An Act to Amend Certain Eligibility Requirements for Secondary
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2099
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: SARGENT
Amends: 20-A MRSA §4771, 20-A MRSA §4772, 20-A MRSA §4772-A, 20-A MRSA §4772-B, 20-A MRSA §4774, 20-A MRSA §4775, 20-A MRSA §4776

Legislative Document
No. 2099
H.P. 1414
House of Representatives, January 7, 2026
An Act to Amend Certain Eligibility Requirements for Secondary 
Students Receiving State Subsidies for Postsecondary Courses
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 §4771, as amended by PL 2007, c. 240, Pt. VVV, §1, is further 
amended to read:
§4771.  Eligible institution and, semester and academic year; defined
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, "eligible institution" 
means the institutions of the University of Maine System, the Maine Community College 
System and the Maine Maritime Academy.  "Semester" means the fall, spring or summer 
term of an academic year.  "Academic year" means one full academic cycle that includes a 
summer semester, a fall semester and a spring semester.
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §4772, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2005, c. 519, Pt. XX, §1, 
is repealed.
Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §4772, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2005, c. 519, Pt. XX, §2, 
is further amended to read:
5.  Parental approval.  The student's parent approves; and
Sec. 4.  20-A MRSA §4772, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 519, Pt. XX, §3, is 
amended to read:
6.  Recommendation.  The student has received a recommendation to take a 
postsecondary course or courses at an eligible institution from the student's school 
administration or one of the student's secondary school teachers following an assessment 
of the student by the school administration.; and
Sec. 5.  20-A MRSA §4772, sub-§7 is enacted to read:
7.  Public tuition.  The student is a resident of the State who:
A.  Is enrolled in a school administrative unit or in a magnet school pursuant to chapter 
in the State;
B.  Is enrolled in a private school approved for tuition purposes;
C.  Is enrolled in a school administrative unit as a tuition student pursuant to chapter 
or a private school approved for tuition purposes; or
D.  Is a student receiving home instruction as outlined in section 5001-A, subsection 3, 
paragraph A, subparagraph (4).
Sec. 6.  20-A MRSA §4772, as amended by PL 2005, c. 519, Pt. XX, §§1 to 3, is 
further amended by enacting at the end a new paragraph to read:
This chapter may not be construed to limit an eligible institution's authority to 
determine individual student enrollment.
Sec. 7.  20-A MRSA §4772-A, as amended by PL 2005, c. 519, Pt. XX, §4, is 
repealed.
Sec. 8.  20-A MRSA §4772-B, 2nd ¶, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 400, §1, is amended 
to read:
A student who meets the requirements of this section is eligible to participate in 
postsecondary courses at an eligible institution under this section, subject to the 
requirements and conditions of sections 4774 to 4776 and 4775. Notwithstanding section 
15672, subsection 32, a student described in this section is considered to be a subsidizable 
pupil for purposes of receiving the subsidy provided in this chapter.
Sec. 9.  20-A MRSA §4774, sub-§3 is enacted to read:
3.  Transcript.  A high school shall record the number of credits awarded and the 
corresponding postsecondary institution granting the credits on a student's high school 
transcript.
Sec. 10.  20-A MRSA §4774, sub-§4 is enacted to read:
4.  Secondary school lifetime credit cap.  A secondary school student is eligible to 
receive state subsidy for postsecondary courses up to a lifetime credit cap of 18 total credits.
Sec. 11.  20-A MRSA §4774, sub-§5 is enacted to read:
5.  Early college career pathway lifetime credit cap.  A career and technical 
education student in a designated early college career pathway is eligible to receive state 
subsidy for postsecondary courses up to a lifetime credit cap of 24 total credits.
Sec. 12.  20-A MRSA §4775, first ¶, as amended by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. C, §8, is 
repealed.
Sec. 13.  20-A MRSA §4775, as amended by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. C, §8, is further 
amended by enacting at the end a new paragraph to read:
Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, the department, in collaboration with 
eligible institutions, shall determine annually a process for the reimbursement of tuition up 
to a lifetime credit cap of 18 total credits per student.  Funds appropriated to the department 
to carry out the purposes of this chapter must be in addition to the customary and ongoing 
amounts appropriated for general purpose aid for local schools.  
Sec. 14.  20-A MRSA §4776, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 240, Pt. VVV, §2, is 
repealed.
SUMMARY
This bill updates certain eligibility and academic requirements for secondary school 
students receiving a state subsidy for postsecondary courses.  The bill also requires the 
Department of Education, in collaboration with eligible institutions, to determine annually 
a process for the reimbursement of tuition.