FINANCIAL AFFAIRS
Section 703 Tuition and Fees

Effective: 1/27/76
Last Revised: 7/17/95; 1/25/99; 3/24/03; 7/14/08; 11/16/09
Responsible Office: Finance

Authority and Procedures

The Board shall approve tuition rates, mandatory fees, and room and board rates.

Each year in May, as part of the annual budget approval process, the Chancellor shall present recommended tuition, fee, and room and board rates to the Board of Trustees for approval. (Tuition and fee rates become effective after the end of the summer term).  The Board may alter any of these rates at its discretion.

Factors and guidelines

The Board establishes tuition and fee rates using the following factors and guidelines whenever possible:

  1. Qualified Maine residents should have reasonable access to the University of Maine System’s higher education institutions.  ”Reasonable access” considerations include the availability of financial aid, state funding levels, and various other economic factors.
  2. All institutions should attempt to effectively contain costs as a way of limiting increases in tuition and fee rates.
  3. Tuition, fee, and room and board rates should be competitive.
  4. Tuition rates should take into consideration annual state funding levels.
  5. Tuition increases should be balanced to maintain quality while still supporting access and attainment.
  6. Tuition rates should reflect institutional mission.
  7. As a public institution, non-residents should pay more than residents; however, the University of Maine System will participate in  the New England Board of Higher Education program which can charge up to 175% of the in-state rates to non-resident students for programs not offered in the student’s resident state
  8. To enhance diversity initiatives, increase international enrollments, and mitigate exchange rate barriers, all Canadian students (graduate and undergraduate) from all provinces can be charged up to 175% of the in-state tuition rate.
  9. Students residing in New Hampshire within 50 miles of a University of Maine System institution may pay in-state rates at the discretion of that institution for programmatic purposes.
  10. Graduate (including law) students should pay more than undergraduates due to increased programmatic costs.
  11. Differential tuition may be assessed for on-line or other distance delivery modes, and special programmatic considerations at the approval of the Chancellor
Student Fees

The Chancellor shall establish those fees impacting services and operations within the System.  These include maximum levels for financial service fees (for bad checks, installment or collection charges) and fees principally affecting prospective students, such as application and matriculation fees.

The President shall establish the following fees:

  • all course fees
  • all deposits
  • all fees for optional University services and activities

For Student Activity fees – refer to Section 704.

Classification of Students for Tuition Purposes (Residency Rules)

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 residency tuition decision shall be made in accordance with written guidelines, established by the Treasurer in consultation with campus administration, which will ensure that each student application for residency is considered on an individual basis.  The written guidelines should be published and made available to all students applying for residency.  The guidelines should be updated periodically as laws and circumstances dictate.

Tuition Waivers

The University of Maine System Board of Trustees and State Legislature have established a number of different tuition and fee waiver programs for the benefit of students attending the University.  Generally, waivers are like entitlement programs; i.e., if a student meets certain criteria, that student is not required to pay all of the University tuition and, in some cases, fees.

All major changes to tuition waivers are to be brought to the Trustees’ attention (as information) prior to implementing the change in an Administrative Practice Letter.

Student Refunds

Student charges will be refunded in a fair and equitable manner to all students who withdraw from the University of Maine System.  The refund calculations will be based on the standards set forth by the federal government for Title IV recipients.

Related documents:

Administrative Practice Letters:

Report on Student Charges