AUGUSTA – A new study on Maine’s “brain drain” finds that most high school graduates stay in the state to earn a college degree, but that a big majority of the smartest kids are still lured away by better economic opportunities elsewhere.
Produced by the University of Southern Maine, the study found that roughly 75 percent of Maine high school graduates who go on to college either stayed here for school or transferred back and received their diplomas from an in-state institution. That’s the good news.
The bad news, according to the report, is that two-thirds of the state’s highest academic achievers, based on their high school performance, eventually leave the state or don’t return after graduating from college.
“When it comes time to decide where to live and work, the students can be broken into two groups,” said David Silvernail, who authored the study. “For those who stayed in Maine, nine out of 10 did so to stay close to family and friends or for other social concerns. For those who left, about 90 percent said the choice was driven by career opportunities.”
Even those who stay in the state say that they might have to leave to advance in their field, Silvernail said. “There’s a feeling that there is a ceiling to their career opportunities. Initially, they may be able to find a position to start their careers, but if they’re going to advance beyond a certain point, they’re going to have to look wider than Maine.”
The report, which is based on survey results from about 1,800 college graduates from 1997 and 1999, also examined why students decide to leave the state for higher education.
The two biggest factors are the reputation of the school and the quality of its programs and the amount of financial aid available.
That information, Silvernail said, gives the state the information it needs to attract students and keep them here.
“If we can grow more quality programs in Maine, we will attract more individuals to stay in the state … and we’ll attract more from out of state to come to our institutions,” Silvernail said. “Secondly, it’s attacking the whole problem of financial aid. We know that’s a very tough issue.”
Silvernail suggested that increased funding to improve the quality and reputation of four-year programs would be a good place to start, as would expanding loan forgiveness programs that could prompt more kids to go to college without fear of massive debt and then stay in Maine after graduation.
According to John Witherspoon, the CEO of the Finance Authority of Maine, which funded the research, the state needs the data from the study if it is to achieve the goal of having 70 percent of high school seniors enroll in college by 2010.
“It points to some opportunities,” Witherspoon said. “It gives some good, objective research to policymakers in the Legislature and the governor’s office to help formulate strategies and programs to reward students to stay in Maine and to get more graduates to come back.”
Ultimately, to get college graduates to stay in the state, it comes down to improving the economy and creating good jobs.
“We need to expand the economic viability in Maine so that they actually have career opportunities to come back or stay for,” Silvernail said.
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