Maine § 4010-C. - Transition grant program

§ 4010-C.. Transition grant program

The Department of Health and Human Services shall establish a transition grant program to provide financial support to eligible individuals to pay for postsecondary education or training programs.   [PL 2025, c. 272, §2 (AMD).]

1.  Age; enrollment in postsecondary education institution or training program.  In order to be eligible to participate in the program, an individual must be at least 23 years of age but less than 27 years of age, must have exited the voluntary extended care and support agreement with the State under section 4037‑A at 23 years of age and must be enrolled in a postsecondary education institution or training program.

2.  Level of financial support.  The transition grant is for postsecondary education or training program support up to the completion of an undergraduate degree or the training program. The level of financial support must be equivalent to the current voluntary extended foster care supports pursuant to section 4037‑A. The department shall set duration limits, including a 6-year maximum for a 4-year degree, a 4-year maximum for a 2-year degree and other duration limits for other types of postsecondary education or training programs.

3.  Postsecondary education navigator services.  The program must include postsecondary education navigator services that provide transitional services and college support. The department shall determine the specifics of those services.

4.  Advisory committee.  The department shall establish an advisory committee to provide oversight of the implementation of the transition grant program. The advisory committee must include stakeholders in the postsecondary education field, the department's postsecondary education navigator under subsection 6, professionals who work with transitional foster youth, representatives of the department and other interested parties. The department shall adopt rules to determine the membership, terms of office and voting procedures of the advisory committee and other specifics of the advisory committee's governance structure. The advisory committee shall provide an annual report to the department and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters.

5.  Limit on number of individuals receiving transition grants.  No more than 40 individuals at any one time may receive transition grants under this section.

6.  Postsecondary education navigator.  The department shall develop the roles and responsibilities for the postsecondary education navigator to provide transitional services and college student support for individuals pursuant to this section. The postsecondary education navigator shall provide data to the advisory committee.

The department shall adopt rules to implement this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A.   [PL 2013, c. 577, §1 (NEW).]