3/9/26: Student – Parent – Home Educating Family Newsletters

In this Issue:

• Concurrent Enrollment Course Drops/Withdrawals
• Course Drop/Withdrawal Deadlines
• New Resource: ExplorEC Statuses and Communications Webpage
• Important Information about Select ExplorEC Statuses
• Partnering with You: Applications That Require Extra Review
• ExplorEC Portal Opens for Summer & Fall 2026
• UMS Early College Website Resource Links

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Concurrent Enrollment Course Drops/Withdrawals Must Be Requested in ExplorEC

Concurrent Enrollment (CE) courses are courses taught by college-approved high school teachers at the student’s high school.

If a student no longer plans to take a CE course, they must submit a drop/withdraw request in ExplorEC.

Without this request, the student stays enrolled and could receive a failing grade on their university transcript, even if they stopped attending the high school course.

Learn more and find directions in the “Need to Drop or Withdraw from a Course?” section of our Step-By-Step Guide for Students.

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Course Drop/Withdrawal Deadlines

Please note that drop and withdrawal deadlines vary by campus — even for courses that share the same start and/or end dates. Always verify the deadline specific to the student and the course in which they are enrolled.

Students can view their individual drop and withdrawal deadlines in their MaineStreet Student Center.

If there is any uncertainty, please contact the Early College office associated with the course or email earlycollegeadvising@maine.edu or call/text 207-814-8567 for assistance.

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New Resource: ExplorEC Statuses and Communications Webpage

Have you ever wondered what communications students and parents will receive throughout the application process? This resource provides a comprehensive overview.

This new webpage outlines, in detail, all automated messaging sent to students, parents, and school stakeholders, including:

• Student Welcome Email
• Parent Consent Agreement & Related Emails
• Application Status Definitions & Corresponding Student Emails
• Parent & School Counselor Application Status Update Emails
• Drop Request Emails

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Important Information about Select ExplorEC Statuses

“Application Not Processed – See Notes”:This status is used by our offices to indicate that a student’s application cannot be processed and the student will not be registered for the course. When selected, a note is entered directly into the student’s ExplorEC account explaining the reason.

An automatic status update is immediately sent to the student and approving parent. The detailed notes associated with this status are emailed to the student within 24 hours.

This status may be used for one of the following reasons:

• Required materials are missing
• Prerequisites have not been met
• The student has applied for excess, duplicate, or equivalent courses. Learn more on our ExplorEC Portal Webpage.

If a student would like to view application notes immediately, they may log into their ExplorEC account and click on the “Notes” tile to access them directly.

“Approved” and “Not Approved”: These statuses are reserved specifically for school stakeholders or home educating parents who are reviewing their student’s applications.

The “Not Approved” status should be selected in the following situations:

• You do not support the student taking the course.

• The application was submitted after the deadline, which is always one week prior to the semester/session start date.

• The course is a 3-week condensed session course. These courses are not available to Early College students at any campus.

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Partnering with You: Applications That Require Extra Review

We appreciate your help in identifying students who may need additional advising before moving forward with their Early College applications.

Please consider scheduling an advising conversation with any student who applies for:

• More than 3 courses in a semester
• Equivalent sections of the same course at different campuses
• Multiple sections of the same course at the same campus
• More than 1 condensed (7–8 week) course in a session

When our offices encounter the scenarios listed above, we automatically place all of the student’s applications on hold, which delays processing until additional review and advising are completed by our office.

Your early conversations with your homeschooled student about Early College policies and procedures can make a significant difference. Delays in addressing application issues may impact a student’s ability to enroll in their preferred course, particularly if sections fill while applications are under review.

For a full overview of the Early College application process, policies, and timelines, visit our ExplorEC Portal Webpage.

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ExplorEC Portal Open Dates for Summer and Fall 2026

We began accepting applications for Summer 2026 on February 13th.

We will begin accepting applications for Fall 2026 on April 3rd.

You can view semester registration information on our ExplorEC Portal Webpage.

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UMS Early College Website Resource Links

• UMS Early College Website Home Page
• Quick Links
• Step-By-Step Guide for Students
• Course Information
• AP4ME
• Contact Us

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Have Questions?

Contact Christy Alley by phone or text at 207-814-8567 or by email at earlycollegeadvising@maine.edu.