PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Educators for Maine Program
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §12501-A, sub-§10, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 427, §2, is amended to read:
 
10. Graduating high school senior.   "Graduating high school senior" means a student who is a resident of the State, who graduates from a secondary school approved pursuant to section 2901or a home instruction program as described in section 5001-A, subsection 3, paragraph A, subparagraph (4) and who is entering that student's first year in an institution of higher education at the beginning of the next academic year. An academic year for graduating high school seniors is considered to be from September to June.
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §12501-A, sub-§12, as amended by PL 2013, c. 7, §1, is further amended to read:
 
12. Return service.   "Return service" means service in a public elementary or secondary school, publicly supported secondary school, special education facility as defined in section 7001, subsection 6 or private school in this State approved for tuition purposes for a full school year as a certified teacher or a speech pathologist, service as a Jobs for Maine's Graduates specialist with similar teacher certification or service for a 12-month period in a child care facility by an individual who has attained child care provider qualifications.
Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §12501-A, sub-§14-A  is enacted to read:
 
14-A.  Underserved geographic areas.     "Underserved geographic areas" means those geographic areas of the State where there is an insufficient supply of teachers or speech pathologists as determined by the chief executive officer in consultation with the commissioner.
Sec. 4. 20-A MRSA §12502, as amended by PL 2003, c. 427, §3, is further amended by adding at the end a new paragraph to read:
Under the program, the authority may annually award a certain number of loan repayments to selected educators in underserved geographic areas as funds permit. A selected loan repayment recipient must enter into a loan repayment agreement with the authority and may receive payment from the authority on the recipient's outstanding student debt for each year of service as long as the recipient teaches in an underserved geographic area.
Sec. 5. 20-A MRSA §12503, last ¶, as amended by PL 1999, c. 441, §7, is repealed.
Sec. 6. 20-A MRSA §12504, last ¶, as amended by PL 2003, c. 427, §5, is further amended to read:
Loans of up to $2,000 per academic year or $8,000 totalin an amount to be determined annually by the authority based on available funds, but in no event less than $3,000 per academic year for eligible undergraduate students and $2,000 per academic year for eligible students pursuing postbaccalaureate certification, may be made to students pursuing postbaccalaureate certification. Loans of up to $3,000 per academic year or $12,000 total may be made to eligible undergraduate students. Selected full-time undergraduate students may receive loans for a period not to exceed 8 semesters at the institution they attend. Selected full-time and part-time students pursuing postbaccalaureate certifications may receive loans for a period not to exceed 4 semesters or the equivalent thereof at the institution they attend. An individual who has received an Educators for Maine loan as an undergraduate may also receive a loan for students pursuing postbaccalaureate certification. In no event may an individual receive more than $20,000 in total Educators for Maine loans. Loans are for one academic year and are renewable if the recipient maintains a grade point average of at least 2.5 based on a 4.0 grade point system or the equivalent and submits a complete renewal application by the deadline annually.
Sec. 7. 20-A MRSA §12505, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2003, c. 427, §6, is further amended to read:
 
1. Eligibility for loans for undergraduate education.   An Educators for Maine loan recipient must be an undergraduate at an institution of higher education. Preference must be given to students enrolled in a program that has been determined to be an underserved subject area.
Sec. 8. 20-A MRSA §12507, first ¶, as amended by PL 2003, c. 427, §10, is further amended to read:
Each student who receives a loan may cancel the total amount of the loan by completing one year of return service in thea public schoolsschool, publicly supported secondary school, special education facility as defined in section 7001, subsection 6 or private schoolsschool approved for tuition purposes in the State for each year the individual receives a loan. An individual who received that individual's first program loan after January 1, 2000 may also cancel the total amount of the loan by completing one year of return service by working in a child care facility. The return service requirement is one year for every 2 years or less that the individual receives a loan if return service is performed in an underserved subject area or an underserved geographic area. Return service for this purpose must be performed within 510 years of graduation from the institution of higher education. If the chief executive officer grants a deferment, the time period for performance of return service may be extended for the same period as the deferment. Return service may not be credited for the same semester for which an individual receives a loan pursuant to this chapter. Pro rata loan forgiveness may be granted for part-time return service as determined by rule of the authority. Failure to fulfill the return service option necessitates repayment to the authority as follows.
 
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 129th Legislature, First Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.