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This bill imposes
a lifetime cap on the number of courses for which secondary students and
career and technical education students enrolled in a designated early
college career pathway may receive a state subsidy. The bill also restricts
state subsidy for postsecondary courses to students who are Maine residents
and meet public tuition criteria. The
eligibility policy of the Department of Education (department) currently
includes these provisions; the bill seeks to codify existing policy in
statute. These provisions are intended to lower the number of postsecondary
courses for which secondary and early college students may receive a state
subsidy. There is no new funding provided in the bill because the amount of the
state subsidy is included in the department's total cost of education.
However, demand for these courses is likely to continue to outpace available
funding, even with the restrictions imposed by this bill. Additionally, the
bill repeals the lifetime credit cap on July 31, 2028, after which the
reimbursement due to eligible institutions from the department is likely to
exceed available resources, absent additional appropriations, statutory
changes or other arrangements.
The bill also requires the department, in collaboration with eligible
institutions, to provide an update to the Legislature by February 1, 2028 on
eligibility requirements for a secondary student to receive a state subsidy
for postsecondary
courses and on lifetime credit caps for secondary students and career and
technical education students. Any additional costs to the department to
implement the requirements of this bill can be absorbed within existing
resources. |