Financial Aid Policies and Forms

Outside Assistance

Any and all outside assistance including private scholarships and payments made by non-university organizations (including the state) should be reported to the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible.  Federal regulations require that any additional assistance is included on a students award.  Please note, that outside assistance may effect your financial aid award.


Definition of a Credit Hour

University of Maine at Machias acknowledges and adheres to the federal definition of a credit hour with respect to courses offered face to face, in hybrid format, and online, as developed in 2010 and published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 34, Part 600.02:

[A] credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than

(1) One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit [ . . . ] or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or

(2) At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution[,] including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours.

Rev. September 2018


Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal financial aid regulations require financial aid recipients to make progress toward earning their degree, stay above specific GPA minimums and to complete the degree within a maximum time-frame. You can lose eligibility for aid if you are not doing well in your classes and/or if it is taking a very long time to earn your degree. If you are not meeting the minimum standards, even if you are allowed by your academic dean to continue your enrollment, you will have to do so without benefit of financial aid.

For more detailed information on the policy, click the link below.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Process

Students not meeting the University of Maine at Machias’ Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy will be notified by letter. Every student has the right to appeal in writing if you believe that you have special circumstances which have impacted your academic progress. If you want to appeal, please complete the Appeal Form below. Send the completed Appeal Form along with appropriate supporting documentation to the Financial Aid Office.  The Financial Aid Office will cancel aid for any student who does not appeal, or for whom an appeal is denied. If you have questions about this policy, contact our office.


Withdrawing

How to Withdraw

If you withdraw from the university, you will need to contact your academic advisor and the University of Maine at Machias Registrar’s Office to notify them of your intent to withdraw. Once we receive notification of the withdrawal from the Registrar’s Office, the Financial Aid Office will perform necessary financial aid adjustments and will send you an updated award notice on MaineStreet.

Return of Title IV Funds

Policy for Reimbursement to Title IV Accounts for Students Who Withdraw:

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.

Return of Title IV Funds / Institutional Refunds

When a student withdraws, University policies and federal requirements may result in charges and financial aid being reduced. If a student withdraws on or before the 60% point of the enrollment period, the federal refund calculation is performed. These student refund calculations follow a specific percentage of adjustment based on the date of withdrawal and may require a return of financial aid to the financial aid accounts. Refund calculations take into account all federal financial aid received. The calculation is generally based upon the percentage of the enrollment period which the student has completed.

The day the student officially withdraws is determined to be the withdrawal date. If the student ceases attendance without providing official notification of withdrawal to the institution, the mid-point of the payment period will be the withdrawal date for the purpose of returning Title IV funds.

Return of Funds

Funds returned as a result of a refund or overpayment are returned to the Title IV accounts in an order prescribed by law and regulations.

If you have any questions regarding the Refund Calculation for Withdrawals, please contact the Financial Aid Office for more information.


Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act – FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, is a Federal law which protects the privacy of student education records. Once a student either turns 18 years of age or attends a school beyond the high school level, all education privacy rights transfer to the student.

The University of Maine System has designated August 15 as the point at which an applicant becomes a student.

After this date, signed consent forms are required in order to speak to anyone other than the student about the student’s personal information. Personal information includes: academic information such as the student’s schedule, instructors, grades, GPA, suspension, requests for official or unofficial transcripts, etc.; all financial aid information specific to the student; billing information and charges.

To complete a Release of Financial Information form (to consent to release information related to financial information only) click on the link below.

Please note that this form does not cover the release of academic, disciplinary, medical and health information.