FINANCIAL AID NEWS | University of Rochester | Spring 2016 1

CareerFocused

pg 6

OOPS!What to do if you make a

mistake on your CSS PROFILEPG 5

THINK WARMTHOUGHTS

Summer Courses & Financial AidPG 9

NEW FACESMeet our staff

PG 9

University of Rochester | Spring 2016

2 FINANCIAL AID NEWS | University of Rochester | Spring 2016

The Financial Aid Office is on tumblr.Visit urfinanciallyfit.tumblr.com today.

Anonymous said:

Do you know of any helpful links for someone who’s doing their own taxes for the first time ever?!

Anonymous said:

Where can I find tips about money management, info on financial literacy and hilarious reaction gifs?

Anonymous said:

What’s the best way to create (and stick to) a budget while in college?

Anonymous said:

What’s the financial aid appeals process like? Is it too late to appeal my merit decision?

FINANCIAL AID NEWS | University of Rochester | Spring 2016 3

FINANCIAL AID STAFF

DEPUTY DIRECTOR Amanda B. Carter

SENIOR ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Mary Ellen Nugent

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Shalena Clary

SENIOR ASSISTANT DIRECTORHali Skaggs

ASSISTANT DIRECTORS Shawn Denman, Emily Hessney

SENIOR COUNSELORSMeghan Coyne, Stephen Willhauck

COUNSELORSMeredith Doubleday, Patrick Hennessey,

Tayler Kreutter, Christina Schmidt, Gala Tubera, Carrie Welch

OFFICE MANAGER Joyce Thomas

GUEST RELATIONS COORDINATOR Patti LaRosa

STUDENT EMPLOYMENT Tom Cabic

CONTACTING THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE

PHONE (585) 275-3226

or toll-free (800) 881-8234

FAX (585) 756-7664

MAILING ADDRESS The Financial Aid Office

Wallis Hall PO Box 270261

Rochester, NY 14627-0261

4 A Letter from the Senior Associate Director A few words on the start of the Spring semester by Mary Ellen Nugent, Senior Associate Director

5 Frequently Asked Questions 1098-T forms, CSS PROFILE mistakes and more by Tayler Kreutter, Financial Aid Counselor

5 Financial Literacy Affording Study Abroad event recap by Emily Hessney, Assistant Director

6 Career Focused Spotlight on: Gwen M. Greene Career & Internship Center by Christina Schmidt, Financial Aid Counselor

8 Meet a Student Worker Scott Giles, Financial Aid Office worker by Patti LaRosa, Guest Relations Coordinator

9 Meet Our Staff Spotlight on: Gwen M. Greene Career & Internship Center by Christina Schmidt, Financial Aid Counselor

9 Up Next What’s on the horizon for Financial Aid by Shawn Denman, Assistant Director

University of Rochester | Spring 2016

4 FINANCIAL AID NEWS | University of Rochester | Spring 2016

Happy New Year! The spring semester is a busy time in the Financial Aid Office. We will be working closely with the Admissions team to assist prospective students and their families

through the financial aid process.

All current students who are returning for the 2016-2017 academic year will receive instructions about their financial aid applications in early February. The deadline for returning students to apply for aid is May 2, 2016.

Students who are completing their degree this spring and have borrowed student loans will be required to complete student loan exit counseling prior to graduation.

Our office is open daily from Monday-Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, with the exception of Wednesdays, when we open at 10 am. We will continue to provide updated financial aid information on our website. Please contact us if you have questions about financial aid for this year or next!

Remember to contact the following offices regarding specific questions on billing/payment plans, housing, meal plans, or university health:

• Office of the Bursar – (585) 275-3931• Office for Residential Life & Housing Services – (585) 275-3166• Dining Services – (585) 275-6265• University Health Service – (585) 275-2662

This edition of the Financial Aid Office’s Parent Newsletter provides information on the Career Center, fun facts about some of our new staff members, and answers to some of the most common questions we encounter during the spring semester!

We welcome students back from the holidays and look forward to a busy and exciting spring semester.

Meliora!

A LETTER FROM THE

SENIOR ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Mary Ellen NugentSenior Associate Director,

Financial Aid menugent@ur.rochester.edu

FINANCIAL AID NEWS | University of Rochester | Spring 2016 5

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSby Tayler Kreutter, Financial Aid Counselor

Q: When can my son/daughter expect to receive their 1098-T form?

A: 1098-T forms typically come out in late January and get sent to the student’s primary home address. These forms are distributed by the Bursar’s office. If you have any further questions you can contact them at (585) 275-3931.

Q: I made a mistake filling out the CSS PROFILE, and I need to correct it, but the site will not allow me to edit a finished PROFILE. What should I do?

