11/7/07 Colby Echo: Opportunity Maine benefits students, state economy
Posted by eric (eric) on Feb 12 2008 at 11:30 PM
Press >> Colby Echo

Opportunity Maine benefits students, state economy

By Ellen London

Two years ago, Andrew Bossie, student-body president of the University of Southern Maine, came up with what seemed like an illusory goal, a holy grail of student initiatives: a referendum to offer debt relief for college students upon graduation. Fueled by the growing problem of college tuition expenses and the dismay of the students he represented on campus, Bossie sat down with some peers to brainstorm a way of alleviating post-graduation debt relief-especially to Maine students. His idea quickly gained popularity, and it wasn't long before he was meeting with community leaders and organizations all over the state, including the League of Young Voters. "The program was dreamt up by people all under the age of forty," recalled Alec Maybarduk, field director for the initiative. Early advocates dispersed over the state to talk to students of all ages at universities, colleges and community colleges who were saddled with student loans. And they had one central question always in mind: "How can we address the issue of student debt in a way that isn't just a handout?" These were the makings of Opportunity Maine.

After gathering the necessary information and support, Bossie and his greatly broadened group of peers decided to form a citizen's initiative to be proposed on the Maine State Referendum Ballot, and drafted the formal legislation themselves. In the State of Maine, a referendum may be placed directly on a ballot if the party is able to gather the signatures of 55,000 registered Maine voters. "It's a huge, rather daunting process," Maybarduk admitted. With their work cut out for them, Bossie and his fellow advocates set out in October of last year to gather signatures from the people of Maine. "We had single moms who worked all day and took classes at a community college, who on top of that were out in snowstorms collecting signatures [for the program]. I've worked on a lot of campaigns, and I've never seen such an inspiring level of dedication as I saw then," Maybarduk said. The level of dedication from advocates and willingness of voters to sign on to the initiative was a testament to its applicability. Regardless of academic status, everyone felt that student debt was a huge problem, and one particularly acute in Maine. The state is one-third behind the rest of New England in terms of degree-holding citizens, and one-third below the median income of other New England states-two statistics that Maybarduk said are "directly correlated." Maine's chronically lagging economy could use a boost of degree-holding citizens to "put more money back into the economy and raise that median income," he said. Needless to say, after only four months-a record time-the movement had all of the signatures it needed.

The student-debt relief initiative received ballot approval in February of last year, and found its way into another unique legislative position. In Maine, the state legislature can pass a citizen's referendum before even sending it out to voters. However, the act is rare, as citizen's referendums usually contain controversial measures that the state would rather put to the people directly. It was a remarkable occasion indeed, then, when the legislature passed the student-debt initiative overnight. Even more noteworthy was the support it received from both Democrats and Republicans. Both parties agreed it was a sound investment for the state's future, intellectually and economically. Discussions grew temporarily tense when one Republican accused the program of being discriminative. Everyone held their breath, until he explained, "It's a great program. Why not make it even bigger and broader in scope?" And Opportunity Maine was formally established.

Opportunity Maine will go into effect in January 2008. Students filling out their forms for second semester financial aid and student loans can also ask for an additional form from the State, on which they will assert their residency and desire to receive debt-relief upon graduating. The program is quite simple and is designed to reward students who stay and work in Maine after graduation. Students, or businesses on a student's behalf, file for tax credit in varying amounts depending on how long the student remains in the state. For example, if a student paid $2,000 dollars per year in financial aid at his academic institution, and he remains in the state for one year afterwards, the state writes him a tax credit for the same amount: $2,000. The same applies for student loan expenses. One important caveat, especially for private institutions like Colby, is that tax reimbursement is capped at the tuition cost of the University of Maine, roughly $30,000.

The program is available to students at state universities, private colleges and community colleges, and aids students who enroll directly after high school and adults who take a few classes or go back to school full time. The program is also inclusive in its definition of Maine residency-one needn't be a native Mainer to receive Opportunity Maine benefits. Therefore, a student from Connecticut who attends Colby is as eligible to partake in the program as one from Maine. "All you need is a valid mailing address within the state, and you're a resident," Maybarduk said.

The contract students sign with the state upon filling out financial aid and student loan forms is not binding, Maybarduk eagerly pointed out, and there is no penalty if a student decides to leave the state upon graduating, regardless of his initial intent. But he suggested that "even students with the smallest inkling of staying to work [in Maine] post-graduation should sign up," because the potential benefits are enormous. Mass participation will also signal state legislators in Augusta that the initiative is indeed popularly-supported and worth considerable funding. "This is an important measure," Maybarduk said, adding that "we really want Augusta to see the impact and effect it has on Maine students and the Maine economy alike."

Until it takes effect in January, Opportunity Maine will continue to undergo the formal rule-making process that all recent legislation is subject to. "We're continuing to work out the kinks, really hammer them out" before the program is implemented, Maybarduk said. He and many other Opportunity Maine staff and volunteers are hitting college campuses all over the state to promote the program and get students involved. One promotional method reaches campuses this week in the form of credit cards bearing the Opportunity Maine logo and a brief description of what the program is, which will be deposited in students' mailboxes. The cards are meant to be a physical reminder of looming student debt, and this innovative new option for alleviating that pressure. The cards will also offer discounts at local coffeehouses, theaters and other student hot-spots.

As for the much-needed boost to Maine's economy that Opportunity Maine promotes, the program is expected not only to pay for itself but also to generate substantial returns within the next ten years. The theory is that the state gains by keeping well-educated minds in the area, and flooding the workforce with better-qualified citizens. As Maybarduk said of the founding principle of the program, "It's a great way to tackle student debt [and] stimulate economic development." As is evident by its popularity before and after becoming a formal referendum, the people of Maine clearly agree.

For more information about Opportunity Maine and how to get involved, please contact Maybarduk, field director, at (207) 344-7540 or via e-mail at alec@indyvoter.org. Interested students may also refer to the program's website, www.opportunitymaine.org.

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