An Act to Include School Counselors in the Educators for Maine
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0098
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: BRENNAN
Amends: 20-A MRSA §12501-A, 20-A MRSA §12502, 20-A MRSA §12505, 20-A MRSA §12507

Legislative Document
No. 98
H.P. 63
House of Representatives, January 8, 2025
An Act to Include School Counselors in the Educators for Maine 
Program
Submitted by the Department of Education 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 BRENNAN of Portland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §12501-A, sub-§12, as amended by PL 2019, c. 303, §2, 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 school counselor or a licensed 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. 2.  20-A MRSA §12501-A, sub-§13, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 427, §2, is 
amended to read:
13.  Student pursuing postbaccalaureate certification.  "Student pursuing 
postbaccalaureate certification" means a student who has earned a baccalaureate degree or 
its equivalent and is pursuing a program of study leading to certification as a teacher or 
school counselor or licensure as a speech pathologist or to the attainment of child care 
provider qualifications.
Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §12501-A, sub-§14-A, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 303, §3, is 
amended 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, school 
counselors 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 2019, c. 303, §4, is further amended 
to read:
§12502.  Educators for Maine Program
There is established the Educators for Maine Program to provide financial assistance 
for postsecondary education to undergraduate students and students pursuing 
postbaccalaureate certification who demonstrate academic achievement and an interest in 
pursuing a career in teaching, school counseling, speech pathology or child care in this 
State.  The chief executive officer shall administer the program and shall establish pursuant 
to rules of the authority the rates of interest or fees to be charged.
Under the program, the authority may annually award a certain number of loan 
repayments to selected educators and other school personnel under this section 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 works in a school in an underserved geographic area.
Sec. 5.  20-A MRSA §12505, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2003, c. 427, §8, is further 
amended to read:
3.  Eligibility for postbaccalaureate certification.  A loan to a student pursuing 
postbaccalaureate certification may be given only to a resident of the State who has shown 
academic achievement, who has a baccalaureate degree, who is pursuing a course of study 
that will lead to certification as a teacher or school counselor, to licensure as a speech 
pathologist or to attainment of child care provider qualifications and who has met other 
eligibility criteria established by rule of the authority.
Sec. 6.  20-A MRSA §12507, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2003, c. 427, §10, is 
further amended to read:
3.  Deferment.  A recipient of a loan may seek a deferment of the annual payments for 
a period or periods as established by rule of the authority.  A request for deferment must 
be made to the chief executive officer who shall make a determination on a case-by-case 
basis.  The chief executive officer may grant a deferment in the event that a recipient of a 
loan evidences intent to teach work as a teacher, school counselor or speech pathologist 
and inability to secure employment necessary to obtain forgiveness of the loan at the time 
the deferment is sought.  The chief executive officer shall require certification of the intent 
annually and grant a deferment for each successful request for deferment for a period not 
to exceed one year.  The chief executive officer may establish limits to the number of 
deferments that may be granted to any recipient by rule of the authority.
SUMMARY
This bill adds school counselor as a postbaccalaureate certification pursuit that is 
eligible for financial assistance under the Educators for Maine Program administered by 
the Finance Authority of Maine.