A: The CSS PROFILE locks for editing after it is submitted. If you notice an error on the CSS PROFILE, print out the page where the error is, cross it out, and write in the correct information. You can either fax that sheet, scan and email it, or mail it to the Financial Aid Office, and your student’s counselor can correct it for you.

Q: What is the application deadline for returning students?

A: Returning students must reapply for financial aid by May 2, 2016. Emails are sent to students in early February to let them know their deadline as well as what items need to be included in their application. Since students receive these emails directly, we strongly encourage you to touch base with the student and confirm they’ve received the e-mail.

Q: When do Financial Aid packages for out for returning students?

A: Financial aid packages typically go out in late June, as long as we have received all application materials by the deadline.

FINANCIAL LITERACYby Emily Hessney, Assistant Director

During the fall, we hosted a brand new financial literacy event entitled ‘Affording Study Abroad.’ This event was a partnership between the Hajim School of Engineering and the Center for Education Abroad. Two of our counselors presented on how financial aid and study abroad work together to make a semester abroad financially feasible. Study abroad alumni also shared some of their own insights at the event. We will be hosting another Affording Study Abroad Event in Spring 2016 to answer any questions that students hoping to go abroad in the Fall 2016 semester may have.

Also noteworthy: the Financial Avenue portal has been totally revamped and revitalized. There are brand new courses, like The Psychology of Money, and tons of cool quizzes and fun videos! Encourage your student to log in today. The UR access code is 967FBF. Parents are welcome to log in as well to see all the resources that are available.

If you or your student has a great idea for a financial literacy event, please let us know. Email your student’s counselor or tweet us at @URFinAid.

6 FINANCIAL AID NEWS | University of Rochester | Spring 2016

CareerFocused

6 FINANCIAL AID NEWS | University of Rochester | Spring 2016

The Financial Aid Office works with many different offices on campus over the course of the year. The Gwen

M. Greene Career and Internship Center helps students network and find opportunities that will advance their professional goals.

Joseph A. Testani joined the University this past June as the office’s new Assistant Dean and Executive Director. His role is to lead strategy and vision for the Career Center. I had the chance to ask him about the services that the Center provides to students.

by Christina Schmidt, Financial Aid Counselor

FINANCIAL AID NEWS | University of Rochester | Spring 2016 7

What services does the Career and Internship Center offer to undergraduate students?

Our office exists to partner with students to explore options and opportunities and engage with a network of employers, alumni, and professionals. Students gain experience and brand their experiences and Rochester education. We guide them as they assess and reflect upon career decisions and experiences in a way that connects all these pieces together.

We work with students one-on-one and in groups and seek to partner with student leaders throughout campus to build a deeper understanding of career development and how to translate all the wonderful experiences they have at Rochester into career goals.

Who is Gwen M. Greene?

For more than 20 years, Gwen Greene has been a passionate and loyal supporter of the University, serving on the Board of Trustees, generously providing scholarships and internships, and personally mentoring those whose lives she touches. Through her extraordinary generosity, the University is enhancing its career service offerings, including career counseling, graduate and pre-professional school advising, and networking

opportunities for students and alumni. In recognition of her outstanding leadership and support, the University of Rochester proudly named the Career and Internship Center after Gwen M. Greene.

How does the Career and Internship Center interact with the Financial Aid Office?

The main way we may work with financial aid would be around student employment and how students can connect their Federal Work Study and on-campus jobs to their career planning. We want students to understand that their careers are built upon all the experiences they have at the University and that each experience provides different insights to their interests, skills, and values.

What is the most important thing you want parents to know about the Center?

We will work with students throughout their four years at Rochester. We want students to think about exploring options early in their academic careers in conjunction with the work they do with their pre-major advisors and faculty mentors.

Some students come to Rochester with a clear goal in mind as to what they want at the end of their time, while others come ready to explore all that we have to offer. In either case, we will partner with students to allow them to achieve their goals. Encourage your students to visit with us early and understand how all of these opportunities at Rochester are connected.

Students are welcome to drop by the office for a 15 minute appointment with a peer career advisor. We’re available Monday through Friday, from 1 to 4pm in 4-200 Dewey Hall.

FINANCIAL AID NEWS | University of Rochester | Spring 2016 7

8 FINANCIAL AID NEWS | University of Rochester | Spring 2016

If you call or visit the Financial Aid office, chances are you will speak with one of our student workers. They are

friendly and polite, and they continually learn about the financial aid process, so that they can be helpful to you. But there is so much more to each one of these students! As we get to know them in our office, we realize how fortunate we are to have such great people on our team. As part of our ongoing series, “Meet a Student Worker,” here is our interview with Scott Giles.

