Financial Information and Fees

The financial requirements of the University, changing costs, state and legislative action, and other matters may require an adjustment to the charges and expenses listed in this catalog. The University reserves the right to make such adjustments to the estimated charges and expenses up to the first day of classes for a given academic term. The applicant acknowledges this reservation by the submission of an application for admission or by registration.

Tuition

Changes in Tuition Cost during Course Add/Drop Period

No tuition adjustment will be allowed when withdrawing from a course after the Drop period. Tuition is not canceled and classes are not automatically dropped when a student fails to attend a course; course withdrawal after the drop period is only by formal notice to the Registrar’s Office located in Cyr Hall.

Tuition Waiver for Persons Over 65

The Board of Trustee authorizes the waiver of tuition for persons over the age of 65 who wish to register for undergraduate courses on a credit or non-credit basis at any campus of the University of Maine System. Applicants must establish financial need and enrollment will be subject to space availability.

Semester Tuition and Fee Rates: 2019-2020 Academic Year

Mandatory Fees

• Unified Fee: A mandatory fee is charged to all students. It is used to cover some of the fixed costs of providing student and educational services that may not be directly related to credit generation. This fee includes, but is not limited to, the student health clinic fee, and the matriculation fee.
• Activity Fee: This fee is charged per credit to all students except those in online degree programs. All of the student activity fees are administered by students and are used to fund educational, cultural, social and recreational activities. This fee allows students to attend most University sponsored activities free of charge. Activities include speakers, performances, dances, sports events, etc.
• Online Support Fee & Technology Support Fee: These fees are charged to students enrolled in online courses. The fee is used to help with the support and technology needed to provide online courses to students.

Other Fees (non-refundable)

• Forestry Transportation Fee: Varies (see course description).
• Health Insurance Fee: A health insurance policy is mandatory for students enrolled in 9 or more credit hours, unless waived with proof of other qualified insurance. Rates for this policy fluctuate annually.
• Insufficient Funds Fee: A fee of $25 will be charged for every check returned for insufficient funds.
• Laboratory Course Fee: A fee of $15-$30 will be charged in addition to tuition for applicable science courses (see course descriptions).
• Late Payment Fee: A fee of $50 may be charged twice per semester on any due balance greater than $100. Students in a payment plan who are current with their payments will not be charged.
• Nursing Lab Course Fee: A fee of up to $50 will be charged in addition to tuition for applicable nursing courses (see course descriptions).
• Residence Hall License Release Fee: A fee of $100/$250 will be charged for breaking a signed housing license agreement.
• UMFK Payment Plan Fee: A fee of $30 per semester will be charged to students participating in a payment plan.
• Other course fees and testing fees may apply.

Deposits

Tuition Deposit: A $150 tuition deposit is requested within 30 days once a student receives notice of acceptance into a university degree program by the Admissions Office. The deposit is applied to a student’s account and is forfeited if an applicant for September admissions withdraws after May 1, or if an applicant for January admissions withdraws after January 1. Applicants who provide the Admissions Office with written notification of withdrawal before the deadline dates will have the deposits refunded. A deposit paid after May 1 or January 1 is forfeited.

Residency Guidelines

There are many factors that 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 UMS 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, made by the campus Chief Financial Officer, or other officials designated by the campus, shall be 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 a UMS campus 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. An individual who has lived in the State of Maine, for other than educational purposes, one year prior to registration or application to a campus is considered an in-state student.

In general, members of the Armed Forces and their dependents will be granted in-state tuition during such periods of time as they are on active duty within the State of Maine or if their military state of residency is Maine as evidenced by appropriate official documentation. A Maine resident who is absent from the State for military or full-time educational purposes will normally remain eligible for in-state tuition.

Any student, or spouse of a student, who currently has continuous, permanent full-time employment in Maine before the student decides to apply for degree status at the University will be considered in-state for tuition purposes.

Any 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.

In-state tuition is not available to anyone who holds a non-immigrant US visa. If an individual is not a domiciliary of the United States, they cannot be a domiciliary of the State of Maine.

Students, who attended an out-of-state educational institution at in-state tuition rate in the immediately preceding semester, shall be presumed to be in Maine for educational purposes and not to establish a domicile. Again, the burden will be on the individual to prove that he or she has established a Maine domicile for purposes other than educational.

