126th MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 1797		LR 2756(02)
	An Act Expanding Access to Early Postsecondary Education
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Potential current biennium revenue decrease - Higher Educational Institutions
			FY 2013-14	FY 2014-15	Projections  FY 2015-16	Projections  FY 2016-17
Net Cost (Savings)
	General Fund		$0	$600,000	$600,000	$600,000
Appropriations/Allocations
	General Fund		$0	$600,000	$600,000	$600,000
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This bill includes ongoing General Fund appropriations of $600,000 per year beginning in fiscal year 2014-15 to the General Purpose Aid for Local Schools program within the Department of Education to support the cost for all eligible secondary students to take postsecondary classes if they choose to do so.
	Legislation enacted during the 1st Regular Session of the 126th Legislature both expanded the number of students eligible to take postsecondary classes and the number of credit hours that each eligible student may receive state tuition subsidy for.  Public Law 2013, c. 368, the 2014-2015 biennial budget, provides General Fund support to the General Purpose Aid for Local Schools program of $400,000 per year for fiscal year 2013-14 and fiscal year 2014-15 for eligible secondary students to take postsecondary classes.  This funding is the same amount of funding that has been provided in previous fiscal years. No additional General Fund appropriations were provided to support either the increase in the number of students eligible to take postsecondary classes or the increase in the number of credit hours the student may take.
	This bill further expands the number of eligible students to include all students enrolled in a private school approved to receive public funds and secondary school students enrolled in an adult education program.  The Department of Education indicates that the current $400,000 per year level of funding is limiting participation in the program and estimates that an additional $600,000 per year of General Fund support is needed in order to ensure that sufficient funding is available to support the anticipated increase in demand.
	Expanding the number of secondary students that are eligible to take postsecondary classes under certain conditions will increase the amount of tuition revenue that must be waived by the University of Maine System, the Maine Community College System and the Maine Maritime Academy.  The impact will depend on the actual increase in the number of eligible secondary students that take postsecondary classes per academic year.