ORIGINATOR: Associate Vice President, Finance

SUBJECT: Student Financial Obligations

I. Payment of Financial Obligations

1. Pursuant to the Board of Regents Policy VIII-2.20-Policy on Payment of Tuition and Fees, UMUC is responsible for the collection of student tuition and fees.

2. This Policy applies to all students taking classes from UMUC. UMUC charges tuition and fees to all students who register for classes. Students are responsible to pay all charges incurred in full at the due date published on the Schedule of Classes for the semester. Failure to pay by the due date may result in the student registration being cancelled or the student being disenrolled.

3. A student may not be permitted to register for a subsequent semester until all financial obligations are settled, including current semester tuition and fees, parking violations, library fines, and other miscellaneous charges. In addition, UMUC will deny all requests for transcripts, diplomas, tentative or official evaluations, and verification of enrollment, as well as other services pending clearance of all charges as propagated by USM Policy.

II. Tuition and Fees

1. A student must pay the tuition and applicable fees by the due date to hold his/her class registration, regardless of whether a bill is received. The payment due date for different methods of registration is published in the Schedule of Classes for that semester.

2. Refunds of tuition are granted based on the date of official withdrawal from a course. The amount of tuition refund depends on the date of withdrawal. Not all fees are refundable regardless of the date of withdrawal. The list of fees eligible for refund as well as the dates of withdrawal that entitle students to a refund is published on the Schedule of Classes. Outstanding debts to UMUC will be applied against any refunds due. However, refunds for financial aid students will not be applied to a prior year balance without the student's written permission.

III. Deferred Payment Plan

1. To assist students in paying their tuition and fees, UMUC offers an interest-free deferred payment plan. Charges incurred under the excel evaluation program including charges for posting of credits recognized during the evaluation are not eligible for the deferred payment plan.

2. A student shall pay a non-refundable application fee to enroll in the deferred payment plan. The plan allows the student to pay his/her tuition and fees in installments. UMUC may select an outside vendor to administer the deferred payment plan.

3. Application fees, payment schedules, and the vendor administering the deferred payment plan may be changed from time to time at UMUC's discretion. Students should obtain the details from the current Schedule of Classes.

IV. Temporary Extension for Financial Aid Recipients

Students with Tentative Financial Aid Awards will be given payment extension and their registration will be held until the financial aid application is fully reviewed and processed. If, for any reason, the financial aid awards disbursed for a financial aid applicant do not cover the student's charges, then the student is fully responsible for payment of the balance due on his/her student account within 30 days. Failure to pay will result in suspension of UMUC services and the student will not be allowed to register for subsequent semesters, or be disenrolled from courses that the student may have registered for the following semester, until payment is made in full.

V. Referral of Delinquent Accounts to Collection Agency

Accounts are delinquent when they are past due in excess of ninety days and UMUC has issued a final notice to the students. As an agency of the State of Maryland, UMUC will refer delinquent accounts to the State Central Collection Unit (SCCU) for collection as required by State law. At the time of referral, a minimum collection charge of 17% will be added to the balance of the account. UMUC will charge any additional cost incurred by UMUC during the collection process, such as attorney fees and court costs, to the balance of the student account.