USM Graduate Catalog 2007-2008

Tuition

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[Add/Drop | Deposits | Fees
New England Regional Program | Other Expenses
Payment Policies and Procedures | 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 these charges to respond to changing costs, state and/or federal legislative action, and other matters. Such adjustments 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 type of tuition charged is usually determined by the level of the course. Tuition charges are calculated by multiplying the number of credit hours attempted by a rate established by the Board of Trustees. Courses being audited are included in this calculation.

*The University reserves the right to adjust these charges to respond to changing cost, state and/or federal legislative action, and other matters. Such adjustment may be made at any time.

In addition to tuition, graduate students are assessed various fees. For more information, visit www.usm.maine.edu/buso.

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Fees

Fees for the 2007-2008 academic year are set by the University of Maine System Board of Trustees. Fees below are in effect for the 2007-2008 academic year..

Activity Fee This is a mandatory $20.00 fee charged students enrolled in law courses.

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

Course Fees To defray the costs associated with some courses, additional fees ranging from $5.00 to $360.00 are assessed. These fees are associated with courses requiring additional instructional resources.

Distance Education Fee Students registering for classes offered over the Education Network are charged a $7.00 per credit fee to defray some mailing costs.

Graduate Student Enrollment Fee A one time $50.00 fee charged to newly matriculated graduate students.

Graduate Non-Matriculated Student Fee A $20.00 per semester fee charged to non-matriculated graduate students.

Insufficient Funds Fee A $25.00 fee is charged when a check is returned due to insufficient funds or when a credit card payment is declined.

Late Payment Fee A $50.00 fee (to a maximum of $200.00) is assessed to student accounts not paid when bill is due.

M.B.A. Orientation Fee An $80.00 fee is charged to all students admitted to the M.B.A. program. The fee covers the cost of a one-day experiential learning exercise, required during the first year of enrollment.

Online Course Enrollment Fee Students registering for classes offered via the World Wide Web are assessed a $25 per credit hour fee.

Payment Plan Fee A $30.00 fee is charged students enrolling in one of the USM installment plans. This fee covers mailing and administrative costs.

Student Health Fee A mandatory $60.00 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 is $75.00. For more information about the services covered by the health fee, contact University Health Services at (207) 780-4211 or (207) 780-5411.

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 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.

Transportation Fee A mandatory fee assessed to all students registered for courses that are held on the Portland and/or Gorham campuses. It funds parking and other transportation-related projects, as well as busing between campuses. It eliminates the need to pay for required parking decals.

Lewiston-Auburn College Parking Fee A $3.00 per credit hour fee is assessed to students registered for courses being held on the LAC campus.

Unified Fee A mandatory fee assessed to cover fixed costs of providing educational services not already supported by tuition charges. The fee is assessed on a per credit hour basis and based on the following:

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Room and Board

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, (207) 780-5240. Limited parking may be rented for $100.00 per semester plus the annual cost of a parking decal at Portland Hall. Current room and board rates are available at www.usm.maine.edu/reslife.

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, (207) 780-5240.

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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

Students admitted to the School of Law must pay a nonrefundable $200.00 tuition deposit by April 15 or within two weeks of acceptance if admitted after April 1. An additional $200.00 deposit is due by June 15. Checks should be mailed directly to the School of Law. This deposit will be applied to tuition charges if the student registers and remains enrolled; otherwise it is forfeited. With permission of the Law School, payment may be postponed in cases of extreme hardship. Graduate programs requiring a $200.00 deposit include occupational therapy, extended teacher education program, and the nursing option for non-nurses with baccalaureate degrees. Other graduate programs do not require a deposit.

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 Admissions Office 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 Resident Student Services that housing is not desired before May 1, this deposit will be refunded. If notification is received after May 1, the deposit is forfeited.

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Payment Policies and Procedures

Billing Students can access WebDSIS billing statements, specific semester due dates, and other important Student Billing information at www.usm.maine.edu/buso. The University is not obligated to mail paper billing statements.

It is critical that official University e-mail accounts are checked often by all students. In many cases, it will be the only means of receiving important information from Student Billing and other University departments.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all addresses recorded on WebDSIS are correct.

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

• 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. 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 are 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/employer prior to the payment due date. No conditional payment offers will be accepted. Please note: If, for any reason, the third party does not pay, the student is liable 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 if charges should be reduced.

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Withdrawal Policy

The charges assessed students who withdraw from all classes 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. Such requests will be considered only if received 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 students who are withdrawing from the University of Maine System in accordance with the schedules and provisions set forth below.

For purposes of calculating tuition reductions, 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 Returning 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 Residence 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 admissions 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 must 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, to the chief financial officer of the campus.

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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New England Regional Program

In cooperation with the New England Board of Higher Education the University offers certain graduate programs of study to qualified candidates from the New England States. Tuition rates for regional candidates approved by the Board of Trustees will be that of in-state tuition plus a surcharge of 50 percent. Because the listing of available programs varies from year to year, candidates should consult the New England Regional Student Program Graduate Catalog. This catalog is available for review in the Office of Graduate Studies (Portland and Gorham). Copies may be obtained from the New England Board of Higher Education, 45 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111.

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