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An Act To Ensure Transparency in College Costs
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §10014  is enacted to read:
§ 10014. Student fees; financial aid offer form
 
1.  Student fees assessed.     A postsecondary institution may not assess a student fees unless the institution uses the standardized financial aid offer form under subsection 2 when providing written or electronic financial aid offers to students enrolled or accepted for enrollment in the institution. For purposes of this section, "fees" does not include the cost of tuition, room and board or books and supplies.
 
A postsecondary institution must identify and publish on a publicly accessible website all fees assessable to students.
 
2.  Financial aid offer form; standardized.     The commissioner in consultation with postsecondary institutions incorporated, chartered or established under the laws of the State shall develop a standard format for written and electronic financial aid offers to students enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a postsecondary institution. At a minimum, the standardized financial aid offer form must include the cost of tuition, room and board and books and supplies as determined under 20 United States Code, Chapter 28, Subchapter IV, Part E as amended and clearly identify each additional student fee as determined under 20 United States Code, Chapter 28, Subchapter IV, Part E as amended to be paid to the postsecondary institution.
 
The commissioner shall adopt rules to implement this subsection. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
 
SUMMARY
This bill prohibits a postsecondary institution from assessing a student fees unless the institution uses the standardized financial aid offer form developed by the Commissioner of Education. The bill directs the Commissioner of Education to develop a standard format for written and electronic financial aid offers to students enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a postsecondary institution. The bill specifies that the standardized financial aid offer form must clearly identify each student fee to be paid to the postsecondary institution.