AUGUSTA — A legislative panel that last week objected to cutting $125,000 from a scholarship fund for Maine medical students has reversed course.

In a party-line vote, the Legislature’s Education Committee on Monday backed the $125,000 cut to the Doctors for Maine’s Future scholarship fund.

The cut to the scholarship fund — which covers half of medical school  tuition for eligible Maine students — was proposed in Gov. Paul LePage’s supplemental budget.

In a session last Thursday, committee members agreed to find a comparable cut elsewhere in the budget. But on Monday, the committee’s eight Republicans voted in support of the cut while the panel’s five Democrats opposed it.

Committee Clerk Ryan Boyd said a caveat will accompany the majority vote: Legislators say they want to restore funding for the scholarship program before the cut takes effect.

Finance Authority of Maine Chief Executive Officer Beth Bordowitz told lawmakers late last month the cut wouldn’t take effect for four years.

Education Committee members today will share their supplemental budget recommendations with members of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee.


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