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Military Tuition Rate Procedures

EXPLORE MORE OF UMGC

Follow these procedures to see if you qualify to save money with reduced tuition at UMGC

I. Eligibility

  1. Undergraduate students who fall within at least one of the following categories are eligible for the military rate:
    1. Full-time active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces;
    2. Members of the Selected Reserves;
    3. Members of National Guard units;
    4. Members of the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS);
    5. Members of the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); or
    6. Spouses or dependents of one of the preceding 5 categories.
  2. Graduate students who fall within at least one of the following categories are eligible for the military rate:
    1. Full-time active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces;
    2. Members of the Selected Reserves;
    3. Members of National Guard units;
    4. Members of the Commissioned Corps of the USPHS;
    5. Members of the Commissioned Corps of the NOAA;
    6. Spouses of full-time active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces;
    7. Spouses of members of the Commissioned Corps of the USPHS;
    8. Spouses of members of the Commissioned Corps of the NOAA;
    9. Dependent children of full-time active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard, Selected Reservists, Commissioned Corps of the USPHS, or Commissioned Corps of the NOAA.

Application and Documentation Requirements

  1. Applicants who indicate on their application for admission to UMGC that they fall into one of the categories set forth in Section I shall be initially determined to qualify for the military rate and will be provisionally charged the military rate without providing documentation to verify their eligibility for the military rate for a period of no more than thirty (30) days from the date of the student's application for admission to UMGC.
  2. At the time of admission, such students shall be notified that in order to continue to be charged the military rate, the student is required to submit documentation to verify the student's eligibility for the military rate no later than thirty (30) days after the date the student submitted the application for admission to UMGC (the "Deadline"). The 30-day period shall not include the date upon which the student submitted an application for admission to UMGC.
  3. Required Documentation
    1. To be sufficient to verify eligibility for the military rate, the student shall provide official government documentation that includes the service member's or sponsor's expiration of term of service (ETS) date. Documentation is only acceptable without an ETS date if the student or student's sponsor is an officer and does not have an ETS date.
    2. The student may submit any of the following documentation to verify eligibility for the military rate within the deadline set forth above:
      1. Service members may provide one of the following:
        1. A copy of the service member's Proof of Service Statement or Letter that includes current service status;
        2. A copy of the service member's most recent enlistment or commissioning contract;
        3. A copy of the service member's most recent Leave and Earnings Statement; or
        4. A copy of the service member's most recent Tuition Assistance form, if the form contains the ETS date.
      2. Spouses may provide one of the following:
        1. A copy of the spouse's DEERS Form 1172-2; or
        2. A copy of the spouse's marriage license and one of the documents set forth above for service members.
      3. Dependent children may provide a copy of the individual's DEERS Form 1172-2.
    3. Other documentation may be submitted and UMGC will review such documentation on a case-by-case basis. Such documentation will only be deemed sufficient if the documentation clearly indicates the student's military status and ETS date.
    4. In extenuating circumstances, a student may also request a UMGC Military Verification Form from UMGC residency staff members or advisors at residency@umgc.edu or studentsfirst@umgc.edu if he/she is unable to obtain any other documentation.
      1. To be sufficient to verify military status, this form must be signed by the service member's or sponsor's commanding officer or education services officer.
    5. UMGC shall not accept military ID cards to verify eligibility for the military rate.
  4. Verification of Military Documentation
    1. UMGC employees tasked with reviewing military documentation shall, in their discretion, determine whether the documentation provided by a student is sufficient to verify the student's eligibility for the military rate.
    2. UMGC shall notify the student if the documentation is illegible, unreadable or insufficient to verify eligibility for the military rate and has been rejected.
    3. UMGC shall notify the student when the documentation has been verified as sufficient for eligibility for the military rate.
      1. At that time, UMGC shall input the student's or the sponsor's ETS date into the student's education record.
      2. For students or sponsors who are officers and do not have an ETS date, UMGC shall input an ETS date that is six (6) years from the date on which the student's or sponsor's documentation is verified by UMGC.
  5. Failure to Submit Sufficient Documentation within the Deadline
    1. If a student fails to submit documentation sufficient to verify eligibility for the military rate by the Deadline, the student's tuition rate shall be changed to the out-of-state rate retroactively for all tuition that was charged at the military rate, unless the student submitted documentation sufficient to show that the student qualifies for the Maryland in-state tuition rate by the Deadline. See Section V regarding retroactive charges.
    2. Students who do not qualify for the military tuition rate or are unable to submit documentation by the Deadline shall be given the opportunity to apply for the in-state rate, using the electronic Residency Questionnaire. The Residency Questionnaire can be obtained from an advisor by emailing a request to studentsfirst@umgc.edu.
      1. If, at any time prior to the student's submission of the required documentation to verify eligibility for the military rate, the student submits the Residency Questionnaire, UMGC shall process the Residency Questionnaire. For this reason, students are cautioned that they should only submit the Residency Questionnaire if they are unable to submit the required documentation to verify eligibility for the military rate or UMGC has determined that the documentation submitted to verify eligibility for the military rate is insufficient.
        1. If UMGC determines that the student qualifies for the in-state rate, UMGC shall change the student's tuition rate to the in-state rate retroactively for all tuition that was charged at the military rate.
        2. If, after the student has been changed to the in-state rate, but before the Deadline, the student submits documentation sufficient to verify eligibility for the military rate, UMGC shall change the student's tuition rate back to the military rate retroactively for all tuition that was charged at the in-state rate.
      2. If the student submits documentation to verify eligibility for the military rate before submitting the Residency Questionnaire, UMGC shall only process the Residency Questionnaire if UMGC determines that the student's documentation is not sufficient to verify the student's eligibility for the military rate.
      3. If the student does not submit sufficient Required Documentation or the Residency Questionnaire to UMGC by the Deadline, the student will be changed to the out-of-state rate. If the student believes that he/she qualifies for the in-state rate but missed the Deadline, the student may submit a Petition for Change in Classification for Tuition to be considered for in-state tuition and follow the procedures set forth in UMGC Policy 210.20 - Residency for Admission, Tuition, and Charge Policy.
    3. If a student was unable to submit the required documentation to verify eligibility for the military rate by the Deadline and was changed to the in-state or out-of-state rate, and then, submits documentation sufficient to show the student would have qualified for the military rate and UMGC verifies that the student was, in fact, eligible for the military rate, UMGC shall change the student's tuition rate to the military rate as follows.
      1. If the student submits the Required Documentation by the end of the term in which the student submitted an application for admission to UMGC, UMGC shall retroactively change the student's tuition rate to the military rate for that term.
      2. If the student does not submit the Required Documentation until after the end of the term in which the student submitted an application for admission to UMGC, UMGC shall not retroactively change the student's tuition rate. If the student submits the required documentation prior to the start of the next term in which the student enrolls and UMGC verifies that the student qualifies for the military rate, UMGC shall change the student's tuition rate to the military rate for that term.
  6. Students Who Become Eligible for the Military Rate after Admission
    1. Students who become eligible for the military rate after admission to UMGC must submit the Required Documentation in order to be considered for the military rate by the end of the term in which the student became eligible and seeks a tuition rate change.
    2. If a student becomes eligible in the middle of a term, upon verification of the Required Documentation by UMGC, UMGC shall change the student to the military rate for any session within the term that began after the student become eligible. For all courses that were completed prior to the student becoming eligible, the student will not be changed to the military rate.

