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This following information may be helpful as you
prepare for your departure and in the first days
that you spend in Farmington,
Maine. You will
receive more details and information about living
and studying at the University at the
Orientation Program* for
new international students which is
normally held on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday prior to
the start of classes.
Click here
to see the current academic calendar. If you need
airport transportation or temporary housing, you
must make a request at least one month prior to
your arrival.
About Transportation
There is no public transportation
between Farmington, ME and Portland, ME. UMF will
arrange for someone to meet incoming students at
the Portland, ME airport and bus stations. For information about
travel by bus or train between Boston,
Massachusetts and Portland, Maine visit the
websites of
Vermont
Transit,
Greyhound,
Concord
Trailways, or
Amtrak.
For specific arrival date, refer to the pre-arrival
information that was mailed to you with your I-20 or DS-2019.
Before You
Leave/Getting a Visa
Degree seeking students:
You must first apply and be accepted for admission as an
international student through the
UMF Admission Office. Once you have been accepted you will
be issued an I-20 immigration document. In order to get a visa, you must take your
passport, the I-20, and evidence of additional
financial support (if any) to the nearest U.S.
Embassy or Consular Office. Once you have a visa,
your I-20 will be returned to you and you will
then present it to an immigration officer when
you arrive in the United States.
During your flight, you will receive a small
white card known as an I-94. At the U.S.
port of entry, a U.S. customs official will
review your immigration documents again. Your
passport, I-94 card, and page 3 of the I-20 form
will be stamped by the officer and returned to
you. Keep these documents in a safe place!
Exchange Students:
You do NOT need to pay an application fee and you
do NOT need to fill out the regular UMF application for
admission. For exchange students, the first step
is to complete and submit, along with supporting documentation,
the Exchange Visitor Application that will be sent to you via
email from the Exchange Office here at UMF, once you have been
recommended for exchange by your home university. Do NOT send the information to the
admissions office.
Once we have
the information, we will prepare the immigration
document known as DS-2019 (formerly IAP-66) and
send it to you by mail. Prior to making your visa appointment,
you will need to pay the
SEVIS Fee. Once you have paid the SEVIS fee, take the
DS-2019, along
with evidence of additional financial support to
the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consular Office. Once
you have a visa, the DS-2019 will be returned to
you and you will then present it to an
immigration officer when you arrive in the United
States. IMPORTANT: Be sure to have this document on your
person upon arrival in the U.S. DO NOT pack it in your
suitcase.
All exchange students must document financial
resources adequate to cover the cost of
room/board and fees at the University. A bank
statement (bank statement) confirming availability of these funds
must be faxed before immigration documents can be
issued.
The State of Maine requires all college students
born after 1956 to furnish proof of immunization
against measles, rubella, tetanus, and
diphtheria. Proof of immunization must be on file
with the Student Health Center prior to
finalization of registration. Please send a copy
of your Certificate of Vaccination as soon as
possible to: Enrollment Services and Exchange Programs, 101 South Street,
University of Maine at Farmington, Farmington, ME
04938 USA. All exchange students must provide
proof of medical insurance. You may need to
purchase a special travel policy abroad to ensure
that you are covered while in the United States.
Please bring proof of insurance with you. In
addition to insurance, you are required to pay a
Health Center Fee to UMF. The one time fee of $45
dollars per semester allows you to access doctors
and nurses at the student health center.
Immigration Documents
During your flight, you will receive a small
white card known as an I-94. At the U.S.
port of entry, a U.S. customs official will
review your immigration documents again. Your
passport, I-94 card, and the DS-2019 will be stamped by the officer and returned
to you. Keep these documents in a safe place!
About Money
Degree seeking students will receive a
bill for tuition, fees, room and board from the
Student Accounts office. For students with scholarships
or waivers, please be aware that scholarships are
usually for tuition only and you will be
responsible for paying for room, board,
textbooks, and other fees* by yourself. Payment
plans are available, but you need to contact the
Student Accounts office directly to arrange an
installment plan. The following are estimates* of
the amount of money you should expect to spend in
each category per semester. Exact numbers depend on
your individual courses, room and meal plan choices.
