The Pay it Forward, Pay it Back Program

Under this program, Maine residents would be able to go to public universities through the University of Maine System and the Maine Community College System without paying tuition or fees. Instead, they would agree to pay back a small percentage of their annual income, which would go into funding the tuition for future students.

We hold it to be self-evident that students deserve a just voice in the decision making process of what most directly affects them: the cost of their education. They deserve to not have to be burdened with outrageous and unmanageable student loans simply to get a college education. Thus we put forth our earnest support of this agreeable bill and voice our support for not just the exploration of Pay it Forward, Pay it Back, but also its implementation:

The State of Maine suffers from a perpetual exodus of its young people. The implementation of this bill will allow recent graduates to feel less pressure to leave the state and find jobs in higher population areas. By doing so, this will counter the current population problems faced by the state. It is common sense that this great state ought to do all it can to convince its young people to stay, not push them out.

The students of not just this great state, but also across the nation, suffer from unbearable debt. Nationally this manifests itself in $1.2 Trillion of debt.[1] This serves to hurt not just the students, but also the economy. Within our own state the issue is felt; The Project for Student Debt reported in 2012 that the Maine ranked second, behind New Hampshire, in terms of student debt burden. 68% of students graduate with loans with an average of $29,983.[2] We hold it to be self-evident that this is an unjust and unbearable result Crisis that must be adequately and democratically solved.

We hold it be self-evident that such a crisis as that faced by students burden with unbearable debt is a non-partisan issue; thus we submit this petition not representing any political affiliation but that of the people of this great state.

Therefore we, the undersigned, put forth our support of Legislative Document 1702: Resolve, Directing the University of Maine System and the Maine Community College System To Study the Establishment of a Pilot Program Based on Oregon's "Pay Forward, Pay Back" Model of Funding Public Postsecondary Education.