to the total revenues of the University of Maine System, the Maine Community 
College System and Maine Maritime Academy; 
5. The proportion of revenues received from sources other than state General Fund 
appropriations, including revenues from tuition, mandatory fees and room and board, 
revenues from the Federal Government and from other philanthropic organizations or 
individuals, as compared to the total revenues of the University of Maine System, Maine 
Community College System and Maine Maritime Academy; 
6. The amounts and levels of education subsidies, including state and federal student 
financial assistance, provided to resident students attending the University of Maine 
System, the Maine Community College System and Maine Maritime Academy as 
compiled from institutional expenditure data and reported annually to the Integrated 
Postsecondary Education Data System and from financial aid packaging reports provided 
to the Finance Authority of Maine; 
7. 
Data compiled by the Finance Authority of Maine on the Maine State Grant 
program recipients at publicly supported institutions of higher education in the State 
reported as full-time equivalent students, including the average amounts of grants 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT;4 "to S.P. 355, L.D. 1103 
awarded and the average levels of unmet need for the prototypical grant recipients at each 
institution disaggregated by family income quartiles; and 
8. State-level and higher education institution data regarding family income, state tax 
appropriations, institutional finances, enrollments, attendance costs, student aid, and any 
other relevant data reported to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, the 
National Center for Education Statistics and the United States Department of Commerce, 
Bureau of Economic Analysis; and be it further 
Sec. 3. Report. Resolved: 
That the review panel shall present its report, 
including findings, recommendations and any necessary legislation, to the Joint Standing 
Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs no later than January 31, 2008. The Joint 
Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs may submit a bill based on the 
report presented pursuant to this resolve to the Second Regular Session of the 123rd 
Legislature.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment strikes and replaces the bill with a resolve directing the University 
of Maine System, the Maine Community College System, Maine Maritime Academy and 
the Finance Authority of Maine to collaboratively conduct a review of the impact of 
funding for publicly supported higher education in the State during the period from fiscal 
year 2002-03 to fiscal year 2006-07. The amendment provides 2 research questions for 
this review. 
1. How have Maine finance policies related to the distribution of public subsidies 
influenced the distribution of student-related higher education costs among parents and 
students, state taxpayers, federal taxpayers and publicly supported institutions of higher 
education in the State? 
2. As perceived by the review panel, what conclusions and implications can be 
drawn from the data concerning the degree to which state finance policies related to the 
distribution of public subsidies have sustained access, advanced equity of higher 
education opportunity and promoted equitable cost-sharing for all Mainers? 
The amendment also provides that the review panel shall present its report, including 
findings, recommendations and any necessary legislation, to the Joint Standing 
Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs no later than January 31, 2008. The Joint 
Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs may submit a bill based on the 
report presented pursuant to this resolve to the Second Regular Session of the 123rd 
Legislature. 
fISCAL :\on: \{EQLlRED 
{~ee attached) 
. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 06/08/07 ~ae 
LD 1103 
LR 1209(02) 
An Act To Ensure Funding for Higher Education 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ''A " 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Additional costs to the University of Maine System, the Maine Community College System, the Maine Maritime 
Academy and the Finance Authority of Maine associated with conducting the required review can be absorbed within. 
existing budgeted resources. 
LR1209(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1