An Act To Establish the Maine Community College System Pell Grant Match Program
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 0761
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: CROCKETT
Amends: 20-A MRSA §12706, 20-A MRSA §12723

Legislative Document
No. 761
H.P. 566
House of Representatives, March 5, 2021
An Act To Establish the Maine Community College System Pell 
Grant Match Program
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative CROCKETT of Portland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §12706, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 695, §11, is 
amended to read:
4.  Budget development.  To prepare and adopt a biennial, line-category, operating 
budget for presentation to the Governor and the Legislature, incorporating all projected 
expenditures, including estimated full funding for the Maine Community College System 
Pell Grant Match Program, as established in section 12723, and all resources expected or 
proposed to be made available to fund the operations of the system. The budget is to be 
used in support of any requests to the Legislature for General Fund appropriations that the 
board of trustees may deem determines appropriate and necessary to supplement other 
resources available to the system and shall also serve serves as the foundation for an annual 
fiscal management plan for the system;
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §12723 is enacted to read:
§12723.  Maine Community College System Pell Grant Match Program
The Maine Community College System Pell Grant Match Program, referred to in this 
section as "the program," is established within the system to assist in funding community 
college for eligible students.
1.  Eligibility.  A person is eligible to receive a grant award under subsection 2 if the 
person:
A.  Is a resident of the State as determined by the system;
B.  Has completed an application for federal student financial aid programs and is 
eligible for a Federal Pell Grant for the academic year in which the person applies to 
the program; and
C.  Maintains a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a scale of 4.0 as determined 
by the college the person attends.
2.  Grant awards.  Beginning in fiscal year 2021-22, the system may award a student 
who is eligible under subsection 1 a grant award under this subsection. The grant award 
may not exceed 100% of the amount of funds provided by the Federal Pell Grant that the 
student receives for the academic year in which the student applies.  The availability of the 
grant award and the amount of the grant award are subject to the amount available in the 
fund established under subsection 3.
3.  Fund.  The Maine Community College System Pell Grant Match Fund is established 
as a nonlapsing fund administered by the system.  Grant awards may be distributed from 
this fund only to students who meet the eligibility requirements under subsection 1.
4.  Rulemaking.  The system may adopt rules to implement and administer the 
provisions of this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical 
rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 3.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM, BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE MAINE
Maine Community College System - Board of Trustees 0556
Initiative:  Provides ongoing funds for the Maine Community College System Pell Grant 
Match Program.
GENERAL FUND
2020-21
2021-22
All Other
$0
$3,600,000
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$0
$3,600,000
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Maine Community College System Pell Grant Match Program 
and provides that a student is eligible for the program if the student is a resident of the 
State, is eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and maintains a minimum grade point average. 
The grant award may not exceed 100% of the amount of funds provided by the Federal Pell 
Grant that the student receives for the academic year in which the student applies. The 
availability of the grant and the amount of the grant are subject to the amount available in 
the established fund, and the Maine Community College System may adopt rules to 
implement and administer the program and fund.