An Act to Expand the Higher Education Tuition Waiver for Persons Who Have Resided in Foster Care
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1028
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: BRENNAN, PIERCE, DANA, DODGE, MEYER, PERRY, ROBERTS, ROEDER, SALISBURY, SHAGOURY
Amends: 20-A MRSA §12572, 20-A MRSA §12573

Legislative Document
No. 1028
H.P. 664
House of Representatives, March 7, 2023
An Act to Expand the Higher Education Tuition Waiver for Persons 
Who Have Resided in Foster Care
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative BRENNAN of Portland.
Cosponsored by Senator PIERCE of Cumberland and
Representatives: DANA of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, DODGE of Belfast, MEYER of Eliot, 
PERRY of Calais, ROBERTS of South Berwick, ROEDER of Bangor, SALISBURY of 
Westbrook, SHAGOURY of Hallowell.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §12572, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 216, §1, is amended 
to read:
1.  Eligibility of person.  A person is eligible for a tuition waiver under this chapter if 
the person is:
A.  A Is a Maine resident;
B.  A Is a high school graduate or has attained a high school equivalency diploma as 
described under section 257; and
C.  Accepted Is accepted for admission to a state postsecondary educational institution.; 
and
D.  Has entered into a voluntary extended care and support agreement with the 
Department of Health and Human Services under section 4037-A, if the person is 
eligible to enter into such an agreement.
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §12572, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 774, §3, is amended 
to read:
4.  Revenue reduction.  A state postsecondary educational institution shall absorb the 
reduction in tuition revenues that results from providing a tuition waiver waivers to an 30 
eligible person persons under this chapter.  The institution may not request additional 
General Fund appropriations from the Legislature to offset the reduction in tuition revenues 
related to 30 tuition waivers.  Twenty tuition waivers per year must be funded with General 
Fund appropriations.
Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §12573, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2003, c. 187, §1, is further 
amended to read:
3.  Limitation.  Tuition waivers to eligible persons are limited to 30 50 new students 
per year in each year at state postsecondary educational institutions as follows:
A.  The first 25 tuition waivers must be available to eligible persons at the University 
of Maine System, the Maine Maritime Academy and the Maine Community College 
System; and
B.  Of the 5 The remaining tuition waivers, 3 must be available to eligible persons at 
the University of Maine System and 2 must be available to eligible persons at the Maine 
Community College System.
SUMMARY
This bill increases from 30 to 50 the number of tuition waivers for postsecondary 
education allowed to be granted each academic year to persons who, at the time of their 
graduation from high school or their successful completion of a general educational 
development examination, were in the custody of the Department of Health and Human 
Services and resided in foster care or subsidized adoptive care or were minor wards of a 
subsidized permanency guardian.  The bill also makes necessary changes to the provisions 
regarding how the tuition waivers are apportioned to postsecondary educational 
institutions.  The additional 20 waivers must be funded with General Fund appropriations.  
The bill also provides that students who are eligible to enter into a voluntary extended care 
and support agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services must enter into 
such an agreement to be eligible for a tuition waiver.