As a parent of two kids currently in college and one who just started paying her student loans, I’m keenly aware of the cost of higher education and the strain it places on families. Piecing together tuition and navigating the numerous financial aid and scholarship opportunities for our kids is no small feat.

For so many more families in Maine it’s not just a difficult task, but a completely unrealistic option. This year, my colleagues and I in the Legislature are considering several measures in Gov. Mills’ recent supplemental budget proposal to make higher education accessible for more Mainers.

Over the past several weeks, the proposal has gone through a public hearing process before the Legislature’s budget-writing Appropriations and Financial Affairs (AFA) Committee where members of the public and legislators from the relevant committees offered testimony. The AFA Committee will deliberate before making a decision on the governor’s proposal, and then send the budget to the Legislature for approval.

I am excited about a number of these measures and what they mean for Maine families and students. If passed, the proposal would constitute the eighth year out of the past eleven years that Maine’s public university system has not increased tuition.

With oil and gas prices on the rise, the cost of living increasing and pandemic-related pinches on folks’ wallets, a tuition hike would seem unfathomable.

But the absence of one could easily go unnoticed. The university system’s ability to keep tuition levels stable for Maine residents despite financial blows on their end due to the pandemic, including lost revenue and increased costs to keep our students safe, is extraordinarily impressive and meaningful.

Another measure before the Legislature includes an amendment to an existing program that provides an income tax credit for certain eligible Maine residents, the Maine Opportunity Education Tax Credit. The credit was established in 2008 as a way to encourage Mainers to earn their college degree from a Maine institution and to pursue a career in Maine, post-graduation. Similarly, the program also encourages Maine businesses to stay or expand in Maine and to hire employees who have graduated from a Maine college or university. While this program is well-intentioned and has served over 13,000 Mainers, the application process and eligibility criteria are onerous and complicated. The new proposal before the Legislature would dramatically simplify the program, making it easier for more folks to afford a college degree.

A final boost to students through the University of Maine system is the proposed plan to pay for up to two years of community college for eligible students who graduated from high school in Maine between 2020 and 2023. Not only does this help kids and their families access higher education, it also bolsters workforce development in areas that offer higher wages for more specialized skills. This could directly benefit some of our neighbors in Gorham who utilize the feeder program between Southern Maine Community College and our USM campus here in town. At a time when workforce shortages plague communities around the nation and threaten serious consequences regarding economic development for generations to come, this measure will do a lot of good.

As the Legislature considers these measures and works to make college more affordable and accessible, I’d also like to highlight that there are a variety of resources currently out there for folks to get help with paying for college.

The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) has several useful resources on their website to support students and families in this endeavor, including information about available grants, scholarships, work-study programs and loans. Additionally they provide a great overview of the process for filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For help with completing the FAFSA application, visit FAME’s website.

Rep. Maureen “Mo” Terry, D-Gorham, is serving her third term in the Maine House of Representatives. She serves as House Chair of the Taxation Committee. Contact her at maureen.terry@legislature.maine.gov.