To change tuition status, the following procedures are to be followed:

1. A “Request for Change in Tuition Status” must be filed with the campus Chief Business Officer or designee on or before the campus’ first day of classes for the summer session, fall, or spring semester for which residency is requested. All applications shall be prospective.
2. If the Chief Business Officer’s (or such other official’s) written decision, to be issued within 30 days of the first day of classes, is considered incorrect by the student, the student may appeal that decision in writing, within 30 days, in the following order:
   1. To the President (or designee) of the campus. After receiving a written decision from this level within 30 days, the student has 30 days to submit a written appeal to:
   2. Treasurer of the University System, whose decision shall be final.

In the event that the campus Chief Business Officer, or other designated official, possesses facts or information indicating a change of student’s 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 Business Officer or other designated official as set forth in the preceding paragraph.

Room and Board Rates: 2019-2020 Academic Year

Payment Procedures and Policies

Billing: Students receive at least one paper bill each semester. Students may see their account balance in MaineStreet under the Financials section, or see a “pdf” format of the bill by going to “ViewMyBill” and then view “Bill/Payment Options.”

Making Payments:

• The University accepts both debit and credit cards. Payments may be made at the Business Office, located in Cyr Hall. Hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• Cards accepted are Visa, Mastercard, and Discover
• Wire transfers (and international payments via Flywire) are also accepted
• Checks should be made payable to the University of Maine at Fort Kent. Cash should not be mailed. Payments should be mailed directly to:

Business Office
University of Maine at Fort Kent
23 University Drive
Fort Kent, ME  04743

You may make payments online. Deposit payments, as well as regular payments, may be made through MaineStreet by “e-checking” using debit or credit cards. To pay your bill, click on “PayMyBill” in the student center.

Authorize others to make payments: You may also authorize others to view your account and pay your bill. Please note that authorized users DO NOT have access to stored payment methods, academic records or other financial information. For more information on adding an authorized user please view the MaineStreet Quick Guide for Adding Authorized Users in Bill+Pay.

Payment Plan: A convenient monthly payment plan is available through your MaineStreet Student Center. Consult the Business Office for further information.

Outside Scholarships: Students must notify the Financial Aid Office of any non-university scholarships to be used to pay University charges.

Third Party Payments: A student must give the Business Office written authorization each semester from the agency or employer prior to the payment due date. No conditional payment offers will be accepted.

Delinquent Student Accounts: It is the policy of the UMFK to withhold all official credentials, including grade reports, transcripts, and recommendations, until student accounts have been paid in full. It is also University policy to withhold the same for students who have defaulted on their Perkins Loan or until library fines have been paid. Students with past due charges are not allowed to register for classes at any University of Maine System schools until all financial obligations have been met. The University also reserves the right to cancel a student’s registration for non-payment of current semester charges. If a student account becomes seriously delinquent, the University may send the account to an outside collection agency, which will adversely affect the student’s credit history and credit rating.

Add and Drop with Refund Policy

1. Course Add or Drop: A change in course credit load through the Add and Drop period for a term or session.
2. Course Withdrawal: A reduction in course credit load AFTER the Add and Drop period for a term or session.
3. Term Cancellation: Dropping all courses prior to the first day of scheduled classes for the term.
4. Term Withdrawal: Withdrawing from all courses on or after the first day of scheduled classes for the term.
5. Length of Course: Beginning with the first meeting date of class and ending on the last meeting date of class. Changes in scheduled classes (beginning or ending) by the instructor are not considered when calculating adjustments.
6. Tuition Adjustment: for refund purposes, it is the calculation and adjustment of tuition charges to reflect changes in course load. All non-mandatory fees are non-refundable and will not be part of the tuition adjustment.

The following policy applies to all students taking online or face-to-face and Distance Education/ITV courses. Courses may be added during the ‘Add’ period. The Add and Drop form is not required except in the following situations: 1) the class is closed or has reached its capacity, 2) the student has not completed the course prerequisites, or 3) instructor permission is requested. Courses may be dropped during the ‘add/drop’ period.

