Attend your classes
Aid funds, including student loans, are awarded in anticipation of your successfully completing the coursework required for you to meet your degree requirements. If you experience difficulty with your classes talk to your instructors. Consider tutoring services. If you need to stop attending you must contact the UMA Information Center at 1-877-862-1234 to withdraw. Your instructor will not do this for you. Do not stop attending without taking formal action with the Registrar’s Office. Refer to: “Withdrawing from Classes and Its Affect on Your Aid” in the “Important Terms” section.
Awards (Notification of Aid Eligibility)
UMA will begin notification of eligibility to qualified applicants as soon as December 1st for the upcoming academic year. Students should monitor their eligibility requirements and awards using the “View Financial Aid” section in MaineStreet. Students offered loans must actively accept any loan offer either via MaineStreet or returning a paper award letter in order to have a loan processed. Students that accept loans must also complete additional requirements which may include: entrance interviews, promissory notes and loan disclosure information. Requirements will be posted on student’s MaineStreet accounts.
Away Students
UMA recognizes that there may be classes offered at other University of Maine System (UMS) campuses that are requirements for your UMA degree which are not offered at UMA when you need them. UMA offers students the opportunity to enroll in classes offered at other UMS campuses as long as specific requirements are met: Classes selected must be requirements of your UMA degree in order to have aid funds applied against the charges; AND, students must not have transferred to nor declare a major at the other UMS campus in order to have aid obtained through UMA be applied against the charges incurred. A similar agreement has been made with the Maine Community College System (MCCS).
- UMS campuses: Available aid funds will automatically be transmitted via the UMA Student Accounts Office to the appropriate campuses. You must contact the UMA Financial Aid Office only if you have enrolled in all classes at other UMS campuses and no credits at UMA. Note: The anticipation of aid from UMA to pay charges at another UMS campus (es) does not relieve you of the obligation of meeting payment deadlines or paying late charges that may be incurred.
- MCCS campuses: The U. S. Department of Education requires a Consortium Agreement between UMA and the specific MCCS campus that will establish contractual items such items as the payment of aid funds. Students must complete the “Maine Community College Away Form” and submit it to the Dean of their UMA college well in advance of the semester start date for consideration. The Dean will review the form and forward it to the UMA Financial Aid Office for determination of eligibility. Deadline: The completed form, including Dean approval, must be received at the UMA Financial Aid Office no later than 2 weeks prior to first day of classes. Students also may not have transferred to nor declared a major at the other MCCS campus. The classes chosen must:
- Be a college level course that the MCCS campus can also award federal aid funds;
- Meet your UMA degree requirements;
- Not be an elective;
- Not be offered within the UMS during the period you want to enroll at a MCCC campus.
- Note: The anticipation of aid from UMA to pay charges at a MCCS campus does not relieve you of the obligation of meeting payment deadlines or paying any late charges that may be incurred. Forms are avaiable upon request from Student Financial Services.
Transfer of Aid Funds to Your Student Account
Upon final approval of “away” coursework by the UMA Financial Aid Office aid funds will be transmitted to the UMA Student Accounts Office, assuming your semester credit hours match the Credit Hour Range that your financial aid is based upon. The UMA Student Accounts Office will send any available funds to the above schools. NOTICE: You must promptly submit an official transcript to the UMA Transfer Affairs Office from each school at the completion of the semester. You may be charged a fee by the other campus for the transcript. Failure to promptly present a transcript will result in no consideration for future “away” classes.
UMA does not enter into Consortium Agreements with schools outside the University of Maine or Maine Community College Systems.
Refunds of an Overpayment of Aid
The UMA Financial Aid Office disburses all financial aid including student loans directly to students billing account with the UMA Student Accounts Office. All funds received are applied first against tuition and fees due. Once the account balance is zero the UMA Student Accounts Office will authorize the release of excess funds to the student within a week of the receipt of funds. Refunds are issued to eligible students* no earlier than one week prior to the scheduled start date of UMA classes to assist students with educational expenses, including books. Refunds continue promptly throughout the semester as excess funds may be applied to the student account. Checks are not issued on campus.
(*) Eligible students minimally must have:
- Submitted all requested documentation including applicable Promissory Notes & Entrance Interview materials;
- Registered for same credit hour range as the aid is based on; and
- Maintained compliance with the Satisfactory Academic Policy.
Credit hour ranges:
| Full-time | 12+ credits per semester |
| 3/4 time | 9 to 11 credits per semester |
| 1/2 time | 6 to 8 credits per semester |
| Less than 1/2 time | 1 to 5 credits per semester |
Registration Match
UMA financial aid funds are awarded to eligible students based upon a number of factors, including the number of credit hours a student anticipates enrolling per semester at UMA. Your financial aid funds will not be released to pay your bill unless your enrollment credit hour range matches your financial aid credit hour range:
Credit hour ranges:
| Full-time | 12+ credits per semester |
| 3/4 time | 9 to 11 credits per semester |
| 1/2 time | 6 to 8 credits per semester |
| Less than 1/2 time | 1 to 5 credits per semester |
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Federal policy requires that schools have Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policies and procedures to measure the academic progress of its students in meeting their degree requirements in a timely manner. If at any point it’s clear the student will not be able to meet the standard for graduation, the student becomes ineligible for aid. Student’s that have been previously placed on Satisfactory Academic Progress Probation will have funds for upcoming semesters held until grades for a current semester are received and continued eligibility is determined. For complete details on SAP, click here.
Withdrawing and Its Affect on Your Financial Aid
Title IV (student aid) funds are awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds that the student was originally scheduled to receive. When a student receiving Title IV student financial aid withdraws from all courses, the aid must be adjusted in accordance with rules established by the U.S. Department of Education. These calculations may result in the student owing a University balance. Refer to “Withdrawing and Its Affect” section for more information.