2007-2008 Costs:
Tuition (16 credits): $7.104.00 per semester
A double room (shared with a roommate): $1,789.00
per semester
Meal plan (15 meals per week): $1,572.00 per semester
Unified fee (covers access to technology,
facilities such as the fitness center, etc.) Fee:
$249.50 per semester
Student Activity Fee: $65.00 per semester
Health Center fee: $45.00 per semester
Textbooks: $$300.00 per semester
Finding a part-time job on campus
Many international students come to UMF
expecting to find part-time work on-campus. You
should understand that, as an international
student, the number of opportunities available
for you are few. Most students who really want to
work can find jobs in the school's cafeteria, but
other jobs on campus are difficult to find and
often filled early by senior students. Also note,
international students are limited, by law, to
working a maximum of 20 hours per week and may
not begin work until they have applied for a government issued social security/tax
payer identification number. See the
international advisor for details.
Packing List / What to bring with you
Residence Life maintains a web page of hints
about what to pack for life in the residence
hall. Visit that website by clicking
here, but remember that sizes of electric
appliances and other household items may be
different from that in your home country. Also,
remember that you can easily find inexpensive
items here in Farmington. If you are trying to
save money, you may want to send some boxes of
your belongings to the U.S. by ship or sea-mail.
This method of shipping is inexpensive but takes
time and you may not receive your housing
assignment until late in the summer. In that
case, please use the address of Enrollment Services and Exchange
Programs*. We will hold your boxes until you
arrive. In addition to your clothing, personal
items, books, etc., you are invited to bring with
you small items, pictures and mementos which will
make you feel “at home.” Usually, we
have international festivals and parties several
times during the year, so if you have traditional
costumes, pictures, music or other items typical
of your country, they will be useful for sharing
information about your culture with other
students.
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Use this address to
mail boxes:
Your
Name
c/o Enrollment Services & Exchange Programs, UMF
252 Main Street
Farmington, Maine 04938
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On
Campus Housing; Meal Plans
On-campus housing and a board plan are required
for all international students receiving any kind
of scholarship or tuition waiver. Most students
live in double rooms. Single rooms are limited
and nearly impossible to get. For students
bringing computers, free wireless, high speed internet
access is available in all rooms. To see the cost
of room and board, please see the section on
MONEY above. International exchange students and language
assistants from France, China, Russia and Mexico
are housed in
Mallett Hall. To see a photo of
Mallett Hall
click here.
Arriving on Campus
Upon your arrival in Farmington, please telephone
the Enrollment Services and Exchange Programs Office at 778-7122 to
schedule an appointment to complete the paperwork
that will allow you to register for classes. When
you come in for the appointment, please bring
your immigration documents, and proof (in
English) of health insurance coverage. If you do
not have proof of health insurance, you will be
required to purchase it upon your arrival.
Several plans are available. The average cost for
one year of coverage is approximately $700.00 per
student
Finding your way around campus
The campus of the University of Maine at
Farmington is small but can be confusing during
the first few days for newcomers. The
Enrollment Services and Exchange Programs Office is located at
252 Main Street in a large white
"house" called Franklin Hall, on the corner of Main and South
Streets. You will find our office in Room 201 on the Second
Floor.
Off-Campus Housing/Apartments
Students on F-1 visas who receive NO financial
support from UMF have the option of living off
campus in a rented house or apartment. There are
many apartments available for monthly rental near
the UMF campus. Finding your own place is not
difficult, but it is very time consuming. In
addition, travel to and from these places may
require a car. If you are planning to look for an
apartment after you arrive in Farmington, you
should plan to arrive 1 to 2 weeks earlier than
the arrival date listed on your I-20. Many
apartment owners require a deposit equal to one
month’s rent PLUS the first months rent in
advance before you can move in. Average price for
a one bedroom unit is between US$ 350-600 per
month. (If you are on a strict budget you can
often save money by sharing with a roommate.)
While these fees sometimes include gas, hot water
or electricity, students most often pay these fees in
addition to the monthly rental fee.
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