Incentives to attend college and stay in Maine: A good idea

A proposal to offer college students an incentive to attend college in Maine by providing a lower interest rate on repayment of loans if they agree to work in the state for a specified length of time afterwards is a great idea.

We offer tax incentives to businesses to help them get started, and/or initiate expansions which will create jobs, so why not do what we can to keep our young people at home?

Most high school graduates can find a Maine college with courses designed to meet their needs, and if they know they'll get a break, they'll be more inclined to look to the Maine institution rather than one out of state with comparable course offerings.

Sadly, many of our college-bound students who go out of state never come back. And, while there's no guarantee they won't still seek an out-of-state job after they earn their degree, we feel strongly that incentives such as this proposal will encourage more of our students to choose a Maine college, and find a job here. While it won't give us any long-term guarantees, it's definitely a step in the right direction.

Maine has always bemoaned the fact that its bright young people look for greener pastures elsewhere; in some instances, they don't return home permanently until it's retirement time. We're old enough to have watched this happen time after time.

We're all for doing whatever it takes to keep Maine people in Maine, both for college and as they start their working career. Hopefully, it will be long enough to convince them it's the best place to live, work, and raise a family.