Committee gives strong support to Sen. Tipping bill to provide tuition relief to UMS students

AUGUSTA — On Tuesday, April 4, the Legislature’s Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs voted in favor of LD 512, “An Act to Promote Student Enrollment and Degree Completion in the University of Maine System by Providing Tuition Waivers to Eligible Students,” sponsored by Sen. Mike Tipping, D-Orono, with a vote of 8-4 with one member absent. The bill as amended would make public university tuition essentially free for Maine students eligible for Pell Grants, which are need based grants of federal aid.

“I appreciate the committee’s support and their votes in favor of this legislation,” said Sen. Tipping. “This is a critical time to help students attend college and to support our vital public universities. For decades, we’ve been underfunding higher education, and students have taken on much of the burden. This bill lessens costs and debt. It’s an investment in Maine’s future.”

LD 512 originally proposed establishing 50% tuition waivers for Maine students graduating in certain high school classes. The amended bill will cover the full costs of tuition for all Maine students who are deemed eligible for Pell Grants, the federal grant program based on family income and student financial need. It will also allow students to keep merit-based scholarship awards to pay for books, housing and other needs. The University of Maine System estimates that the program will lead to an annual investment of $6.6 million in tuition relief.

The Education Committee requested a similar amount of UMS tuition assistance in their report-back to the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee in March.

The bill now faces votes in both the Senate and House.