STUDENT'S CAMPAIGN RESULTS IN IMPORTANT NEW COLLEGE DEBT BILL

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JOSHUA HOLLAND, ALTERNET - Andrew Bossie found the staggering costs of
tuition, books, and living expenses at college in Maine to be untenable.
Working with fellow activists, his campaign eventually convinced the
Legislature to offer a way out of debt. . . The idea was fairly simple:
help students pay off their debts if they stay in Maine. Last week, two
years later, Bossie's work, along with those of other activists and
groups, including the League of Independent Voters, bore fruit when
Maine legislators passed the Opportunity Maine Initiative. The measure
will give tax credits to help Maine residents pay off their student debt
as long as they stay in the state. "Nontraditional" students returning
to get their degrees would also be eligible for the credits, as would
employers who pay off their workers' student loans as a benefit. After a
two-year campaign, the measure had been on its way to voters in the form
of a statewide referendum this November when Maine's legislature stepped
in and passed the bill by wide margins -- 142-0 in the State House and
27-8 in the Senate.

http://www.alternet.org/story/55646/


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