SSS DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE PG.2 STUDENT OF THE MONTH PG.3 TECHNOLOGY CORNER PG.4 SSS CHAMPIONS PG.5 UPCOMING EVENTS PG.6

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1 SSS N E W S L E T T E R M A R C H 1 2 DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE PG.2 STUDENT OF THE MONTH PG.3 TECHNOLOGY CORNER PG.4 SSS CHAMPIONS PG.5 UPCOMING EVENTS PG.6

2 THE SPIRIT OF SPRING BY MICHAEL OYEBOLA The beauty of spring is that it brings it s own style, attitude, feeling and outdoor activities. Even the trees around us take on color, expressing the joy of spring. It is a special season within the year that everyone looks forward to because summer is around the corner. The sun comes up early and goes down slowly with strong beauty behind it. Spring has its own lifestyle, as compared to the other seasons because it breathes out the beauty of the earth. From the perspective of a college student, spring is the time to show some skin that has been covered for six months, and is the beginning of sunglasses and enjoying the heat from the sun but one thing we tend to forget is the semester isn t over! This is one of the most difficult times for students to focus on classes. Even though the weather is so beautiful and it s tempting to not do homework, students should still remember that a few more weeks of work won t hurt, and will save you from abandoning your goals for the semester. SSS NEWSLETTER MARCH 2012 THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT PG. 1

3 DIRECTOR S MESSAGE By Harriet Williams When I think about spring, especially the end of the spring semester, I am always reminded that many of our students will be graduating from UVM and starting on next steps: work, travel, graduate school, research, (brief) unemployment. Amid the hectic process of getting ready for graduation are usually some questions about how you will pay off your loans and live at the same time. Whatever path you are pursuing, the spring semester before graduation is a great time to begin planning how you will pay off any federal student loans you may have accepted while in college. Here is a quick crash course on options for students who have taken out federal student loans. After graduation, you will receive a notice letting you know when your first student loan repayment is expected as well as the monthly amount. The notice usually arrives about three months after graduation in the mail at whatever your permanent address was when you applied for the loan. Some loan companies will also send you an . Don t ignore this letter or . That will only hurt you. You usually have six months from the date of your graduation before you have to make your first payment. If you are able to make payments, you can usually go to the company s website and make payment arrangements and you are all set. However, if you have trouble making your student loan payments for ANY reason, contact your loan servicer immediately. You may qualify for some form of payment relief. It s important to take action before you incur late fees or your credit is affected. Some examples of payment relief are: deferment, forbearance, graduated payment plans and income sensitive payment plans. A deferment is a temporary suspension of loan payments for specific situations such as returning to school, unemployment, disability, or military service. You have a right to defer repayment for certain defined periods. Forbearance is a temporary postponement or reduction of payments for a period of time, as you and the lender or holder of your loan may agree, because you are experiencing financial difficulty.graduated payment plans provide short-term relief through low, interest-only payments followed by standard principal and interest payments. Income-sensitive, income based or income-contingent payment plans offer payment relief with payments that are a specific percentage of your gross monthly income. Student loans cannot be forgiven or eliminated because you feel your institution provided a poor education or had unqualified instructors or inadequate equipment. The U.S. Department of Education does not endorse the school s educational programs or guarantee that the school will deliver the services for which a student contracted. Therefore, a discharge cannot be granted if the school did not provide job placement or other services that it promised, or if you were not able to find a job in your field of study. For more information of how to manage your student loans, check out the FAQ s for the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman s office: SSS NEWSLETTER MARCH 2012 THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT PG. 2

4 STUDENT OF THE MONTH Kamaro Abubakar Can you tell us a little about yourself? I grew up in Ghana; West Africa in a beautiful city close to the Atlantic Ocean called Accra. In 2004, I moved to the United States and lived in New York for two years before moving to Burlington, Vermont for school. I am currently a senior at the University of Vermont in the Human Development and Family Studies Program (HDFS). I am also an Assistant Residence Director in Jeanne Mance Hall. My experience at UVM has been a love and hate relationship but I always learn from my mistakes. I have taken the initiative to be a resource for incoming students, so they don t go through what I went through. UVM has a beautiful environment and landscape that surround it that makes it a very interesting institution. UVM has indoor and outdoor soccer fields that help me keep in shape because those are the only sports I love and am good at. I advise new students to utilize the resources on campus such as the Student Support Services program. Any advice for other SSS students? Utilize the resources that SSS has to offer, visit the Learning Co-op over the course of the semester to get some learning tips, create schedules and find study partners. Find some activities that you love to do because it helps to release stress when you are overwhelmed. There will be some challenges in your way but remember there are always people willing to help you at SSS. Which means you will need to take the initiative to ask for help. Vulnerability is part of positive development; don t be ashamed to ask for help. We all need it at some point in our lives. SSS NEWSLETTER MARCH 2012 THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT PG. 3

5 TECHNOLOGY CORNER Information from the Laptop Lending Program New items available! The Laptop Lending Program now has graphing calculators to lend! If you need one, Margaret at to see if one is available. Google s new privacy policy: What you should know Starting on March 1st Google implemented its new privacy policy, combining all the policies from its products (more than 70) down to one. If you are a Google product user then this policy affects you. Most people don t pay attention to policy changes, but they can be important. What this all means is that Google has merged the information it has on you across all its products (Google search, YouTube, Google+, Google Web History, Google Shopping, etc.) in order to create more personalized ads. Consequently, advertisers will be willing to pay extra for the more specifically targeted ads. It depends how you look at the situation, but most people don t like the idea of a company making a profit by using your personal information. The general public seems to be against the new policy too, as a simple search for Google new privacy policy reveals links titled Brazil questions Google s new privacy policy, Europe to investigate new Google privacy policy, and Google s new privacy policy vs. the World. However, most people don t realize that this is a popular business model. This is exactly how Facebook earns the majority of its revenue, by selling ads and using the information you provide to target the ads to the right audience.

6 SSS CHAMPIONS Meet the ACCESS Specialists Jean Haverstick, Laura Clemmons, Diana Williams, ACCESS Director Laurel Cameron and Marsha Camp. We are lucky to have such great people to work with! Thank you for all you do for SSS students! What I most enjoy about my work in ASP/ACCESS is the opportunity to support students on a one-toone basis, and helping them connect to such a vibrant community. Marsha Camp, ACCESS Specialist SSS NEWSLETTER MARCH 2012 THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT PG. 5

7 UPCOMING EVENTS SSS Grant applications are due March 30. To be considered for a SSS grant, you must submit an application and meet ALL of the following criteria: Be accepted into the UVM Student Support Services Program at the time of application Met (at least) once with your SSS Mentor this academic year Have earned fewer than 57 credits Be a Pell grant recipient for the current academic year Have unmet financial need or student loans Have a semester or cumulative GPA of at least OR- have participated in the Step Up Program. Ask your mentor for more information. Priority Registration forms are due to your mentor by Monday, April 2 at 4:30. First and second year students who are active (have met with your mentor) in SSS are eligible. Set up an appt. with your mentor if you haven t already! SSS Talks- Come join us for informal student-led dialogue nights. Each week is a different topic. It s a safe space to share your stories, meet new friends, get to know other SSS students, bring what s on your mind, meet the SSS professional mentor staff, or just come and eat cupcakes! Come help us build an SSS community. Mark your calendars for Monday night SSS Talks! 5:00-6:00 in L/L 315. TRIO STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES NEWSLETTER CONTACT INFO: MARGARET COAN mcoan@uvm.edu 244 Commons, L/L Center (802) SSS NEWSLETTER MARCH 2012 THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT PG. 6