PL: Tell me about yourself.SG: I’m from Northeast Pennsylvania - I hail from a small town called Forest City about half an hour north of Scranton (where The Office was based) and an hour south of Binghamton. I’m currently a freshman at the U of R, and a hopeful Computer Science major. I’m also very involved in music around campus.

PL: What made you decide to apply at the financial aid office?I had the time in my schedule, and figured that the money and especially the experience would be very helpful for me. The Financial Aid Office job fit really nicely into my schedule, and it really started to interest me after I interviewed because it seemed like a very friendly and caring environment with a lot of people dedicated to helping the students at the University.

PL: What can you say about your job so far, and do you think it will help you in the future?SG: This job can be very rewarding. There are few better feelings than the one you get when you know you helped

MEET ASTUDENT WORKER:

someone in some way, and every time the phone rings or someone comes in you get an opportunity to do that. This is my first job in a true office setting, and also a great job for getting experience interacting with people. I know that the skills I am learning here will benefit my future greatly.

PL: What advice would you give to students who are looking for a job?SG: If you’re looking for a job, look everywhere! I applied for 5 jobs, heard back from 3, interviewed at 2, and then got offered a job. If you are thinking about a job, apply for all the ones you think you’d be interested in. The Job Fair and FAJobLink are great places to start looking.

PL: What can you say about your interviewing experience?SG: For your interview, dress nice, bring a copy of your resume, and be yourself. It may sound cliché, but if you pretend to be someone you’re not or pretend to know more than you do, you’ll get hired for the person you were pretending to be and chances are you won’t have a great time at the job.

PL: What was it like to learn a totally new job? SG: The biggest thing was to not get overwhelmed! I had to start from ground zero with my job, and I’m still not at the top. Learn things little by little, and above all, ask questions. It’s better to ask how to do something twice than get it wrong once. People will understand that you’re learning. That being said, make sure you’re learning from your questions. Eventually you will need to know how to do things on your own.

Scott GilesF INANCIA L A ID OFF ICE WORKER

By Patti LaRosa, Guest Relations Coordinator

FINANCIAL AID NEWS | University of Rochester | Spring 2016 9

UP NEXT

by Shawn Denman, Assistant Director

Applying for Aid for the 2016-2017 YearTis the season…to start thinking about next year’s financial aid applications. Soon your son or daughter will receive an email from our office with instructions on how to submit everything. Once these requirements are submitted to your friendly neighborhood financial aid office, we’ll begin the process of putting everyone’s aid packages together for the 2016-2017 academic year. The deadline for returning students isn’t until May 2, 2016, so don’t worry, there’s plenty of time left to submit everything. Make sure to have your student keep an eye on their email and FAOnline, as instructions will be on the way shortly. As always, if you have questions on what’s required or how to submit it, let us know and we’ll be happy to help!

MEET OUR STAFFBy Carrie Welch, Financial Aid Counselor

In our fall edition, we offered fun facts about some of our staff members. Since that newsletter was released, we have gained three new staff members! We hope you enjoy this opportunity to learn a little bit more about our new counselors.

MEREDITH DOUBLEDAY International Financial Aid Counselor

Meredith, originally from Cooperstown, NY, is a 2013 alumna of the University of Rochester. She studied Russian and Classics as an undergraduate; Meredith also

taught English in Russia through the Fulbright Program. Meredith loves eating oysters and swimming in the ocean, though not at the same time!

Summer Courses and Financial AidWhile the University does not provide need-based grants for the summer, students may be eligible for a Federal Direct loan if they did not utilize their maximum eligibility during the current academic year. You also have the option of requesting a parent loan from the Federal PLUS loan program to cover the cost of summer coursework. Both of these federal loans require the student to be enrolled for a total of 6 credits between the 2 summer sessions to be eligible. Students who plan to attend summer term classes also need to make sure to visit their FAOnline page to answer a few questions on how many classes they’ll be taking and whether they’d like to use any remaining unsubsidized loan eligibility so that our office can set things up accordingly. If there are any questions on taking summer classes, give our reception desk a call at 585-275-3226 and ask them to set up an appointment with your counselor so you and your student can get all your questions answered!

GALA TUBERAFinancial Aid Counselor

Gala, originally from Hawaii, is an alumna of the University of Rochester with a degree in History and a minor in Dance. She loves that financial aid gives her the opportunity to help a wide range of

students realize their full potential at Rochester. Gala has an abundance of hobbies and is currently working on perfecting her hula hooping skills!

STEPHEN WILLHAUCKSenior Financial Aid Counselor

Stephen, originally from Virginia, earned his bachelor’s degree in Sports Management from Old Dominion University. He is an all-American sports kind of guy who enjoys football and baseball. Stephen also

loves rugby and recently became the coach for the UR rugby team!

10 FINANCIAL AID NEWS | University of Rochester | Spring 2016