University of Southern Maine

USM Undergraduate Catalog 2005-2006

Financial Information

[Add/Drop | Deposits | Fees
Lewiston-Auburn College | Other Expenses
Payment Procedures and Policies | Room and Board
Rules Governing In-State and Out-of-State Tuition
Tuition | Withdrawal Policy]

Tuition rates are established by the University of Maine System Board of Trustees. The University reserves the right to adjust all charges in response to changing costs, state and/or federal legislative action, and other matters. Such adjustment may be made at any time. A student acknowledges this reservation by applying for admission or registering for courses.

There are three types of tuition charged: undergraduate, graduate, and law. The level of the course determines the type of tuition charged. Tuition charges are calculated by multiplying the number of credit hours attempted by a rate established by the University. Courses being audited are included in this calculation.

Tuition

Charges in effect as of July 1, 2005

Undergraduate Tuition Charges Per Credit Hour

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Fees

Activity Fee Students taking undergraduate courses are assessed a mandatory student activity fee. The amount charged depends on the number of credit hours attempted. Students taking graduate courses are not assessed this charge. Students registering for undergraduate courses taught at Lewiston-Auburn College or University of Maine System Off-Campus Centers are charged $1.50 per credit hour.

Application Fee A $40.00 fee is charged when a student applies for admission to an undergraduate program. A $50.00 fee is charged when a student applies for admission into a graduate or law degree program.

Community Standards Fee A $25 fee is charged to any student who is sanctioned under the Conduct Code.

Course Fees A mandatory fee is assessed for some courses. These fees cover costs associated with specialized instruction. Additional information is provided in University course listings.

Distance Education Fee Students registering for classes offered over the Education Network are charged a $5.00 per credit fee to defray some mailing costs.

Enrollment Fee A mandatory $150.00 fee is charged to newly admitted undergraduate students. This fee is only charged once.

Installment Payment Fee A $25.00 fee is charged to students participating in the University's three, four, and/or five payment plans.

Insufficient Funds Fee A $25.00 fee is charged when a student's check is returned or a bank card payment is declined for insufficient funds.

Late Fee A $50.00 late fee, up to a maximum of $200.00 per semester, is assessed to student accounts not paid when bill is due.

Reactivation Fee A mandatory $10.00 fee is charged to students who have previously applied for admission but did not complete the admission process, or who leave for several years and wish to become degree candidates again.

Student Health and Counseling Fee A mandatory $40.00 health fee is charged students registered for six or more credits of instructional activities emanating from the Portland and/or Gorham campus for fall and spring semesters. Such activities include independent study, internships, field experiences, etc. Credits for regular classes taken at off-campus locations are omitted when determining this fee.

Optional coverage is available to students who register for fewer than six credits and/or during the summer.

The cost of the health fee after the four-week open enrollment period is $55.00. For more information about the services covered by the student health and counseling fee contact University Health Services.

Student Health Insurance (Optional) Students may purchase optional insurance plans under policies made available by contract with the University of Southern Maine. These plans can provide financial coverage for health care costs incurred through University Health Services, family physicians, or other health care providers.

A moderate cost, 12-month basic insurance plan is available to students registered for six or more credit hours. Students who have enrolled in the prior academic year must re-enroll each year and cannot re-enroll in the basic plan if not a USM student.

An extended health care insurance plan is also available to students registered for three or more credit hours who want financial coverage for potential severe or catastrophic health problems. The extended care plan reimburses only after the first $10,000 of health care is already paid by the student or any basic insurance plan. Further information about either policy and coverage is available through University Health Services.

Testing and Assessment Fee A $15.00 per test fee is assessed to non-matriculated students taking the English or math placement exam.

Transportation Fee A mandatory semester fee charged to all students taking courses on the Portland and/or Gorham campuses. It funds parking and transportation related projects, as well as busing between campuses.

Note: Lewiston-Auburn College Parking Fee: A $3.00 per credit hour fee is assessed to students registered for courses held at Lewiston-Auburn College.

Unified Fee The unified fee covers fixed costs of providing educational services not already supported by tuition.

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Room and Board

Board The University offers a variety of meal plans. Information about the meal plans is available from the Department of Residential Life, Room 100, Upton Hall, Gorham, (780-5240).

USM Meal Plans The University offers seven different resident student meal plans. All cost $3,104.00 per year.

Commuter Only Meal Plans Commuter meal plans allow students to purchase food at a discount. Information about the plans is available from the Department of Residential Life and Dining Services.

Both resident and commuter students may purchase additional points during the semester.

Room University residence halls are located on the Gorham campus and at 645 Congress Street, Portland. Information about housing is available from the Department of Residential Life, Room 100, Upton Hall, Gorham (780-5240). Limited parking may be rented for $100.00 per semester plus the annual cost of a parking decal at the Portland Residence Hall

While the student is billed by the semester, the housing contract is for the full academic year.

All rates are based on full occupancy, and residents are charged for the type of housing in which they reside. There is an additional charge for living in a room which is under-capacity. That charge is approximately one-third of the base rate.

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Lewiston-Auburn College

A separate fee structure is in effect at Lewiston-Auburn College. In addition to the transportation and unified fees, students are charged a $1.50 per credit hour student activity fee. For additional information, contact Lewiston-Auburn College.

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Other Expenses

Books and Supplies Students are responsible for the purchase of books and supplies. Payment is made at the time of purchase.

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Deposits

When a student is notified of acceptance into a University degree program, a $100.00 acceptance deposit is due within four weeks. Newly admitted students who are approved for on-campus housing must also pay a $75.00 room deposit.

After a student registers, these deposits are applied to his or her account. These deposits are forfeited if an applicant for September admission withdraws after May 1, or if an applicant for January admission withdraws after January 1. Applicants who provide the Office of Admission with written notification of withdrawal before the previously mentioned dates will have the deposit refunded.

