Academic Action: Students that are admitted to the University as a degree or certificate candidate will have their grades monitored by the UMA Registrar’s Office for compliance with a cumulative 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) needed to maintain minimum graduation requirements.
Academic Actions:
- Academic Probation: Degree or certificate candidates that fall below the minimum graduation requirement of maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA will be warned by the Dean of their college that they risk Suspension from the University. Students on probation are required to meet with an academic advisor prior to course registration.
- Academic Suspension: A degree or certificate candidate that has failed to raise their GPA after prior warning will be suspended from the privilege of course registration for the upcoming semester from all campuses of the University of Maine System. Students must consult an academic advisor upon return. Students suspended a second time will also be suspended from their degree or certificate program.
- Appeal of an Academic Action: An appeal of an academic action may be submitted to the UMA Provost if the student feels there are unusual or exceptional circumstances that impacted their ability to maintain a successful GPA. NOTICE: Academic Probation and Academic Suspension actions are separate actions from Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress. The Provost’s reinstatement of a student’s ability to register for classes and/or the ability to continue as a degree/certificate candidate does not reinstate financial aid eligibility. (See Satisfactory Academic Progress.)
Academic Year: A three semester period consisting of summer, fall and spring. The academic year at UMA begins with the summer semester. This may be different at other colleges.
Adjustments in Course Schedules:
- Add/Drop is a specified period at the beginning of a semester that allows a student to make formal adjustments to their class schedule. Students that receive aid based upon a higher amount of credits and drop some but not all credits during 100% adjustment periods are responsible for immediate repayment of the excess aid funds.
- Withdrawal requires a formal action by the student to inform the UMA Registrar’s Office of the decision to cease all attendance and leave the University for the semester. Note: It is the student’s responsibility to contact each campus of enrollment to withdrawn if the student is enrolled at more than one campus of the University of Maine System.
Admission: Admission is formal acceptance to a degree or certificate program as the result of submission of an application and transcripts and is a privilege extended to qualified students by the UMA Admissions Office. Admission is required to qualify for financial aid and /or veteran’s benefits.
Billing Information: Your registration for classes creates a financial obligation. You must ensure that this obligation is paid on-time. The promise of a third-party sponsor to pay all or part of your college costs does not relieve you of the responsibility. (Third-parties may include, but are not limited to: student financial aid, scholarships/trusts/college investment plans, federal/state/local agencies, military and employers.) If you decide not to take any of the classes you have registered for you must cancel your enrollment prior to classes starting to ensure that no tuition and/or course fees will be incurred.
You can review a statement of your student account including any financial aid funds applied against your tuition and fee charges at the MaineStreet student portal.
Books: Books for classes are a separate transaction with the bookseller of your choice, including the UMA Bookstore. The UMA Bookstore carries all related books, supplies and course materials for student convenience.
Book Vouchers: A book voucher represents an authorization to charge books at the UMA Bookstore to an eligible third-party agency purchase order or letter of authorization. The receipt of student financial aid does not qualify a student to receive book voucher. (See: Refund of an Overpayment of Financial Aid)
Consumer Information: Information including: accreditation, licensure of programs; special services available to disabled students; cost of attending school; degrees and programs offered; Student Right-to-Know disclosure (graduation and completion rates); Campus Security (Cleary) Act and the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act; and drug and alcohol abuse prevention information; financial aid information including how to apply, programs available, eligibility criteria, terms and conditions of any employment; terms, schedules and necessity of repayment of student loans; loan counseling; statement of the requirement for the return of federal funds when a student withdraws and the criteria for measuring satisfactory academic progress.
Consumer information is available at the UMA catalog.
Cost of Attendance: The cost of attendance is an estimated amount it will cost to attend college for a period, typically an academic year. This figure is used by the Financial Aid Office to determine your eligibility for aid. A Cost of Attendance includes estimated tuition & fees charged by the University, as well as allowances for books, supplies, transportation, housing & food allowances, and personal expenses related to college attendance.
Default: The failure to repay a loan in accordance to the terms agreed when signing the promissory note. Default will impact the ability to receive student aid in the future, obtain consumer credit including purchasing a home or car, federal tax refunds, cause seizure of portions of paychecks, etc.
Enrollment Levels:
| Full-Time | 12 or more credit hours per semester |
| Three-Quarter Time | 9 to 11 credit hours per semester |
| Half-Time | 6 to 8 credit hours per semester |
| Less Than Half-Time | 1 to 5 credit hours per semester |
Expected Family Contribution (EFC): A number provided to UMA by the U.S. Department of Education as the result of the information provided on your FAFSA. This number will be used to determine aid eligibility.
Financial Aid Package: The total amount of financial aid a student is offered by UMA typically through a variety of programs, including grants, scholarships, work-study and loans.
Grade Level: Grade level is determined by the number of credit hours that a student has previously earned toward their degree. This is typically used to determine the level of Federal Stafford Loan eligibility:
- Grade Level 1: freshman, 0 – 23 hours toward degree (maximum level in certificate program)
- Grade Level 2: sophomore, 24-53 hours toward degree (maximum level in associate’s degree program)
- Grade Level 3: junior, 54 – 83 hours toward degree (requires enrollment in bachelor’s degree program)
- Grade Level 4: senior, 84 + hours toward degree (requires enrollment in bachelor’s degree program)
Grant: A fund that does not normally have to be repaid.
MaineStreet: Your road to on-line access with the University of Maine System. Direct student access to admission, registration, student financials (billing), and financial aid are available 24/7/365 in MaineStreet.
Past Due Balance: A past due balance occurs when payment in full has not been received for charges assessed in accordance with the payment due date. A past due balance will prevent the student from enrolling in subsequent semesters at any campus of the University of Maine System or from obtaining an official certified transcript or diploma. Past due balances may be assessed additional late charges, referred to collection agencies and legal services and to the State of Maine Revenue Services for collection of accounts.
Financial aid funds awarded for current/future semesters cannot be applied to your student account until you have paid-in-full all prior semester charges. The use of financial aid funds awarded for current/future semesters to pay a past due balance is limited by federal law to balances under $200. The past due balance cannot be more than 1 academic year old and cannot have been referred for collection. Financial aid recipients with a past due balance must contact the UMA Financial Aid Office for more information regarding the use of current aid funds for a past semester balance.
Registration/Enrollment for Classes: UMA does not automatically enroll students for classes upon admission to a degree program or in anticipation of the completion of a prior semester. Students are required to enroll themselves in consultation with an Admissions or Advising counselor, with a faculty advisor or on-line using MaineStreet or directly with the UMA Registrar’s Office.
Scholarships: A fund that does not normally have to be repaid; however, check the terms of the scholarship with the program administrator.
Semester: A specified length of instruction of class time; usually a 15 week period at UMA.
Tax Credit Programs: The Internal Revenue Service and State of Maine each offer tax credit programs to qualified students. Contact your tax preparer or click on the links below for more information: