Procedure for Uniform Fees and Costs

1. Determining the fees and costs of uniforms:

The Commandant’s Department develops and sets the uniform requirements for the Regiment of Midshipmen. The costs of the required uniform items are then determined by the Bookstore. Uniform fees and costs are reviewed annually for the upcoming academic year.

No later than 1 November, estimated uniform fees for incoming 4/C Midshipmen will be presented by the Bookstore, in collaboration with the Commandant’s Department, to the Financial Aid Office for inclusion in each student’s financial aid offer letter.

Effective May 2024, students in an Unlimited License program, or electing to enter the Regiment voluntarily, must pay approximately $700.00 directly to the MMA Bookstore by 1 August prior to beginning Regimental Preparatory Training for the initial RPT1 uniform issue. Students will not see the $700.00 payment as a credit on their billing statement. The remaining balance of the approximately $2720.00 in uniform fees will appear on the fall statement and will be paid directly to MMA.

No later than 15 June, final uniform fees will be established by the Business Office in collaboration with the Bookstore and the Commandant’s Department for inclusion on the Fall Semester school bill for 4/C Midshipmen.

Once a student arrives for Regimental Preparatory Training (RPT), the RPT2 portion of the uniform requirement is finalized on that student’s bill. After the student takes possession of the RPT1 portion of the required 4/C Uniforms, no refunds are authorized. The second 4/C required uniform issuance occurs towards the end of RPT. The uniform issuance will be withheld, and a refund may be made, if the student leaves the Regiment prior to the end of RPT. If any uniform item has been personalized (i.e., stenciled) or altered to fit a student, that item will not be eligible for refund. Prior to Regimental Induction there will be a third uniform issue. The final uniform issue will occur before Thanksgiving Break.

2. Uniform Billing:

For all new 4/C students, approximately $700.00 for the RPT1 uniforms/items shall be required by 1 August of the year in which the student is scheduled to start RPT. The RPT1 uniform/items issue is paid directly to the Bookstore and is used to initiate the uniform ordering process. The Bookstore will provide a list of students who have NOT made this initial payment to the Admissions and Business Offices. Any student who has not paid by 1 August may have their course registration placed on hold. Any student who has not paid their $700.00 by the start of RPT may not participate in RPT and may be required to change majors.

The remaining 4/C uniform fees are billed by Maine Maritime Academy directly to the student for payment and appear on their Financial Aid Offer Letter as a “Direct Cost.”

There are four separate 4/C uniform issues. Uniform issues two through four will be billed by Maine Maritime Academy directly to the student. The first issue is paid directly by the student to the Bookstore in the form of $700 due by August 1.

1. RPT1 (Initial uniform issue – $700 paid by the student directly to the bookstore).
2. RPT2 (Second uniform issue at the end of RPT).
3. RIC (Third uniform issue for additional items after induction into the Regiment).
4. Fall (Fourth and final uniform issue, issued prior to the Thanksgiving break).

The Business Office will submit payment to the Bookstore for uniform issuance upon receipt of invoices from the Bookstore and cross-checked with the student’s billing data. This procedure will be followed for the 4/C uniform issues for RPT2, RIC and Fall.

The following details the timing of payments and procedures for all parties (student, Business Office, Commandant’s Staff, and the Bookstore).

Summer

(June – July): New Student Orientation (NSO) – students arrive on campus to conduct NSO activities. The first payment for RPT1 issue will be paid directly to the Bookstore no later than 1 August.

Fall Semester

(September): The Business Office, during the month of September, will reconcile all students’ accounts for requested refund distributions, as applicable. Those refunds could be used by the student to purchase replacement items if needed.

(October): By mid-October, the Bookstore will have invoiced MMA (with student signed receipts included) for the RPT2 and RIC uniform issues. Once the accounts are reconciled with the Bookstore a payment is processed for the invoice.

(November): Once the Fall uniform issue has been completed at the Bookstore, the same process of reconciliation and payment of the invoice will take place. All 4/C students will have their uniforms paid for in full and collected from the Bookstore. Spring registrations may be placed on hold for any student who has not paid for their uniforms in full by this date.

All Regimental Students

All Regimental Students must maintain their uniforms and should expect to replace uniforms and uniform items as they become worn or unserviceable. If uniform items are deemed unserviceable by the Commandant’s staff, replacement of uniform items will be required at their own expense at the Bookstore.

Communication of Uniform Fee and Cost procedure changes

Uniform Fee and Cost procedure changes will be communicated to the students via MMA email, shared on MMA social media, and posted on the Regimental Website for new and returning students.

Points of contact for questions:

• Bookstore:  Therese Biggie, 326-9333
• Finance Department:  Diane Harmon, 326-2243
• Regiment:  CDR Christian, 326-2299