FORT KENT — Andrew Bossie, a Caribou native who graduated from University of Southern Maine in May, thought that he’d be campaigning in northern Maine recently, not announcing a new law
Bossie is the president of Opportunity Maine, a group that led a signature drive last year intended to put a question before voters in November that would make higher education more affordable.
“Coming back home every week last fall and winter to help volunteers collect signatures really made this effort worth it,” said Bossie, who is now the executive director of the Maine AIDS Alliance in Augusta. “People were always talking about the importance of new and better jobs, and I was convinced that making college more accessible to everyone in the community would be that catalyst for change.”
Bossie was in Fort Kent last Thursday flanked by other members of Opportunity Maine, Sen. John Martin, Rep. Troy Jackson and representatives from the local University of Maine campus to detail the new Opportunity Maine program, passed by the legislature last June.
Now, instead of going to voters, Opportunity Maine will become a bona fide program in January. The law allows anyone who goes to school in Maine — and then lives and works in the state after graduation — to claim a large tax credit to help repay their student loans. Bossie and others are traveling around Maine to remind students to sign up for the program in January.
Bossie and Opportunity Maine Communications Director Tony Giampetruzzi were in Aroostook Oct. 19 to announce the program and to talk about the Opportunity Maine Tax Credit Card, designed to be a daily reminder that students will be eligible to join the program.
“We’re sending every student in Maine one of these plastic cards so that they will have a physical reminder of the program, and so they can start saving now,” said Giampetruzzi, adding that local businesses are coming on board to offer discounts and promotions for Opportunity Maine Tax Credit Card holders.
“It’s the one card that won’t lead to debt, so we hope to get one into the hands of all Maine students,” he added.
While Bossie and Giampetruzzi were visiting Aroostook for an official launch of Opportunity Maine, community leaders were also on hand to tout its importance to northern Mainers.
More than 73,000 signatures were collected last year to put the law before voters, nearly 20,000 more than necessary, and most of which were verified. However, the Maine legislature has the power to pass ballot initiatives outright and Opportunity Maine received a unanimous vote in the Maine House and with only nine dissenters in the Senate last June.
Sen. Martin (D-Eagle Lake) said Thursday that he supported passage of Opportunity Maine for two reasons. First, he said, the program was similar to the one that helped him through college. But, he added that the structure of the program, which requires that participants graduate to benefit from it, influenced his vote.
“(Opportunity Maine) will make it more of a necessity and a desire for students to want to graduate,” said Martin.” We have a lot of students who begin, and quit. With this, if they quit, they get nothing … they don’t get a reward. This program is a real and strong incentive for them to move on and get the degree.”
UMFK President Richard Cost also addressed attrition, noting that getting students through college and helping them get a good job marks a great college.
“This program will attack what is a growing problem in higher education, and that is the increasing reliance on people in society to have to take out student loans to pay for that education,” said Cost. “It’s a great program … and success isn’t measured in admissions, success is measured in graduation and rewarding careers, and I think this program addresses that issue.”
Bossie added that, since the law passed, it has garnered attention from other states who have asked him how they can pass similar laws of their own.
Contributed photo
OPPORTUNITY MAINE Communications Director Tony Giampetruzzi was in Fort Kent recently to talk about the Opportunity Maine Tax Credit Card, designed to be a daily reminder that students will be eligible to join the new college loan reimbursement program starting in January.
