Spring Edition 2015
Volume 2, Issue 1
Leatherneck Community
Upcoming
Important Dates:
 February 2nd-Last Day
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


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

100% credit
tuition/fees,
prorated credit
room/board for total
University
withdrawal.
February 12 – NO
CLASSES
Residence Halls close
on March 14th at 10
am, for Spring
Break
Early Warning Notices
emailed March 2nd
Residence Halls open
10 am on March
22nd
Spring Break, March
16-20th, No Classes
Last Day to drop
classes or withdraw
from University on
April 5th
Moms’ Weekend
2013, March 27-29th
Summer and Fall 2015
Advance
Registration for
classes begins
April 1st
Open Registration for
classes begins
April 20th
Residence Halls close
May 18th at
10:00am
Individual
Highlights:
Financial Aid
2
Taxes and Loans 3
Beu Health
4
Getting Involved
5
Career Services
6
Graduation
7&8
Parents and Family Association Newsletter
(309-298-2092)
Parents and Family Association
The Parents and Family
Association (PFA) is a
dynamic membership
organization that forms a
vital link between parents,
students, and the
University. The mission of
the PFA is to promote
communication and
interaction between
Western Illinois University
and the parents and family
members of WIU
students. Along with the
enhanced communication,
the PFA also provides
scholarships, planned
events, and partnerships
to help parents through
their student's college
experience. All Parents
and Family members of
WIU students are
automatically enrolled in
the PFA. To effectively
communicate with parents
and family members we
need your current email
address. You may submit
at pfa@wiu.edu with your
student's first and last
name or ID number. We
are always looking for
volunteers for Moms’ and
Dads’ Weekend
committees, PFA Socials,
as well as the Student
Orientation and
Registration Programs in
the summer. If you are
interested just contact us
at 309-298-2092 or go fill
out a volunteer request
form at
http://www.student.service
s.wiu.edu/sac/volform/volf
orm.asp
The deadline for the PFA
Scholarships is January
31st, 2014. You can find
the application for the
scholarships at
http://www.wiu.edu/studen
t_services/sapsc/parentsA
ndFamilies.php#scholarsh
ips
Moms’ Weekend 2015
On behalf of the Parents
and Family Association,
we would like to cordially
extend an invitation for
you to attend Moms’
Weekend this March 27th29th, 2015.
The goal of this weekend
is to treat all moms and/or
significant females in the
students’ lives, to a
weekend filled with events
catered specifically for all
those attending. Each
year this weekend draws
more and more satisfied
moms’ and parent figures.
We have many fun and
exciting events lined up
this year, with some new
things we are trying out.
There are also extra
rooms being offered at the
Olsen Conference Center
again this year, which
helps more moms find the
necessary lodging. The
full itinerary and
registration page for
moms’ weekend is
available on
http://www.wiu.edu/studen
t_services/sapsc/moms_w
eekend/
We appreciate all of you
that have attended in the
past and have helped
make every year a
wonderful experience for
everyone involved. We
can’t wait to have all the
first-timers be a part of
this opportunity for WIU to
supply you and your
student with a weekend of
entertainment and
wonderful memories you
will have forever.
Page 2 of 8
Leatherneck Community
Student Legal Services on Campus
one student against
another. In these
situations, the attorney will
try to mediate the
problem, or calm the
dispute. There are two
campus attorneys that are
available to see students.
The attorney has the right
to decide whether or not
to accept the client, on a
case by case basis.
Students may visit the
office for the first time on a
walk-in basis; they will
need to bring all
paperwork and documents
that are relevant to the
case. There will be an
initial interview to create a
file for the case and then if
necessary an appointment
will be made to speak with
an attorney.
exhausted. If your
student has completed a
FAFSA application for the
current 2014-15 school
year, then he/she may
want to log on to
The 2015-2016 Free
www.fafsa.gov and select
Application for Federal
“FAFSA Renewal”. Some
Student Aid (FAFSA) is
of the data that was
available for students and
provided on the 2014-15
parents to complete and
FAFSA will pre-fill the
submit for the upcoming
2015-16 application and
school year. Students who
help speed up the
submit a 2014-2015 FAFSA
application process!
application will be
considered for federal and In order to submit the
state financial aid, including FAFSA early, students
may provide estimated
loans, grants, and federal
work study. Students are
2015 federal tax
strongly encouraged to
information on the
complete their FAFSA
application. To most
application as soon as
accurately estimate 2015
possible after January 1 in tax information, students
order to maximize their
and parents should use
financial aid eligibility.
tax forms from the
Some programs,
previous 2014 tax year or
including the Illinois MAP recent 2015 statements of
Grant and Federal Work
income. FAFSA estimates
Study, have pending
must then be corrected
deadlines and award on a once federal taxes have
first-come, first-served
been filed for the 2014 tax
basis until funding is
year.
