Student Billing
Frequently Asked Questions
Bill Related Questions
How can I get an
extra copy of my
student
bill?
Do I pay extra for a weekend college class?
How can I pay my
student bill?
When are bills due
for Fall 2007? Spring 2008?
What happens if I register
or change my class schedule after the semester due date?
Payment Plan Related Questions
Does USM have a payment plan for
tuition?
Is there interest added for use
of a USM payment plan?
How does USM's
credit card authorization work?
Do I have to submit a new credit
card authorization each semester?
Financial Aid Related Questions
What if I have financial aid to pay
for my tuition?
How come my financial
aid doesn't appear on my bill?
When can I get a refund for the
semester?
Late Payment Fee Related Questions
Why do I have a late payment fee on
my account?
Can I appeal the late payment fee(s)?
Is there a grace period
for due dates?
Why do I have a financial hold on
my student account?
Miscellaneous Questions
How do I obtain
access to the parking garage? Or get a parking decal for ground
lots?
How do I request a
change of residency?
Can I have my bills mailed to my
home address?
How long do I have to adjust my course
schedule and still get 100% refund?
If I have a
third party (e.g. Employer) paying my tuition, what do I have to do?
I have
received an outside (not from USM) scholarship, what do I do?
How can I get
an extra copy of my student bill?
Yes. You may access current and or past semester bills via
WebDSIS, 24 hours a
day-7 days a week. (A student ID number and PIN are required to use this system.)
See below for instruction on how to obtain the information via WebDSIS:
Select Student Bill:
Select Term:
(e.g. Fall, Spring, or Summer)
Select Year of Term: (e.g. 2007, 2008)
You
may select Summary, to get a summarized version of the bill, or
select Detail, to get a itemized detail of the bill, or you have the
option to Print any of these options.
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Do I pay extra for a weekend college
class?
The answer
to this question is NO. USM must separate the cost of weekend
college classes from the regular USM tuition to differentiate
between the two types of classes.
When is a class
considered a part of weekend college? All classes beginning at 12:00 PM,
or after, on Friday, all classes on Saturday, or all classes on Sunday are considered weekend
college classes.
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How can I pay
my student bill?
A student
bill can be paid by credit/debit cards, 24 hours a day-7 days a week,
via the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System by calling (207)
780-5800. (A student ID number and PIN are required to use this
system.) Selecting option #4 from the main menu, will give you
access to pay the bill.
A student
may drop off cash or check payments at one of the Student Billing Office
locations. - OR -
Mail check payments ONLY to:
USM
- Student Billing Office
PO Box 9300
Portland, ME 04104-9300
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When are bills
due for Fall 2007? Spring 2008?
Fall 2007
bills are due on August 15, 2007.
Spring
2008 bills are due on January 5, 2008.
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What happens if I register or change my
class schedule
after the semester due date?
Balances
are due: at time of registration after the semester due date. If you
adjust your schedule after the semester due date, it is your
responsibility to check with the Student Billing Office to ensure
you don't have an outstanding balance. (This will avoid any
unnecessary late payment fees.)
Does USM have a payment plan for
tuition?
USM offers
three different payment plans. Click
here for more information and due dates for each of the payment plans.
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Is there interest added for the use
of a USM payment plan?
No, there
is no interest for using a USM payment plan. However, there is a non-refundable
enrollment fee of $30.00 for each
semester you utilize a payment plan.
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How does USM's
credit card authorization work?
Once USM
receives the signed credit card authorization, the card provided is
charged the amount due. When the consecutive payments are
due,
the card will be charged again, until balance is paid in full.
The credit card authorization is ONLY valid for one semester at a
time. For more information on how the credit card
authorization works, click here.
NOTE: If
the credit card is declined on the given due dates, a late payment
fee of $50.00 will be assessed to the student account.
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Do I have to submit a new credit
card authorization each semester?
Yes.
Many times the balance is different from semester to semester. A new credit card authorization is required for USM to do accurate
billings each semester.
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Will my bills be mailed to me?
The first
bill of the each semester will go the student's billing address.
Future notifications will be emailed to the student's University
assigned email account, "FirstName.LastName@maine.edu".
Complete details on the Email Communication Policy can be found at
http://usm.maine.edu/doit.
Any
address changes can be updated through
Maine Street
(Student ID number and PIN are required). Or, you may update
your billing address
by completing the Billing Form.
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What if I have financial aid to pay
my student bill?
USM allows
students with a sufficient financial aid award an extended deadline of
September 21, 2007, for the Fall 2007 semester and February 1, 2008
for the Spring 2008 semester. The balance must be covered entirely by a
financial aid package in order for this deadline to be applicable.
However,
if there is a balance not covered by the financial aid package,
payment for this balance is due no later than the semester due date.
You may opt to use one of USM's three payment
plans. (This will avoid any unnecessary late payment fees.)