Course Drop and Refund Policy

Dropped courses are eligible for 100% tuition adjustment during the drop period (see the following chart), but students will be responsible for the full cost of the course (tuition and fees) if course withdrawal occurs after the Drop period. Students may be eligible for a tuition adjustment if a complete term withdrawal occurs after the Drop period. All non-mandatory fees are non-refundable.

Withdrawal and Refund Policy

Course and Term Withdrawal from the University has academic and financial implications. To ensure that the withdrawal is accomplished under the most favorable circumstances, a student contemplating such action should discuss the matter with an advisor, the Assistant Dean of Student Success, or the Associate Dean of Student Life and Development.

Student-Initiated Course and Term Withdrawal

Course Withdrawal and Refund Policy

Each term (fall and spring), and short sessions, have an Add and Drop period (see ‘Academic Calendar’). Course withdrawal after the Add and Drop period is NOT eligible for a tuition adjustment (See table ‘Tuition Adjustment Schedule for Course Drop and Withdrawal”). Course fees are non-refundable (see Index under “Fees”). There will be no tuition adjustment for courses that run for less than three (3) weeks. The date of course withdrawal is the date the completed form is received.

Note: The policy also applies to students who register after classes have already begun. Day 1 means the first day of scheduled classes. Days include Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

Term Withdrawal and Refund Policy

Students who withdraw from the term and the University without following the prescribed procedure jeopardize their academic standing and are not eligible for tuition adjustments. The date of term withdrawal is the date the completed form is received.
 

Note: Term cancellation: withdrawing from all courses before classes start – 100% refund. Term withdrawal: withdrawing all courses on or after the first day of classes (for matriculated students only) - see Tuition Adjustment -schedule above.

Note: The policy also applies to students who register after classes have already begun. Day 1 means the first day of scheduled classes. Days includes Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays

University-Initiated Course and Term Withdrawal By Administration:

The University reserves the right to withdraw students who fail to meet financial or academic obligations or who, because of misconduct, disrupt the academic process. Students withdrawn by administration will be subject to withdrawal at the current tuition adjustment schedule at the time the withdrawal is initiated.

Room Adjustment Schedule

For the purposes of calculating room refunds, the attendance period begins on the opening day of scheduled campus classes, including weekends and holidays and ends on the date of student’s written notification. The written notification will include a statement of a student’s intent to withdraw from the University or withdraw from a residence hall. Room charges will be refunded as follows:

A. Fall and Spring Semesters (Terms) Refund Percentage

• Cancellation prior to moving in day: 100%
• Withdrawal prior to the end of 1st week: 75%
• Withdrawal prior to the end of 2nd week: 50%
• Withdrawal prior to the end of the 3rd week: 25%
• Withdrawal after the 4^th week: 0%

B. Sessions less than 11 weeks

All room refunds will be governed by the terms and conditions of the residential hall contract. Single room fees will not be refunded after the 4-week refund schedule.  If a new housing situation is assigned, fees will be prorated based on the date of move in.

Board Adjustment Schedule

Students who withdraw from the University or who voluntarily withdraw from a residence hall, but remain enrolled at the University, will be charged for meals consumed at the established daily rate through the date of clearance/departure. The balance of the board charge will be refunded on a pro-rated basis.

Tuition Refund Appeal Policy

Appeals for the exception to the established refund practice must be made in writing to Megan Desjardins by email at: megan.desjardins@maine.edu. Appeals will be considered up to 90 days after the close of the semester/session for which the student is claiming a refund. For a typical semester/session, the dates are no later than March 31 (for fall), August 31 (for spring) and November 30 (for summer)

Financial Aid

Financial Aid recipients should be aware that changes in enrollment may affect their financial aid eligibility.

1. Course Add: courses added prior to the Financial Aid Census date will be counted toward financial aid eligibility.
2. Course Drop: courses dropped prior to the Financial Aid Census date will not be counted toward financial aid eligibility.
3. Course Withdrawal: aid will not be changed. Future aid eligibility may be affected, as these courses will count as attempted but not earned.
4. Students withdrawing from a term — the University will adjust aid in accordance with regulations established by the U.S. Department of Education. Please see the “Return of Title IV funds” policy.
5. Term Cancellation: students dropping from all courses prior to the start of term will have their aid canceled.