The Department of Residential Life establishes and publicizes dates for room selection each spring. Students who are registered for spring semester and request on-campus housing for fall are required to pay a $75.00 room deposit. Usually, this deposit is applied to the fall bill. If a student notifies the Department before May 1 that housing is not desired, this deposit will be refunded. If notification is received after May 1, the deposit is forfeited.

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Payment Procedures and Policies

Billing The student is responsible for paying all charges. Each semester, the University establishes specific dates for charging students and mailing bills. It is the student's responsibility to maintain accurate home and local addresses at the Registrar's Office. Students who register during some Orientation sessions, the open registration period, and after classes start are expected to make payment at the time of registration. The University is not obligated to mail a bill.

How to Make a Payment The University offers a variety of payment options.
These include:

Cash Cash payment may be made at the Student Billing Office or at an off-campus center. Cash should not be mailed.

Checks Checks should be made payable to the University of Southern Maine (USM). The student's name and student I.D. number should be shown on the check.

Credit/Debit Cards The University accepts Discover credit card, as well as MasterCard or Visa credit and debit cards. The University is not able to accept debit or ATM cards that do not have the MasterCard or Visa logo.

Financial Aid from USM The University offers eligible students grants, scholarships, loans, and employment opportunities. Grants, scholarships, and loans are credited for payment of University charges. Additional information can be obtained from Student Financial Aid.

Installment Payment The University offers a variety of payment plans. Automated credit card processing plans are also an option. Additional information about these plans and enrollment deadlines is available from Student Billing.

Outside Scholarships Students must notify Student Billing of any non-University scholarships to be used to pay University charges prior to the date payment is due. Upon receipt of proper documentation, the University may extend the payment due date.

Third Party Payments A student must give Student Billing written authorization from the agency or employer prior to the payment due date. No conditional payment offers will be accepted. If, for any reason, the third party does not pay, the student is responsible for all charges.

When Payment Is Due Each semester, the University establishes specific dates payment is due and notifies students of these dates on bills, through University publications, and on the Student Billing Web site at www.usm.maine.edu/buso.

Adding Courses Costs associated with credit hours added after the semester begins must be paid at the time of registration.

Other Charges After the semester starts, additional charges must be paid as they occur.

A late fee is charged if payment is not received by the due date. Students with past due charges are not allowed to re-register. Students who show a pattern of late payment may be required to pay all University charges before registration is accepted. The University also reserves the right to cancel a current semester's registration, preventing a student from receiving grades or credit for courses, if outstanding charges are not paid.

Transcripts, certification of graduation, and other records will be withheld from students who have not paid all bills and loans due the University. This includes bills for damage to University property, and unpaid charges or fines owed to other University departments.

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Add/Drop

The schedule adjustment period begins with the first day of scheduled University classes and includes weekends and holidays. Students may add a course during the first week of the semester. For late afternoon and evening and weekend courses that meet once a week, adds will be accepted through the day following the second class meeting.

A student who remains registered is not charged for any course dropped during the first two weeks of the semester. The number of times a class meets is not a factor in this determination. Students who drop after the second week receive no refund. Drops do not require an instructor's signature. They may be processed at the Registrar's Office, Advising Services Center, Lewiston-Auburn College, or a University of Maine System Center. The date the drop form is received at one of these offices is used to determine whether charges should be deducted.

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Withdrawal Policy

The charges assessed students who withdraw from all classes at the University are adjusted in accordance with the schedules shown below. The date the Registrar receives written notification of withdrawal is used when calculating refunds. A semester begins with the first day of scheduled University classes and includes weekends and holidays.

Failure to notify the Registrar promptly will increase financial liability. A student who feels the withdrawal was caused by reasons beyond his or her control (extended illness or military service obligations, for example) may petition for special consideration. To be considered, the request must be filed within 90 days of the end of the semester involved. Charges will not be reduced for voluntary absence from classes. Contact the Student Billing Office for additional information about this procedure.

Tuition Refunds Student charges will be reduced for those who are withdrawing from the University of Maine System in accordance with the schedules and provisions set forth below.

For purposes of calculating tuition reduction, the attendance period begins on the opening day of scheduled campus classes, includes weekends and holidays, and ends on the date the student notifies the Registrar in writing that she or he is withdrawing.

Schedules For All Students

Summer Session Refer to the Summer Session catalog for summer drop/withdrawal policies.

Requests for exemptions to the refund policy must be filed with the executive director for Financial Resources within 90 days of the end of the semester involved.

Board Refunds Students who withdraw from the University are charged for meals at an established daily rate. Additional information is available from the Department of Residential Life.

Room Refunds Students who vacate University housing will be charged in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Residence Hall contract.

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Rules Governing In-State and Out-of-State Tuition

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 University of Maine System (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 executive director for Financial Resources, or other officials designated by the campus, (this authority is granted to all Admission directors), 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.

A student, spouse, or domestic partner 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.

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.

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.

A student who attended an out-of-state educational institution at in-state tuition rates 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 other than educational purposes.

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

1. A “Request of Change in Tuition Status” must be filed with the executive director for Financial Resources or designee on or before the campus's 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 executive director for Financial Resources' 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. The chief financial officer 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. The treasurer of the University System, whose decision shall be final.

In the event that the executive director for Financial Resources, or other designated 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 executive director for Financial Resources or other designated official as set forth in the preceding paragraph.

Applications for “A Request for Change in Tuition Status” are available at the Student Billing Office, 110 Corthell Hall, on the Gorham campus, or the Business Office, 118 Payson Smith, on the Portland campus. Completed applications should be returned to the Portland Business Office.

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