An Act To Increase Access to Higher Education
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0962
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: CHIPMAN, MILLETT, AYOTTE, BEAR, BEAUDOIN, BEAULIEU, BEAVERS, BOLAND, BOLDUC, BRIGGS, BROOKS, CAMPBELL, CAREY, CASAVANT, CHENETTE, COOPER, CROCKETT, DAUGHTRY, DEVIN, DICKERSON, DION, DOAK, DUNPHY, ESPLING, EVANGELOS, FARNSWORTH, FITZPATRICK, FREY, GATTINE, GIDEON, GILBERT, GRANT, GUERIN, HAMANN, HARLOW, HARVELL, HERBIG, HICKMAN, HOBBINS, HUBBELL, JOHNSON, JONES, JORGENSEN, KAENRATH, KENT, KESCHL, KINNEY, KNIGHT, KRUGER, KUMIEGA, KUSIAK, LIBBY, LONG, LONGSTAFF, MASON, MASTRACCIO, MITCHELL, MOONEN, MORRISON, NADEAU, NELSON, NOON, PEOPLES, PLANTE, PRIEST, PRINGLE, RANKIN, RUSSELL, SANBORN, SAUCIER, SHAW, SHORT, SOCTOMAH, STANLEY, STUCKEY, THERIAULT, TIPPING-SPITZ, TREAT, TURNER, VEROW, VILLA, VOLK, WELSH, WERTS, WILLETTE, ALFOND, BOYLE, CAIN, CLEVELAND
Amends: 10 MRSA §1013

Legislative Document 
No. 962 
H.P. 676 
House of Representatives, March 12, 2013 
An Act To Increase Access to Higher Education 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative CHIPMAN of Portland. 
Cosponsored by Senator MILLETT of Cumberland and 
Representatives: AYOTTE of Caswell, BEAR of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, BEAUDOIN of 
Biddeford, BEAULIEU of Auburn, BEAVERS of South Berwick, BOLAND of Sanford, BOLDUC of Auburn, 
BRIGGS of Mexico, BROOKS of Winterport, CAMPBELL of Newfield, CAREY of Lewiston, CASAVANT of 
Biddeford, CHENETTE of Saco, COOPER of Yarmouth, CROCKETT of Bethel, DAUGHTRY of Brunswick, 
DeCHANT of Bath, DEVIN of Newcastle, DICKERSON of Rockland, DION of Portland, DOAK of Columbia 
Falls, DUNPHY of Embden, ESPLING of New Gloucester, EVANGELOS of Friendship, FARNSWORTH of 
Portland, FITZPATRICK of Houlton, FREY of Bangor, GATTINE of Westbrook, GIDEON of Freeport, 
GILBERT of Jay, GRANT of Gardiner, GUERIN of Glenburn, HAMANN of South Portland, HARLOW of 
Portland, HARVELL of Farmington, HERBIG of Belfast, HICKMAN of Winthrop, HOBBINS of Saco, 
HUBBELL of Bar Harbor, JOHNSON of Eddington, JOHNSON of Greenville, JONES of Freedom, 
JORGENSEN of Portland, KAENRATH of South Portland, KENT of Woolwich, KESCHL of Belgrade, 
KINNEY of Limington, KNIGHT of Livermore Falls, KRUGER of Thomaston, KUMIEGA of Deer Isle, 
KUSIAK of Fairfield, LIBBY of Waterboro, LIBBY of Lewiston, LONG of Sherman, LONGSTAFF of 
Waterville, MacDONALD of Boothbay, MASON of Topsham, MASTRACCIO of Sanford, McCABE of 
Skowhegan, McCLELLAN of Raymond, McGOWAN of York, MITCHELL of the Penobscot Nation, MOONEN 
of Portland, MORRISON of South Portland, NADEAU of Winslow, NELSON of Falmouth, NOON of Sanford, 
PEOPLES of Westbrook, PLANTE of Berwick, PRIEST of Brunswick, PRINGLE of Windham, RANKIN of 
Hiram, RUSSELL of Portland, SANBORN of Gorham, SAUCIER of Presque Isle, SHAW of Standish, SHORT 
of Pittsfield, SOCTOMAH of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, STANLEY of Medway, STUCKEY of Portland, 
THERIAULT of Madawaska, TIPPING-SPITZ of Orono, TREAT of Hallowell, TURNER of Burlington, 
VEROW of Brewer, VILLA of Harrison, VOLK of Scarborough, WELSH of Rockport, WERTS of Auburn, 
WILLETTE of Mapleton, Senators: President ALFOND of Cumberland, BOYLE of Cumberland, CAIN of 
Penobscot, CLEVELAND of Androscoggin, CRAVEN of Androscoggin, CUSHING of Penobscot, 
GERZOFSKY of Cumberland, GRATWICK of Penobscot, HASKELL of Cumberland, HILL of York, 
JACKSON of Aroostook, JOHNSON of Lincoln, KATZ of Kennebec, LANGLEY of Hancock, MAZUREK of 
Knox, PATRICK of Oxford, PLUMMER of Cumberland, SAVIELLO of Franklin, TUTTLE of York, 
VALENTINO of York, WOODBURY of Cumberland. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  10 MRSA §1013, sub-§16, as amended by PL 2001, c. 417, §12, is 
further amended to read: 
16.  Maine College Savings Program.  The Maine College Savings Program, as 
established in Title 20-A, chapter 417-E; and 
Sec. 2.  10 MRSA §1013, sub-§17, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 417, §13, is 
amended to read: 
17.  Maine Dental Education Loan Program.  The Maine Dental Education Loan 
Program as established in Title 20-A, chapter 426.; and 
Sec. 3.  10 MRSA §1013, sub-§18 is enacted to read: 
18.  Maine Merit Scholarship Program.  The Maine Merit Scholarship Program as 
established in Title 20-A, section 11681. 
Sec. 4.  20-A MRSA c. 419-E is enacted to read: 
CHAPTER 419-E 
MAINE MERIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 
§11681.  Maine Merit Scholarship Program 
The Maine Merit Scholarship Program is created and established as a nonlapsing 
fund under the jurisdiction and control of the Finance Authority of Maine, referred to in 
this section as "the authority."  All revenue credited to this fund must be distributed as 
merit-based scholarships for students who have been admitted to the University of Maine 
System or the Maine Community College System.  The scholarships are awarded 
annually for the full or partial costs of tuition after subtracting any financial aid and other 
awards or grants affecting tuition costs.  The scholarships may be awarded only to those 
students who are residents of the State and attending Maine high schools at the time of 
application.  The scholarships may be awarded only to those students whose annual 
family income is less than $30,000 and who graduate in the top 25% of their high school 
classes.  A recipient of a scholarship under this section must maintain an annual 3.0 grade 
point average to remain eligible for the scholarship.  The authority shall adjust eligibility 
requirements to control expenditures or increase participation in the program.  The 
authority shall adopt routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 
2-A pursuant to this section. 
SUMMARY 
This bill establishes a merit-based scholarship program for eligible students who 
graduate from high school in Maine and who are admitted to one of the institutions of the 
University of Maine System or the Maine Community College System.  Students must 
have graduated in the top 25% of their classes in high school and family income must be 
less than $30,000 a year.  The scholarships are for the full or partial cost of tuition less 
any financial aid, awards or grants that reduce the level of tuition.  Students must 
maintain a 3.0 grade point average in college in order to remain eligible for the 
scholarship.  This scholarship program will be administered by the Finance Authority of 
Maine.  The Finance Authority of Maine, which is given routine technical rule-making 
authority, may adjust these eligibility requirements to control expenditures or increase 
participation in the program.