An Act To Increase College Attainment I I
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 0944
Committee Amendment CA_A_S260 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A " to S.P. 290, L.D. 944, Bill, "An Act To 
Increase College Attainment" 
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Amend the bill in section I in §4730 by striking out all of the indented paragraph 
(page I, lines 4 to 8 in L.D.) and inserting the following: 
'1. 
Completion of college application; financial aid application. 
Except as 
provided in subsections 2 and 3, in addition to the requirements of this chapter and the 
system of learning results established in section 6209, in order to receive a diploma. a 
secondary student must complete a federally accepted free application for federal student 
aid and complete and submit at least one application to a college, university, other 
postsecondary educational institution or certificate program to assess eligibility for 
financial aid. 
2. Exceptions. A student is not required to comply with subsection I if the student 
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submits verification that: 
A. The student is enlisting in the United States Armed Forces; 
B. The student has secured a job or internship; 
C. The student has attended an orientation session for an apprenticeship or training 
2S 
program; or 
D. 
The student has been accepted at a college, university, other postsecondarv 
educational institution or certificate program. 
If a student's parents or legal guardian refuses to complete the free application for federal 
student aid, that student is not required to complete the free application for federal student 
aid. 
High school guidance staff, as defined in section 15672, subsection II, in 
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consultation with the principal, may allow a student to submit a completed application to 
the high school guidance staff rather than to the college, university, other postsecondary 
educational institution or certificate program. 
Page I - 125LR1462(02)-1 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 290, L.D. 944 
3. Waiver. A student, with the consent of that student's parents or legal guardian if 
the student is younger than 18 years of age, may petition the superintendent for a waiver 
from subsection 1.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the majority report of the Joint Standing Committee on Education 
and Cultural Affairs. It provides exceptions to the proposed requirement that a student 
must complete an application to a postsecondary educational institution and a free 
application for federal student aid prior to receiving a high school diploma. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
LD 944 
LR 1462(02) 
An Act To Increase College Attainment 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment" N' S - 2 <c.O 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
State Mandate - Unfunded 
State Mandates 
Required Activity 
Unit Affected 
Requires secondary school students to complete a federally accepted free application 
School 
for federal student aid and at least one application to a postsecondary educational 
institution in order to receive a diploma. School administrative units will need to 
track and record student progress in completing the tasks, notify students and parents 
of failure to comply and plan an alternative course of action for the students who do 
not sucessfully complete the tasks. 
Local Cost 
Moderate 
statewide 
The required local activities in this bill may represent a State mandate pursuant to the Constitution of Mame. Unless 
General Fund appropriations are provided to fund at least 90% of the additional costs or a Mandate Preamble is 
amended to the bill and two-thirds of the members of each HOllse vote to exempt this mandate from the funding 
requirement, municipalities may not be required to implement these changes. 
LRI462(02) - Fiscal Note - Page I of I