An Act to Update Certain Higher Education Statutes
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2098
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: SARGENT
Amends: 20-A MRSA §10017, 20-A MRSA §10703, 20-A MRSA §10707

Legislative Document
No. 2098
H.P. 1413
House of Representatives, January 7, 2026
An Act to Update Certain Higher Education Statutes
Submitted by the Department of Education pursuant to Joint Rule 203.
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative SARGENT of York.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA c. 321, as amended, is repealed.
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §10017, first ¶, as enacted by PL 2023, c. 643, Pt. BB, §1, is 
amended to read:
The Higher Education Administrative Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is 
established within the department as a nonlapsing fund to receive participation fees and 
application fees from institutions of higher education for applications under section 10707 
and for applications for membership or membership renewal in the interstate reciprocity 
agreement authorized under section 405, subsection 3, paragraph W.  Funds deposited in 
the fund must be used to support the department's facilitation of the interstate reciprocity 
agreement and for other department costs associated with the administration of higher 
education in the State.
Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §10703, sub-§3 is enacted to read:
3.  Basis for degree-granting authority.  Temporary approval granted pursuant to this 
section may not be used as a basis for a recommendation by the state board for permanent 
degree-granting authority under section 10707.
Sec. 4.  20-A MRSA §10707, as amended by PL 2007, c. 572, Pt. A, §13, is further 
amended to read:
§10707.  Applications
1.  Degree-granting authority.  Applications for authority to grant degrees shall must 
be made on application to the state board on forms through a process provided by the 
commissioner. An educational institution shall pay a fee for the initial application that 
reflects the costs to the department for processing the application, as determined by the 
commissioner.
A.  The state board may recommend an educational institution to the Legislature for 
degree-granting authority without additional review if:
(1)  The state board has approved or renewed approval for the educational 
institution to offer academic programs in the State within 5 years of the institution’s 
application for degree-granting authority; and
(2)  The educational institution has applied for degree-granting authority only for 
degrees for which the institution offers academic programs approved by the state 
board.
B.  Upon recommending an educational institution to the Legislature for degree-
granting authority under section 10704, the state board shall provide any reports 
resulting from completed state board reviews of the applicant educational institution to 
the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education 
matters.
2.  Temporary use of name.  Applications for temporary state board authority to use 
the name "community college," "college" or "university" must be made to the state board 
on forms through a process provided by the commissioner. An educational institution shall 
pay a fee for the initial application that reflects the costs to the department for processing 
the application, as determined by the commissioner.
3.  Courses for academic credit.  Applications by out-of-state educational institutions 
to offer courses for academic credit shall must be made to the state board on forms through 
a process provided by the commissioner. Such an educational institution shall pay a fee for 
the initial application that reflects the costs to the department for processing the application, 
as determined by the commissioner.
4.  Coordinated programs.  Applications to offer coordinated programs shall must be 
made to the state board on forms through a process provided by the commissioner. An 
educational institution shall pay a fee for the initial application that reflects the costs to the 
department for processing the application, as determined by the commissioner.
5.  Exempt status.  Applications for exempt status under section 10708, subsection 2, 
shall must be made to the commissioner. An educational institution shall pay a fee for the 
initial application that reflects the costs to the department for processing the application, as 
determined by the commissioner.
SUMMARY
This bill repeals certain statutes related to correspondence schools and updates 
application requirements for degree-granting educational institutions. The bill requires a 
degree-granting educational institution to pay an application fee for the initial application 
that reflects the costs to the Department of Education for processing the application, as 
determined by the Commissioner of Education, and clarifies that temporary approval to use 
the name "community college," "college" or "university" may not be used as a basis for a 
recommendation by the State Board of Education for permanent degree-granting authority. 
The bill also allows the state board to recommend an educational institution to the 
Legislature for degree-granting authority without additional review if the state board has 
approved or renewed approval for the institution to offer academic programs in the State 
within 5 years of the institution’s application for degree-granting authority and the 
institution has applied for degree-granting authority only for degrees for which the 
institution offers academic programs approved by the state board. The bill requires the state 
board to provide any reports resulting from completed state board reviews of the applicant 
educational institution to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction 
over education matters upon recommending the institution for degree-granting authority.