Once WIU receives the
2015-16 FAFSA
application, students will
be contacted at their WIU
email account if additional
documentation is required
to process their 2015-16
financial aid. Please allow
approximately 4 weeks for
the processing of
application documents;
students may check the
status of their application
on STARS and will
receive an email
notification once their
2015-16 award letter is
completed.
Student Legal Services
provides licensed,
practicing attorneys to
students, free of charge
for misdemeanors, traffic
violations, tenant/landlord
problems, etc. They can
also answer questions
about other legal services
and provide assistance
and recommendations for
larger charges.
SLS is here for all
students; therefore they
do not represent cases for
SLS is located in Union
Hall second floor. You
may contact student legal
services via phone, (309)
298-1003.
Financial Aid
Make the most of your
student’s semester break
and apply for next year's
financial aid at
www.fafsa.gov!
Finally, keep in mind that
the future summer break
is a great opportunity for
students to work and save
additional funds for the
2015-16 school year,
especially when it comes
to books, transportation,
and other personal
expenses they may have!
If you have questions,
contact the WIU Financial
Aid Office at 309-2982446 or at FinancialAid@wiu.edu.
Page 3 of 8
Leatherneck Community
Parent Plus Loans as an Option
Sometimes loans and What’s a Parent PLUS
Loan? Like Stafford
grants don’t quite
Loans, PLUS loans are
cover the yearly
processed through the
expenses of College.
Federal government.
Many students find
You may borrow up to
they still have a
the cost of attendance,
balance and are
minus any other
unable to register for financial aid received.
The loans themselves
the next semester’s
classes. The average carry a fixed 6.41%
interest rate, and
semester at Western is
interest/repayment
over $10,000
begins 60 days after the
(Assuming 15 credit loan is issued. This
hours, living on
means a $4,000 PLUS
loan has a monthly
campus), which
doesn’t even include payment of about $48.
the cost of books or In many cases, the
interest on the loan is
miscellaneous
tax deductible. There
expenses. Since
are no penalties for
finances can be
early repayment, and
understandably tight, the loan has a 10 year
repayment term. For
Parent PLUS loans
may be the answer. each semester your
student requires a PLUS
loan, you must reapply.
It’s important to note
that a PLUS loan is
nontransferable.
Parents are responsible
for the repayment of the
loan, not the student.
Why get a PLUS Loan
instead of a Private
Loan?
There are some
differences between
PLUS loans and Private
loans (loans through a
bank). Private loans
may have a variable
interest rate, while
PLUS have a fixed.
Which means your
monthly payment will be
predictable, and easier
to
Tax Forms
Students will have access to their 1098T form through their WIU
STARS system. You may have your student either send you a
copy electronically, provide you access through Parent and Guest
account management or fax you a copy. All forms will be provided
to the student through their STARS systems. We encounage our
families to consult with their student regarding this document.
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p970.pdf
fit into your budget.
Private loans may
require collateral,
while PLUS loans do
not. Both types of
loans require a credit
check, but a student
whose parents are
denied for a PLUS
Loan may be eligible
for an additional
unsubsidized Stafford
Loan. For more
information on PLUS
Loans, visit
http://www.wiu.edu/st
udent_services/finan
cial_aid/loans/Parent
Loans.php
Page 4 of 8
Leatherneck Community
FERPA Facts
“Once a student enters
college or turns 18
years old, parental
rights under FERPA
transfer to the student.”
The Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA) is a federal law
designed to protect the
privacy of a student’s
educational records. It
applies to schools
receiving funds through
the U.S. Department of
Education.
Once a student enters
college or turns 18 years
old, parental rights under
FERPA transfer to the
student. Information from
your students’ records are
typically not shared unless
they give written
permission or it’s a special
case, such as a health or
safety emergency.
Western provides
students with the ability to
give online access to their
records through STARS
Parent and Guest Access.
Otherwise, University
policy requires that
students provide written
authorization in order for
parents to access their
education records.
Horn Field Campus
Does your student enjoy
the outdoors, adventure,
and a challenge? If so,
ask them if they have
been to Horn Field
Campus. HFC sits just
south of Macomb, and
consists of 92 acres or
woodlands prairies, and
nature trails. HFC is also
great for extreme sports
as it has a 40 foot climbing
wall with three different
levels, and a repelling
wall. The climbing wall is
also cost friendly charging
only $5.00 a student. HFC
also has a high ropes
course which challenges
students to maneuver 40
feet in their air balancing
on just a log or wire.
Not only does HFC offer
extreme sports, but also
fun team building, and
challenge courses. These
challenges including
getting over a 12 foot
vertical wall with no rope or
ladder, balancing on a
swaying log, and balancing
a group of people on a
lopsided wooden raft.
