Tuition & Refund Policies

Refund Policy

Students who withdraw from the College during a semester may be eligible for a refund. A refund is a reduction in the original tuition and housing charges, rather than a portion of the amount already paid to the College. Students who receive financial aid and then withdraw or reduce their credit load during the refund period may have a reduction in the aid award. The withdrawal date is established by the receipt of a written withdrawal notice by the Registrar's Office. A schedule of refund dates can be found on the academic calendar for each program, in the Student Handbook, or by referring to the table below.

BFA Academic Calendar

MFA Academic Calendar

MAT Academic Calendar

SALT Academic Calendar

Federal Aid Recipients

Students who withdraw and receive federal financial aid will be subject to return of Title IV funds and/or repayment of unearned aid as specified in 34 CFR 668.22. Maine College of Art & Design uses the Return of Title IV Funds for Withdrawn Students online program designed by the U. S. Department of Education to calculate the return and late disbursement of Title IV funds.

Financial Aid Disbursements & Refunds

A refund may also occur when the financial aid received exceeds the charges for tuition and fees. The Student Accounts Office will issue a refund within 14 days of when actual federal financial aid was disbursed.

*Non-Federal financial aid, such as VA Education Benefits, Scholarships, Maine College of Art & Design grants, and awards will be refunded by written request. Otherwise, these funds will be held for the Spring term. Spring disbursements will be issued timely.

Refunds may be issued as a physical check or as a direct deposit, also called an electronic or Erefund. To receive an electronic refund, a student must sign up to receive direct deposits through Transact. The link to sign up for electronic refunds can be accessed through the MyMECA portal, linked here.

Students who wish to hold a fall credit balance for the spring semester may indicate so by emailing the student accounts office at billing@meca.edu or by filling out a Credit Hold Authorization Form through Adobe Sign.

*Credits resulting from Parent Plus Loans will be processed to the borrower or student as indicated on the Parent Plus Loan application.

Hold Policy

Students with an outstanding tuition balance greater than $500 on their billing statement will have a “Business Office hold” placed on their accounts. This hold prevents students from registering for classes, and receiving grades, and students will not be allowed to participate in upcoming housing selection. For students with balances over $2,500, this hold will prevent students from receiving transcripts or a diploma. Enrollment and registration are contingent upon tuition and fees being paid in full by their due date. Students are responsible for all charges on their billing statement, to be paid by the payment date listed. Students are not permitted to attend classes until all outstanding College bills are paid. Additional lab fees or other charges added after the start of the semester are to be paid immediately.

Students who pay their outstanding balance will have their account hold removed within 7 business days of payment. Student Accounts must wait to ensure that the payment has cleared before lifting the business office hold. The hold can be released sooner if the student provides additional backup showing that payment has cleared their bank account.

Late Fee Policy

A $50 late fee will be assessed each month for any accounts not paid in full or for any delinquent payments made on payment plans. Past-due Student Billing accounts may also be referred to a Collection Agency. The student agrees to reimburse the College the fees of any Collection Agency, which may be based on a percentage at a maximum of 33% of the debt, and all costs and expenses, including all attorney fees, the College incurs in such collection efforts. Students may be contacted at any number provided to the College. By providing this telephone number, students understand, agree, and give consent that the College or anyone working on their behalf, including third-party vendors, may contact the student at the number provided by manually dialing the number or by using automated dialing technology.

Earnest Deposit Policy

Any student who enrolls after or has not completed satisfactory payment arrangements with the Student Accounts Office by the tuition payment due date should be prepared to make a $3,000 earnest deposit payment prior to attending classes for that semester. The College accepts check payments and electronic payments scheduled with a routing and bank account number. Tuition balance needs to be paid with a payment, financial aid, loan, or payment plan before the first day of class.

Financial Aid Loan Finalization Policy

Students who have completed the FAFSA for the academic year will have anticipated aid added to their account. Aid must be finalized with the Financial Aid Office before the tuition payment due date listed on the billing statement. All students are encouraged to complete FAFSA early and to complete all necessary paperwork to finalize financial aid. Actual aid will be disbursed onto a student tuition account after the add/drop period for the semester. If financial aid is not finalized by the disbursement date for each semester, the anticipated aid will be removed from the bill, and a tuition balance may be owed. Please reference your billing statement in MyMECA for updates.

Students who are not applying for financial aid will need to complete and return the FAFSA Waiver Form to the Financial Aid Office prior to the start of the academic year.

Financial Aid Returning Loan Funds Policy

Students who have received a refund or decide to reduce or cancel their current loan amounts must take action within thirty days of the disbursement of Financial Aid. If you have already received a refund from us, please contact the Student Accounts Office for assistance, but you will need to follow the instructions below. The disbursement date is the date loans are posted to your student account. Please check with the Financial Aid Office for the current year’s disbursement schedule.

First, please fill out the Student Loan Change Request Form and retain a copy of this form for your records. If you have received your refund via a paper check, and have possession of the unendorsed check, then please bring the check, along with the Student Loan Change Request Form to the Student Accounts Office for processing. If you received your refund electronically via Erefund, or deposited your paper check, please follow the instructions below. Obtain either a personal or a bank check for the amount of the refund you wish to return. Make the check payable to Maine College of Art & Design, and bring the payment to the Student Accounts Office located in the Administrative Wing, along with the Student Loan Change Request Form. Student Loan Change Request Forms and checks can also be mailed to us at the address below, and will be processed as they are received.

Maine College of Art & Design
Attn: Student Accounts or Financial Aid Office
522 Congress Street
Portland, ME 04101

We cannot accept credit card or online payments for refund returns or balances resulting from returned loan funds. To reduce your loan, a physical check made out to the college for any unpaid balance is required. As a reminder, tuition balances must be paid in full before the start of classes. Please see the Student Handbook for additional information. Any account balance resulting from the return of loans must be paid in full immediately. The student will be notified of any outstanding balance and the college will attempt to collect the funds. If the student does not pay the balance, the account will be put on hold. Please refer to our Hold Policy regarding restrictions. If non-payment continues, the account may be sent to a collection agency.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Student Accounts Office at billing@meca.edu or Financial Aid at finaid@meca.edu.