The report presents recommendations of Maine's Task Force on Postsecondary Education Funding, which examined the effectiveness of existing postsecondary financial aid programs serving Maine students and identified ways to ensure that costs of postsecondary education are affordable for aspiring and qualified students. After a statement of financial aid principles (e.g., student aid based on need and student choice), recommendations concerning the evaluation of student and parent aspirations are presented. The following topics are briefly discussed: Stafford loan programs; secondary market activities; the Perkins loan program; nonfederal college loans; other nonfederal loans; delinquencies, defaults, and debt; investment programs; early savings; educational savings plans design components; loan origination and related services; and the Maine Student Incentive Scholarship Program. Many of these discussions offer comparisons with other states and recommendations for Maine. Appendices include definitions of higher education funding terms, a table of default rates by state, and other supporting data. (DB)