HFC also provides other
various training programs.
The Horn Environmental
Learning Project
(H.E.L.P.) is a program
where students do
environmental work
around the area, including;
adopt a street, outdoor
skills seminar and campus
clean up days. HFC also
provides a week long
Wilderness First
Responder Training,
which prepares students
to handle emergencies in
remote settings.
Page 5 of 8
Leatherneck Community
Getting Involved on Campus
Getting involved on
campus is just one of the
many ways that is going to
make the most of your
students’ college
experience. With activities
ranging from sports to
Greek life, it is almost
guaranteed that your
student will find something
that they enjoy. Getting
involved can help a
student make friends, add
to their resume and build
character. Even if they
have a busy schedule,
with the many different
things that WIU offers
there is sure to be
something that can fit.
If your student is a social
person and loves being
around people then Greek
may be something they
want to try. Fraternities
and Sororities are a great
way of making friends that
last a life time. It is also an
excellent way to get
involved in more campus
and off campus activities.
Each house has
something that they are
very involved in. Some
examples are helping
cancer charities and
children with disabilities,
which will not only benefit
you as a person but also
the people that you are
helping. It is also a great
thing to add to your
resume. Most of the
presidents have been
Greek, and also a lot of
major CEO’s. It is not all
about the parties, but
more about what you can
achieve as a person in the
time that you become a
part of the Greek life. The
core purpose of each
fraternity and sorority is to
create better men and
women through
leadership, service,
scholarship, and social
opportunities.
If going Greek is not for
your student, but they still
love to be involved and
are interested in sports,
Western offers an
incredible amount of
intramural sports teams.
Intramurals work well with
a busy schedule because
they usually only meet
once or twice a week.
There is no required
practice, although a team
may want to set up one of
their own. The teams also
play other teams that are
WIU students. This makes
things convenient
because there is no
traveling involved; all
games are held on
campus. A lot of students
enjoy intramurals because
they are low stress
games, and being
competitive is up to the
team. Some students are
‘in it to win it’ and some
are there just for fun and
to get in some extra
exercise.
There are also many other
ways to get involved on
campus. If you are more
of a club person Western
offers everything from a
fishing club to WAVE
(Western all volunteer
effort). There is a list
about a mile long of every
club we offer on campus.
Go to
https://purplepost.wiu.edu/
And you can find just
about any organization or
club your student could
want to join. With all the
different opportunities of
getting involved there is
definitely something you
can find to at least look
into. There are always
meetings and events to go
to such as the Spring
Activities Fair. You can
sign up for this fair on
Purple Post. You can also
look online or call (309)
298-3232. Your student
can enjoy their college
experience and get
involved!
Page 6 of 8
Leatherneck Community
Scholarships
Expanding opportunities
for Western students is
directly related to the
support the University
receives through
increased philanthropic
investment by alumni,
faculty/staff, friends and
family, and corporations.
Students are encouraged
to identify and apply for
the competitive WIU
Foundation academic
scholarships for which
they may qualify. Criteria
and deadlines will vary
with each scholarship and
usually require individual
applications. Scholarship
information may be found
at wiu.edu/scholarships,
or students may request
scholarship information by
contacting the WIU
Scholarship Office at
sc-office@wiu.edu.
Students are also
encouraged to contact the
department of their
academic major for
departmental scholarship
information.
good resources for private
scholarship information, in
addition to the WIU
Scholarship Office
website. The more you
look the more you will find.
Don’t delay! Some
deadlines for the 20142015 academic year are in
the spring and early
summer, so now is the
time for your student to
take action.
In addition, students
should also investigate
private scholarship
opportunities. The
websites Fastweb.com
and Scholarships.com are
Career Services
Worried about your
students’ future career
path? Is your son/daughter
not sure where to start job
searching? The Office of
Career Services assists
students in all facets of
career preparation
including, resume/letter
development, interviewing
practice, job searching
assistance, and selfpromotion. We offer 3 oncampus career fairs
throughout the school year
(two in the fall and one in
the spring). We also have
a series of workshops
from February to April on
a variety of career related
topics. Please encourage
your student to attend one
of our many free events!
More and more employers
are requiring that students
have some sort of
experiential learning
completed before they
graduate. This can be
accomplished through
internships, cooperative
education programs, or “real
world” experience, as long as
it is relevant to the type of
career (s) that the student is
seeking. According to the
National Association of
Colleges and Employers, 71%
of employers surveyed
wanted to hire students with
“relevant experience” before
they graduated. Students can
ask their department
internship coordinator or a
career services staff member
about how to obtain an
internship experience.
