Deposits
Upon acceptance, all students are required to pay a $50 Tuition deposit. The Tuition deposit is credited to the student’s account and is applied as a payment toward the student’s first semester bill. For the Fall semester, Tuition deposits are not refundable after May 1 and Room deposits are not refundable after June 1. For the Spring semester, neither deposit is refundable after January 1.
Residency Guidelines
There are many factors which will be considered in determining residency for in-state tuition purposes. No one factor can be used to establish domicile, rather all factors and circumstances must be considered on a case-by-case basis. A domicile or residency classification assigned by a public or private authority neither qualifies nor disqualifies a student for University in-state status.
A student applying for admission to a degree program is classified as eligible, or not eligible, for in-state tuition at the time of acceptance to the University. A non-matriculated (non-degree) student is classified as eligible, or not eligible, for in-state tuition at the time of registration. The decision is made based on information and documentation furnished by the student and other information available to the University. No student is eligible for in-state tuition classification until he or she has become domiciled in Maine, in accordance with University guidelines, before such registration. If the student is enrolled full-time in an academic program, as defined by the University, it will be presumed that the student is in Maine for educational purposes, and that the student is not in Maine to establish a domicile. A residence established for the purpose of attending the University shall not by itself constitute domicile. The burden will be on the student to prove that he or she has established a Maine domicile for other than educational purposes.
In general, the following criteria will be used to determine residency:
- An individual who has lived in the State of Maine, for other than educational purposes, one year prior to registration or application to the University is considered an in-state student.
- A student who is dependent on his/her parent(s) and/or legally appointed guardian (or to whom custody has been granted by court order) is considered to have a domicile with the parent(s) for tuition purposes.
- A student will be considered in-state for tuition purposes if they are the spouse or domestic partner of an individual who has resided in Maine, for other than educational purposes, one year prior to the student registering or applying for degree status at the University. Students seeking in-state tuition based on a domestic partnership relationship must submit an approved Affidavit of Domestic Partnership.
- Members of the Armed Forces and their dependents, including spouse or domestic partner, will be granted in-state tuition during such periods of time as they are stationed on active duty within the State of Maine or if their Military State of residency is Maine as evidenced by appropriate official documentation. Individuals who have been granted in-state tuition under these conditions but then cease from active duty would continue to be granted in-state tuition. A Maine resident who is absent from the State for military or full-time educational purposes will normally remain eligible for in-state tuition. Students seeking in-state tuition based on a domestic partnership relationship must submit an approved Affidavit of Domestic Partnership.
- In-state tuition is not available to anyone who holds a non-immigrant U.S. visa. If an individual is not a domiciliary of the United States, they cannot be a domiciliary of the State of Maine.
Request for Change in Tuition Residence Status Procedure
- A “Request for Change in Residence Status” must be filed with the campus Chief Financial Officer on or before the campus’s first day of classes for the summer session, fall or spring semester for which residency is requested. Applications may not be retroactive.
- The campus Chief Financial Officer (or such other designated official) shall issue a written decision within 30 days.
- The student may appeal the decision of the Chief Financial Officer in writing within 30 days to the University President.
- The President will issue a final decision within 30 days.
- In the event that the campus Chief Financial Officer, or other university official, possesses facts or information indicating a student’s change of status from in-state to out-of-state, the student shall be informed in writing of the change in status and will be given an opportunity to present facts in opposition to the change. The student may appeal the decision of the Chief Financial Officer to the President who will issue a final decision within 30 days.
Financial Responsibility
All accounts are in the student’s name, regardless of the source of payment. The University expects the student to be financially responsible. Bills and statements are mailed to the student, not the parent. All charges are payable in full by the due date on the Invoice.
Payment Methods
Payments may be made in cash, personal checks, bank drafts, and money orders. The University also accepts Debit and Credit Cards issued by MasterCard, Visa, and Discover. To insure proper credit, cash payments should always be made in person.
Installment Payment Plans
Each semester, the University provides an option to pay a semester bill in four monthly installments. The Fall semester payments are payable in August through November. The Spring semester payments are payable in January through April. Students or parents electing the payment plan option must enroll with the University’s Student Financial Services Office. Each semester, an enrollment form with instructions, is included with the student’s first bill. No formal payment plans are available for the Summer session. However, the University will make arrangements with students on an individual basis.
Financially Delinquent Accounts
Financially delinquent students will be subject to the following administrative sanctions:
- They are prevented from receiving an official certified copy or unofficial copy of their transcript and diploma.
- They are prevented from registration or pre-registration at any university in the University of Maine System.
- The University may disclose (directly or through its collection agencies) to a credit bureau organization that the student has failed to pay an assessed charge.
- The University may use in-house collection efforts, commercial firms, legal services, and the State of Maine Bureau of Taxation for collection on the accounts.
Student Financial Appeals
The following is an appeal process for students who dispute financial claims by the University; i.e., tuition, fees, room and board, etc.
- Students should submit a written statement to the University Student Financial Services Office stating the amount and nature of the disagreement and why he or she feels the charge is incorrect.
- Students should submit their written appeal within thirty (30) days of the initial billing of a disputed charge. The Student Financial Services Office should respond in writing to the student’s complaint within 30 days of the receipt of the appeal.
- If the Student Financial Services Office’s decision is considered incorrect by the student, the student may appeal that decision (within 30 days) in the following order:
- To the Chief Financial Officer.
- To the President of the University whose decision shall be final.
