AUGUSTA, Maine - A Portland lawmaker is proposing to increase tax credits intended to help Maine college students who stay in the state pay off their school debt.
Sen. Justin Alfond, a Democrat, was one of the organizers of the petition drive that led to the creation of the Opportunity Maine Tax Credit.
"One of the things that I hope to showcase to the committee, and to the Legislature, is that there needs to be a public-private partnership," Alfond says. "We need to get businesses involved in this program heavily."
Alfond says a provision of the program provides tax credits for businesses that help pay an employee's student loans, if the employee was a Maine resident while attending an accredited Maine community college, college or university.
Alfond says not enough businesses are taking advantage of the program. He wants employers to also be able to get a tax break if the employee was educated out of state.
