Title 46ShippingRelease 119-73

§51314 Limitation on charges and fees for attendance

Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle V— - Merchant Marine › Part Part B— - Merchant Marine Service › Chapter CHAPTER 513— - UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY › § 51314

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The United States Merchant Marine Academy may not charge tuition, room, or board unless a law passed after October 5, 1994 specifically allows that charge. The ban does not stop fees that were already charged on October 5, 1994 or fees for calculators, computers, personal and school supplies, midshipman services (like barber, tailor, or laundry), and Coast Guard license fees. If the Academy changes any of those allowed fees, the Secretary of Transportation must tell the Board of Visitors at its next meeting and post the change on a public website. Money from these fees must go to the Maritime Administration’s Operations and Training appropriation and be used for the fees’ purposes. Extra funds can be refunded to midshipmen if approved by the Secretary. The Academy must keep a separate, detailed record of fee income and expenses.

Full Legal Text

Title 46, §51314

Shipping — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Except as provided in subsection (b), no charge or fee for tuition, room, or board for attendance at the United States Merchant Marine Academy may be imposed unless the charge or fee is specifically authorized by a law enacted after October 5, 1994.
(b)The prohibition specified in subsection (a) does not apply with respect to any item or service provided to cadets for which a charge or fee is imposed as of October 5, 1994, or for calculators, computers, personal and academic supplies, midshipman services such as barber, tailor, or laundry services, and Coast Guard license fees. The Secretary of Transportation shall present at the next meeting of the Board of Visitors, and post on a publicly available website, any change made by the Academy in the amount of a charge or fee authorized under this subsection. Such fees shall be credited to the Maritime Administration’s Operations and Training appropriation, to remain available until expended, for those expenses directly related to the purposes of the fees. Fees collected in excess of actual expenses may be refunded to the Midshipmen through a mechanism approved by the Secretary. The Academy shall maintain a separate and detailed accounting of fee revenue and all associated expenses.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 5131446 App.:1295b(j).June 29, 1936, ch. 858, title XIII, § 1303(j), as added Pub. L. 108–375, Oct. 28, 2004, div. A, title V, § 545(e), 118 Stat. 1909.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2019—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–420 substituted “shall present at the next meeting of the Board of Visitors, and post on a publicly available website,” for “shall notify Congress of”. 2009—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 111–117 inserted at end “Such fees shall be credited to the Maritime Administration’s Operations and Training appropriation, to remain available until expended, for those expenses directly related to the purposes of the fees. Fees collected in excess of actual expenses may be refunded to the Midshipmen through a mechanism approved by the Secretary. The Academy shall maintain a separate and detailed accounting of fee revenue and all associated expenses.” Pub. L. 111–84 substituted “1994, or for calculators, computers, personal and academic supplies, midshipman services such as barber, tailor, or laundry services, and Coast Guard license fees.” for “1994.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

46 U.S.C. § 51314

Title 46Shipping

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73