An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Educators for Maine Program
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1601
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: PIERCE, MILLETT, DAUGHTRY, FECTEAU, MOONEN
Amends: 20-A MRSA §12501-A, 20-A MRSA §12502, 20-A MRSA §12503, 20-A MRSA §12504, 20-A MRSA §12505, 20-A MRSA §12507

Legislative Document
No. 1601
H.P. 1160
House of Representatives, April 18, 2019
An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Educators for Maine 
Program
Submitted by the Finance Authority of Maine pursuant to Joint Rule 204.
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative PIERCE of Falmouth.
Cosponsored by Senator MILLETT of Cumberland and
Representatives: DAUGHTRY of Brunswick, FECTEAU of Biddeford, MOONEN of 
Portland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §12501-A, sub-§10, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 427, §2, is 
amended to read:
10.  Graduating high school senior.  "Graduating high school senior" means a 
student who is a resident of the State, who graduates from a secondary school approved 
pursuant to section 2901 or completes a home instruction program as described in section 
5001-A, subsection 3, paragraph A, subparagraph (4) and who is entering that student's 
first year in an institution of higher education at the beginning of the next academic year. 
An academic year for graduating high school seniors is considered to be from September 
to June.
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §12501-A, sub-§12, as amended by PL 2013, c. 7, §1, is 
further amended to read:
12.  Return service.  "Return service" means service in a public elementary or 
secondary school, publicly supported secondary school, special education facility as 
defined in section 7001, subsection 6 or private school in this State approved for tuition 
purposes for a full school year as a certified teacher or a speech pathologist, service as a 
Jobs for Maine's Graduates specialist with similar teacher certification or service for a 
12-month period in a child care facility by an individual who has attained child care 
provider qualifications.
Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §12501-A, sub-§14-A is enacted to read:
14-A.  Underserved geographic areas.  "Underserved geographic areas" means 
those geographic areas of the State where there is an insufficient supply of teachers or 
speech pathologists as determined by the chief executive officer in consultation with the 
commissioner.
Sec. 4.  20-A MRSA §12502, as amended by PL 2003, c. 427, §3, is further 
amended by adding at the end a new paragraph to read:
Under the program, the authority may annually award a certain number of loan 
repayments to selected educators in underserved geographic areas as funds permit.  A 
selected loan repayment recipient must enter into a loan repayment agreement with the 
authority and may receive payment from the authority on the recipient's outstanding 
student debt for each year of service as long as the recipient teaches in an underserved 
geographic area.
Sec. 5.  20-A MRSA §12503, last ¶, as amended by PL 1999, c. 441, §7, is 
repealed.
Sec. 6.  20-A MRSA §12504, last ¶, as amended by PL 2003, c. 427, §5, is 
further amended to read:
Loans of up to $2,000 per academic year or $8,000 total in an amount to be 
determined annually by the authority based on available funds, but in no event less than 
$3,000 per academic year for eligible undergraduate students and $2,000 per academic 
year for eligible students pursuing postbaccalaureate certification, may be made to 
students pursuing postbaccalaureate certification.  Loans of up to $3,000 per academic 
year or $12,000 total may be made to eligible undergraduate students.  Selected full-time 
undergraduate students may receive loans for a period not to exceed 8 semesters at the 
institution they attend.  Selected full-time and part-time students pursuing 
postbaccalaureate certifications may receive loans for a period not to exceed 4 semesters 
or the equivalent thereof at the institution they attend.  An individual who has received an 
Educators for Maine loan as an undergraduate may also receive a loan for students 
pursuing postbaccalaureate certification.  In no event may an individual receive more 
than $20,000 in total Educators for Maine loans.  Loans are for one academic year and are 
renewable if the recipient maintains a grade point average of at least 2.5 based on a 4.0 
grade point system or the equivalent and submits a complete renewal application by the 
deadline annually.
Sec. 7.  20-A MRSA §12505, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2003, c. 427, §6, is 
further amended to read:
1.  Eligibility for loans for undergraduate education.  An Educators for Maine 
loan recipient must be an undergraduate at an institution of higher education.  Preference 
must be given to students enrolled in a program that has been determined to be an 
underserved subject area.
Sec. 8.  20-A MRSA §12507, first ¶, as amended by PL 2003, c. 427, §10, is 
further amended to read:
Each student who receives a loan may cancel the total amount of the loan by 
completing one year of return service in the a public schools school, publicly supported 
secondary school, special education facility as defined in section 7001, subsection 6 or 
private schools school approved for tuition purposes in the State for each year the 
individual receives a loan.  An individual who received that individual's first program 
loan after January 1, 2000 may also cancel the total amount of the loan by completing one 
year of return service by working in a child care facility.  The return service requirement 
is one year for every 2 years or less that the individual receives a loan if return service is 
performed in an underserved subject area or an underserved geographic area.  Return 
service for this purpose must be performed within 5 10 years of graduation from the 
institution of higher education. If the chief executive officer grants a deferment, the time 
period for performance of return service may be extended for the same period as the 
deferment.  Return service may not be credited for the same semester for which an 
individual receives a loan pursuant to this chapter.  Pro rata loan forgiveness may be 
granted for part-time return service as determined by rule of the authority.  Failure to 
fulfill the return service option necessitates repayment to the authority as follows.
SUMMARY
This bill amends the laws governing the Educators for Maine Program by expanding 
certain definitions to include home-schooled students and educator service at publicly 
supported secondary schools and special education facilities; adding service in 
underserved geographic areas as an eligibility criterion; adding a loan repayment 
provision to the program; removing the provision whereby the Governor announces 
selected recipients annually; authorizing the Finance Authority of Maine to increase 
maximum loan amounts based on available funding; establishing limits on the duration a 
recipient may benefit under the program; removing the preference for loans to 
undergraduate students enrolled in a course of study related to underserved subject areas; 
and increasing from 5 to 10 years the amount of time a recipient has to complete the 
return service requirement.