III. Students Who No Longer Qualify for the Military Rate

  1. A student who no longer qualifies for the military rate must notify a UMGC residency staff member at residency@umgc.edu of a change in military affiliation (e.g., separation from the military, divorce from sponsor, or a graduate student whose sponsor or student no longer lives in Maryland) no later than 15 calendar days after the student does not qualify for the military rate.
    1. If the student's eligibility for the military rate terminates in the middle of a term, UMGC will continue to charge the student the military rate until the end of the term in which eligibility expired so long as the student was eligible for the military rate on the first start date of that term.
    2. If a student fails to notify UMGC that he/she no longer qualifies for the military rate, UMGC may, in its discretion, retroactively charge the student the appropriate tuition rate. See Section V regarding retroactive charges.
  2. UMGC will notify students if the student's or the student's sponsor's ETS date will expire during any term and give the student an opportunity to submit the Required Documentation to show that the student or the student's sponsor will remain in the military and has been issued a new ETS date. Such documentation must be submitted by the end of the term in which the ETS is set to expire.
    1. Upon verification of the Required Documentation of the new ETS date, UMGC will update the student's or student's sponsor's ETS date in the student's education record.
    2. If the student or the student's sponsor is separating from the military, the student will be given the opportunity to apply for the in-state tuition rate to determine if the student will meet the criteria. The notification to the student shall explain the documentation that he/she is required to submit in order to qualify for the in-state rate.
    3. In order to qualify for the in-state rate at the start of the next term, the student shall submit the documentation by the end of the term in which the ETS is set to expire. If the student submits such documentation and UMGC determines that the student qualifies for the in-state rate, UMGC will change the student's tuition rate from the military rate to the in-state rate at the start of the term immediately following the term in which the ETS date expired.
    4. If the student does not submit documentation sufficient to show the student qualifies for the in-state rate, UMGC shall change the student's tuition rate from the military rate to the out-of-state rate at the start of the term immediately following the term in which the ETS date expired.
    5. If the student submits the documentation after the end of the term in which the ETS date is set to expire and UMGC determines that the student qualifies for the in-state rate, UMGC will change the student's tuition rate from the out-of-state rate to the in-state rate at the start of the term immediately following the term in which the student provided the documentation to UMGC.
  3. Spouses and Dependent Children of Service Members Who Die in the Line of Duty
    1. Spouses and dependent children of service members who die in the line of duty will be permitted to remain at the military rate for as long as the student is considered a military spouse or dependent by the sponsor's branch of service.
    2. This time period will be determined by the expiration date of the student's military ID card issued specifically for the purpose of receiving death benefits after a service member has died in the line of duty.

IV. Retroactive Charges or Refunds

  1. If UMGC retroactively charges the student the difference between the total tuition charged to the student for a prior term and the total tuition charged at the appropriate rate, UMGC shall send an invoice to the student, which shall be due immediately upon receipt.
  2. If UMGC retroactively charges the student the difference between the total tuition charged to the student for the current term and the total tuition charged at the appropriate rate, UMGC shall send an invoice to the student, which shall be due immediately upon receipt or by the date that tuition is due for that term, whichever is later.
  3. A student who becomes eligible for a tuition rate adjustment, resulting in a credit due to the student, shall be processed through UMGC's standard refund process.

Contact Your Military Education Office

Before submitting an application for admission to UMGC, if you are a servicemember, you may contact your Educational Services Officer (ESO) or Counselor within your military service. Students who have questions about their eligibility or documentation can email residency@umgc.edu.

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