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Why doesn't my
Financial Aid appear on my bill?
In most
cases your financial aid should appear on the first billing
statement of the semester. However, Stafford Loans and PLUS loans
cannot be disbursed until 10 days prior to the start of the semester.
Most loans are electronically posted to the student account.
Once the loan is received on your behalf, USM will send a notification
to your University assigned email account. To check your
student account, anytime, visit WebDSIS.
NOTE:
Work-study funds have to be earned by obtaining a work-study position
for USM. Therefore, it cannot be deducted as a financial
aid payment from the balance.
NOTE: Aid will not be officially credited to your
student account until you are registered for the planned enrollment
hours upon which your financial award is based. If you
are apply for a Stafford or PLUS loan, any applicable promissory note(s)
must be complete and accurate before the funds may be released to
the University of your behalf.
You may contact the
Student Financial Aid Office for further assistance.
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When can I
get a refund for the semester?
It is
federal regulations that a student may not receive a refund from
financial aid funds until the first day of the semester.
Fall Semester
Starts: September 4, 2007
Spring Semester
Starts: January 14, 2008
To notify USM of where
you would like to pick up any refund disbursements,
click
here, or complete the Billing Worksheet
and return
it to the
Student Billing Office.
NOTE: A
photo ID is required to pick up any refund disbursements.
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Why do I have a late payment fee on
my account?
If a
balance exists on a student account after the semester due date
a late payment fee will be assessed to the account. If the
outstanding balance still exists the balance is liable for up to
$200.00 in late payment fees per semester.
Also, late
payment fees apply to delinquent payment plan payments. If a
payment isn't made by the payment due dates, a $50.00 late payment
fee can be assessed to the account on each installment, up to
$200.00 per semester.
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Can I appeal
late payment fee(s)?
Yes, a student may appeal late
payment fee(s).
A letter in writing must be submitted to the Student Billing Office.
The letter should explain your situation and why you qualify
for an exception to the late payment policy.
1. For a faster response,
feel free to submit an appeal via this
webpage or via email from your University email account.
2. A
letter can also be delivered to the Student Billing Office.
Please allow 2-3
weeks for a decision. Decisions will be emailed to your
University email account.
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Is there a
grace period for due dates?
No.
All payments must reach the Student Billing Office by the specified due date.
Outstanding balances are assessed a
late payment fee of $50.00, maximum $200.00 per semester. This
applies to all students who owe an outstanding balance to USM.
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Why do I have
a financial hold on my student account?
A
financial hold is placed on a students account, when the balance
for the semester is 30 days past due. If you are in debt to
the University:
-
You may not be
permitted to register
-
You may not
obtain an official transcript
-
You may not
receive your diploma
NOTE: A financial hold
may lead to potential future collection efforts.
To get a
financial hold removed from the student account, the balance must be
paid if full. To make payment arrangements, feel free to
contact the Student Billing Office at (207) 780-5210.
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How do I obtain access to the parking garage?
or get a parking decal for ground lots?
Students
who are registered for a Portland or Gorham class pay a
transportation fee which covers garage access. To access
the USM parking garage on the Portland campus, you must have a valid
USM ID card. To obtain the USM ID card please visit the
USM Card Office.
To access
the USM ground lots, a parking decal can be obtained at the
USM Police Office or
the Parking Office inside the Parking Garage.
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How do I
request a change of residency?
The
University of Maine System governs which students are eligible to
receive Maine Residency status. Please check the
guidelines to determine if you may
qualify.
To begin
the change of residency process an application must be received at
the Student Billing Office before the start of the semester.
Please allow the review committee 2-3 weeks for a complete assessment.
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How long do I have to adjust my course schedule
and still get 100% refund?
You have
the first two weeks of the semester to drop a course from your
schedule with no grade notation and receive a 100% refund. After the
first two weeks, you may receive an automatic grade of "W" but no
refund will be made for a drop.
Last Day to
receive 100% refund:
Fall Semester:
September 17, 2007
Spring Semester:
January 28, 2008
Summer Semester: Varies upon
length of course
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If I have a third party (e.g. Employer)
paying my tuition, what do I have to do?
A purchase
order, or letter of intent to pay, needs to be received at the
Student Billing Office prior to the semester due date. The purchase
order must have a Bill To address and the dollar amount the third
party is
authorizing USM to bill them on your behalf.
NOTE: The
third party must be willing to pay in advance. For
additional information, feel free to contact Erlene Lewry at (207) 780-5108.
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I have
received an outside (not from USM) scholarship, what do I do?
The
student needs to provide copies of the outside scholarship(s) to the
Financial Aid Office AND
the
Student Billing
Office.
NOTE: The Student
Billing Office will mail out a bill for the scholarship after the add/drop period of
each
semester. Further questions can be directed to Cindy DeCosta at (207)
780-4028.
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