As you have probably heard
in the news, employers are
using social media
(Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter,
etc.) to recruit students and
screen potential job
candidates
It is imperative that
students become involved
with these sites and
maintain a professional
presence while using
these sites. In addition to
social media usage, we
strongly encourage all
students to register with
our free online system,
eRecruiting so that they
may post their resume for
employers to view and to
search for jobs/internships
that are posted through
the system. If you have
any questions about our
office, career planning and
preparation, and all our
services, please call our
office at 390-298-1838.
Page 7 of 8
Leatherneck Community
Parent Transition after Graduation
Your student has achieved a
great accomplishment:
graduation from Western Illinois
University! What does that mean
for you as a parent? You may
be excited about their future yet
concerned that they have not
found their first position.
Therefore many students after
graduation will move back home
and as a parent you might be
wondering for how long. College
graduates returning home bring
benefits and challenges with
them.
One of the bigger challenges
for families is the cost of having
your adult child staying at home
with you. For parents it is
important to stay vigilant with
the encouragement for your
students’ job search. Job
searches take an incredible
amount of time and discipline.
Sending out letters and resumes
can start to take a toll on your
students’ motivation and sense
of home can often become
overwhelming. Additionally,
your student has changed from
a dependent adult to an
independent adult with many of
their own responsibilities.
It is also important to recognize
the challenges the student is
feeling as well. They may feel a
loss of privacy and
independence. The feeling of
being unsure and embarrassed
about having to move back
home can often become
overwhelming.
One of the bigger benefits for
you as the parent is having this
opportunity to get to know your
student as an adult and to start
to create and/or enhance your
friendship with one another.
Having your student home can
provide some additional
support around the house, if
new rules and expectations are
discussed, which can help with
the relationship you are
developing. Setting boundaries
are a way to create respect for
one another and foster the
independence that the student
has felt while away at
college. Many students feel
comfort living at home through
the support they receive during
this time of transition. Although
they may not say it out loud,
many feel thankful that they
have less financial pressure on
them as they complete their job
search.
Once a job is secured, many
students are still not ready to
leave. At this time it may
help to discuss some
financial boundaries. What
expectations will you have of
your student to contribute to
your household? Items often
discussed are: rent, bills, cell
phone, car payment,
insurance, groceries.
etc. Having them contribute
will build financial
responsibility and prepare
them for life on their own.
Parent Involvement
vs. Parent
Interference
Letting your students make
their own decisions rather
than making it for them is a
great way to foster respect
and development of their
transition into adulthood. If
your student is struggling
with a certain situation,
provide guidance instead of
having the desire to solve
the problem for them. This
will help with problem-solving
skills and for them to
confidence in the decisions
that they are making.
Parents and Family
Association
Page 8 of 8
Leatherneck Community
Graduation!!! Now What?
WIU
Sherman Hall 321F
3RD Floor
Macomb, IL 61455
PHONE:
(309) 298-2092
E-MAIL:
pfa@wiu.edu
THINK PURPLE
THINK SUCCESS
After all the fun of
graduation and the relief
that school is finally
finished it comes time for
students to face the real
world and begin searching
for their first real job. Here
are a few tips that will help
your son or daughter in
their quest to find a job.
Remind the student to
continue to update their
resume, adding any
additional jobs, community
service or awards they
receive. Also remind them
to use all the available
resources to locate job
opportunities, resources
include; newspapers, the
internet, job fairs,
professional conferences
for their professional field
and various other types of
media. While they are
searching and applying for
potential jobs, it is
important that they
continue to work on their
interview skills so they are
ready when the time
comes. As their parent,
continue to encourage
your son or daughter, as
the job search can be very
difficult and discouraging
especially with the current
job market. Another
important thing that the
students must remember
is that 6 months after
graduation, graduates
must begin repaying their
Federal Stafford Loan.
Also, if the graduate
received any Federal
Perkins Loans, repayment
begins 9 months after the
THINK WESTERN
commencement
ceremony. There are
several different
repayment options
available to the
student, including a
standard repayment
option which, lasts a
maximum of 10
years and has a
minimum monthly
payment of $50.
There is also an
extended repayment
plan, income based
repayment, graduate
repayment and
many more. If your
son or daughter
would like to see
how much they owe
they can find out at
the following
website:
http://www.nslds.ed.
gov.
Commencement Information
Friday, May 15
2:00 p.m. – Honors Convocation, Western Hall, Macomb
5:30 p.m. – Graduate Commencement Ceremony, Western Hall, Macomb
Saturday, May 16
9:00 a.m. -- Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony #1, Western Hall,
Macomb
1:00 p.m. -- Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony #2, Western Hall,
Macomb
4:30 p.m. –- Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony #3, Western Hall,
Macomb
Sunday, May 17
Noon – Quad Cities Honors Convocation, The i Wireless Center, Moline
For more information:
http://www.wiu.edu/commencement/future.php