Code of Maine Rules
94 - INDEPENDENT AGENCIES
457 - FINANCE AUTHORITY OF MAINE (FAME)
Chapter 608 - TUITION WAIVER PROGRAM
Section 457-608-1 - General Rules

1. Chief Executive Officer. "Chief Executive Officer" means the Chief Executive Officer of the Finance Authority of Maine, or a person acting under the supervisory control of the Chief Executive Officer.

2. Emergency Medical Services Person. "Emergency medical services person" means a person who: (1) is licensed to provide emergency medical treatment under Title 32, chapter 2-B and is serving a governmental entity as defined in Title 24, section 8102, subsection 2 or a political subdivision as defined in Title 14, section 8102, subsection 3, in an official capacity as an officially recognized or designated employee or member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew, with or without compensation; or (2) is an employee of a nonprofit, incorporated ambulance service or non-transporting emergency medical service licensed under Title 32, chapter 2-B receiving full or partial financial support from or officially recognized by the State, a municipality, or county or an entity created under Title 30-A, chapter 115 or 119 when acting within the scope of activities expressly authorized by the State, municipality, county or entity created under Title 30-A, chapter 115 or 119.

3. Firefighter. "Firefighter" means a person who is an active member of a municipal fire department or a volunteer firefighter's association in this state and who aids in the extinguishing of fires regardless of whether the person has administrative or other duties as a member of the department or association.

4. Foster Child. "Foster Child' means (a) a person in the custody of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services residing in foster care, or (b) an adopted person whose adoptive parent(s) receive a subsidy from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, or (c) a person who is a minor ward of a permanency guardian as provided in 22 M.R.S.A. §4038-D which guardian receives a subsidy from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.

5. Law Enforcement Officer. "Law Enforcement Officer" means an active state police officer, municipal police officer, county sheriff or deputy sheriff in this state. "Law Enforcement Officer" shall also include an active game warden, fire marshal, liquor enforcement officer, or marine patrol officer, if employed on a full-time basis in that position in this state.

6. Local government official. "Local government official" shall mean any elected or appointed member of a local government.

7. Maine Resident. "Maine Resident" means a person who is a resident of Maine at the time of application and who is not a resident of any other state.

8. State Post Secondary Educational Institution. "State Post Secondary Educational Institution" means the University of Maine, the Maine Maritime Academy, and the Maine Community Colleges.

9. Tuition Charges. "Tuition Charges" means the tuition established by the governing body of the state postsecondary educational institution.

10. Undergraduate Degree. "Undergraduate Degree" means Associate Degree (2-year) and Baccalaureate Degree (4-year), and with respect only to foster child participants, other degree or certificate programs of at least one year.

1. An eligible spouse or child of a firefighter, emergency medical services person or law enforcement officer who has been killed or who has received an injury during the performance of his duties within this State which results in death may attend any state postsecondary educational institution free of tuition charges. For the purpose of this Rule, the phrase "who has been killed or who has received an injury during the performance of his duties which results in death" means that the decedent shall have died as the proximate and direct result of injuries received from external causes as the result of the active performance of the firefighter's or law enforcement officer's official duties.

2. An eligible foster child who has not been enrolled in a postsecondary educational institution for more than 5 years or the equivalent, and who each year completes an application for federal financial aid programs for which they may be eligible, may attend any state post-secondary educational institution free of tuition charges.

3. Once notified of an applicant's eligibility, the postsecondary educational institution shall waive a student's tuition during that academic year and/or summer school if the summer school offerings provide sufficient credit hours to allow the student to be classified as full time.

4. The tuition waiver shall be limited to undergraduate degree programs and shall be limited to the earlier to occur of not more than 5 years of full-time enrollment or its equivalent, or receipt of a Baccalaureate Degree.