There has been much talk of the “brain drain” lately in the local media. The issue is one of vital importance for the future of our economy. Maine is currently experiencing a large out-migration of its youth. Anyone with a child or relative going to or graduating from college has certainly faced the possibility of that student leaving Maine for better economic prospects.

Thousands of students every year leave Maine for college or work, and they aren’t coming back. The net effect of such a trend is that our already lagging economy is losing some of its most productive, educated workers to other states.

A recent state white paper on youth out-migration stated plainly, “A growing population of young and well-educated individuals fuels economic growth and in turn increases economic opportunity and quality of life for all Maine residents.” It is imperative for the economic health of the state that we take action now to encourage Maine students to settle here after their education is complete.

We can solve this problem by making higher education more accessible to Mainers and by encouraging recent graduates to return to Maine.

One easy step can be taken to increase the number of Mainers receiving higher education. More funds should be made available for financial aid programs for Mainers seeking to attend college in Maine. Florida, a state which hardly needs additional incentives for college students to study there, provides a free college education at their public institutions to all residents of that state. Given our current fiscal situation, it would not be prudent for us to offer a completely free education to all students. However, the rising cost of education is certainly an inhibiting factor on the number of Maine’s youth who ultimately receive higher education. For our economy, and for our future, we must make higher education more accessible to Mainers.

Students leaving Maine to go to college, in itself, is not a negative for Maine’s economy. Experiencing the world can only benefit a student’s educational growth. But where should Maine’s youth go after receiving their worldly education? For our future, we need them to return to their home state.

Maine, in fact, already has a solution to this exodus of young, educated people to more prosperous economies. Students training to become teachers are the beneficiaries of a policy of loan forgiveness for those who choose to stay in Maine after graduating. This program acts as an incentive to keep young teachers in Maine. Gradually extending this program to the majority of college grads seeking to make their professional lives in Maine would serve the same purpose.

Employing loan forgiveness as a strategy to retain college graduates will create a large and diverse pool of educated young people in Maine, serving as a greater catalyst for economic development than any mere tax incentive.

But how does a state so mired in budget crises mitigate the cost of educating and retaining its youth with its immediate financial demands? We can’t get extra revenue to pay for these programs without economic development, but we will never achieve lasting development without a stable, educated youth population. It is imperative to facilitate their education and their integration into the new and vibrant Maine economy. The time is now to consider our priorities and make the right investments for Maine’s future.

As a side note, the state can get a head start on financing these programs by supporting policies to diversify and expand Maine’s economy today.

Our state is badly in need of an overhaul in its economic policies. Absent is the help that places like Lewiston and Auburn need to fill their empty storefronts. How can we foster a creative economy when economic incentives are targeted toward the old standard of large, established national corporations? It’s no wonder Maine’s ambitious and entrepreneurial youth leave for elsewhere when our state policies are hostile to their small, creative business ventures.

Creating incentives for young people to stay in Maine will undoubtedly cost money. It may seem, in situations like these, that Maine cannot afford the costs. But taken step by step, this state can re-prioritize its discretionary spending to invest in the people of Maine to affect lasting improvements for our economy.

The economic prospect of an increasingly aged, educationally starved population will be much more costly to the state than will be the cost of investing in our youth. Indeed, an investment in today’s youth is an investment in Maine’s future.

Matt Reading is a Green Party candidate for House District 68. As of January, that district will cover part of Auburn. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago and can be reached at mreading@votematt.com.

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