Tuition & Cost

Tuition and Fees

1. Free Tuition for Qualified Students: All University of Maine System guidelines for tuition for qualified students are determined by the Maine Department of Education. Depending on the student’s high school graduation year, the amount of tuition-free waivers may vary. Please visit the Maine’s Public Universities Early College System Website for further information on tuition for qualified students.
2. Which students qualify for Aspirations funding? Qualifications for Aspirations Funding is determined per Maine State Statute, not per University of Maine System policy. Please visit the Maine’s Public Universities Early College System Website for further information on qualifications for Aspirations funding.
3. Which students do not qualify for Aspirations funding? Qualifications for Aspirations Funding is per Maine State Statute, not per University of Maine System policy. Some students may not qualify for free waivers. Please visit the Maine’s Public Universities Early College System Website for further information to determine if a student qualifies for Aspirations funding.
4. How much do students pay if they do not qualify for Aspirations funding? Maine high school students will be billed the Early College tuition rate per credit hour. This rate can vary per year, and also varies depending on whether the course is online/on-campus, or concurrent enrollment. Please visit the Maine’s Public Universities Early College System Website for further information on tuition rates. Rates are subject to change when tuition rates change.
5. Are there additional fees for courses beyond the credit hour tuition rate? UMFK Early College students are not charged the typical mandatory/additional fees that other students are sometimes billed for, unless there is a fee that is course-specific and is associated with the specific course. Students are responsible for any course-specific fees and materials (e.g., lab fees, field trip fees if needed, lab kit, access-code fees for textbooks, etc.). These fees are not covered by Aspirations funding. If there are additional fees associated with the course (beyond purchasing the textbook), a note will be added to the student’s ExplorEC note section, which sends an email notification to the student’s email entered on their ExplorEC portal. Extra fees are typically only associated with online/on-campus courses, and not concurrent enrollment (at high school) courses.
6. Is there an additional cost for textbooks? Yes. Most classes do require an additional textbook or resources of some type to supplement the learning. This is not included in Aspirations funding and is considered self-pay. For online/ on-campus courses, please check the UMFK Bookstore to determine which book you may need, or reach out directly to the course professor for further information. Please make sure to have your book before the course starts!
7. For University of Maine at Fort Kent Early College Students: It is important to note that because you are not subject to mandatory fees, you do not have access to the Rec Center, campus recreation (e.g., intramural sports, sports clubs, Outdoor Adventure Center), public transit, university-sponsored student activities, or athletic events (i.e., student tickets).

Additional Information

All credits, regardless of course location (whether taken at a student’s high school, online, or on campus), are counted toward annual and/or lifetime credit caps. This includes credits earned through Maine’s Public Universities and Maine’s Community Colleges, as well as any courses taken through these institutions at the high school level (e.g., Concurrent Enrollment courses).

Eligible students who exceed Aspirations funding are charged as “self-pay” students at the Early College tuition rate(s), per credit hour of overage, as established by the University of Maine System.

To pay a bill of any type, please visit the UMFK Business Office – Making and Receiving Payments webpage, or contact the UMFK Business Office via email at umfkbus@maine.edu for inquiries. You will need your student ID number, which is located on the bottom right of your ExplorEC homepage.