Green Jobs, Green Savings Initiative

 

 

Opportunity Maine is organizing a major campaign to create 10,000 good-paying Green-skilled jobs and cut energy bills by at least $10 billion.

 

Learn how Mainer can build a new energy economy.

 

About Opportunity Maine

Opportunity Maine is a non-profit, non-partisan organization working to expand educational opportunity and upgrade the skills of Maine’s workforce. The organization was founded out of a citizen's initiative designed to create jobs by investing in the education and skills of Maine workers. We started with an idea, worked to craft a sound policy and then collected more than 72,000 signatures to get that legislation onto the ballot. In the end, the strong public and media support translated into strong legislative support.

 

For only the sixth time in Maine history, the Legislature passed a citizen initiative outright – unanimously in the House, by a wide majority in the Senate, and with the enthusiastic signature of Governor John Baldacci.

In January of 2008, the Opportunity Maine idea became the Opportunity Maine Program - an ambitious, first-in-the-nation college affordability and economic development program.

It works like this:

• Any associate or bachelor’s degree earner can be reimbursed for their student loan payments through a Maine income tax credit if they are living and working in Maine. 

• Alternatively, any business in Maine can earn the tax credit for creating a student loan payment program as an employee benefit. 

Help us ensure eligible Mainers know about the Program and that ME higher education institutions implement it effectively.

 

About the Opportunity Maine Program

The Opportunity Maine Program is a bold, practical, and universal promise to reward hard work and a commitment to Maine with educational and economic opportunity.

The Program allows those who earn an associate or bachelor’s degree at a Maine school, and continue to live, work and pay taxes here after graduation, to be reimbursed for student loan payments through a state income tax credit. Alternatively, businesses that pay employees’ student loans as an employee benefit will be able to claim the tax credit, providing a strong incentive to expand or locate businesses here in Maine.

This will remove a major financial barrier for those who thought going to college was out of their reach, and will be a strong incentive for college graduates to start their career, family or business here in Maine.

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	Frequently Asked Questions Check out our Frequently Asked Questions if you're interested in learning more about the Opportunity Maine Program.
	Enroll Learn all about enrolling in the new Opportunity Maine Program!
	Updates Receive occasional updates about Opportunity Maine and the Program.