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UMaine is charging excessive amounts of unnecessary fees

As a college student, nothing hurts more than seeing another unnecessary fee on your student account. We all know that the University of Maine loves to pass fees out like Oprah does cars. However, I think that a lot of the fees administered are completely unnecessary. Every time I take a walk on campus, I see cars littered with parking tickets. Dorms are now charging “cleaning fees” for using the communal trash inappropriately, internet fees and what in the actual hell is a student activity fee?

The UMaine Foundation prides itself on achieving a record-breaking fundraising year in 2024. According to their website, the total revenue and gains for 2024 was a whopping $100,991,141. 

Fees that aren’t directly related to a student’s curriculum, housing or meal plan are all things that nobody thinks to consider prior to attending a university. I know that as a kid when I was saving up for college, I never once thought to myself, “I think I’ll save this $50 for when I receive a parking citation because the parking spot to student vehicle ratio is abysmal.” 

I have lived on campus since I enrolled here. I moved onto campus in May of 2023, and have only spent the occasional month not living in the dorms (typically during winter break). However, when I decided to move off campus for my last semester, nobody told me that it would cost me enough money to cover a month’s worth of parking tickets. 

Firstly, I had to pay a $500 cancellation fee, which I suppose is understandable due to the late notice. I moved out on Jan. 19, and there was already another name on the door when I got there. They had already filled my spot. Secondly, I had to pay them to take my minifridge back, and again, had to pay a cancellation fee – this one, however, only being $50, although I had paid through the entire semester already. I also had to purchase another parking pass. Parking services will not allow students to switch their parking passes even though you’ve paid for one for the entire semester. If I wanted a commuter pass, I needed to fork over another $50. Even though I wasn’t going to live on campus, I was told I needed a meal plan. I was then charged for $350 worth of meal plan dollars. 

These fees, in a way, are almost punishment for moving off of campus. If the University isn’t able to charge you thousands of dollars through a room fee, they’ll get their money another way. 

Another big issue I’ve heard about on campus is a “cleaning fee” that people are being charged for. Apparently, if a student utilizes the bathroom trash as their own, the entire floor is being charged a “cleaning fee.” Not only is this entirely unfair, it’s also ridiculous. Charging each student on a floor any amount of money for trash disposal is absurd. 

When living in the dorms I saw signs plastered on the walls stating that everyone on a floor is charged for damages if nobody confesses to an act. Once again, this is not fair at all for any students (except maybe the ones at fault). Charging everyone on a floor in the name of solidarity for acts that no one claims is unjust. 

Lastly, I’ll address student activity fees. I know everyone gets that email, “Your student activity fee at work,” but what is it for? Why can’t I choose not to contribute? Who decided this fee? Who decided the price? What does it go to? I think that as a university that is able to rake in so much money in fundraising (not to mention how much sporting events bring in), that various activities created for students should be free. This is just another way that the University gets away with charging students unjustly.


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