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Maine Maritime Academy funding parity debated as lawmakers weigh 5% annual boosts and broader study
Summary
Senator Nicole Grochowski testified that Maine Maritime Academy delivers high returns for the state but is underfunded compared with other public higher‑education systems; LD 681 would phase in 5% annual operational increases for MMA until parity is reached.
Senator Nicole Grochowski opened the public hearing on LD 681, “An Act Regarding Public Higher Education Funding in the State,” urging lawmakers to address long‑standing funding disparities between Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) and Maine’s other public higher education systems. The bill would increase MMA’s annual state operating support by 5% per year on a phased basis until MMA reaches the lower percentage currently received by the University of Maine System or the Maine Community College System; it also includes a stakeholder commission to study public higher‑education funding.
“MMA gives the state its greatest pound for pound return on investment,” Grochowski told the committee, citing MMA graduates’ median earnings and workforce placements. Multiple witnesses, including alumni, trustees and students, testified in favor of the bill, arguing the academy receives about 23% of its operating budget from state funds while the other two public systems receive roughly 40%.
Interim (now sixteent…
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