2018 Parent Orientation Booklet-English

N O I T A T N E I R O

y l i m a F Parent &

Your

r t hea o N o t e Guid

ster

ive n U s i o n i n Ill

rsit y

neiu.edu

Welcom Dear Parents and Families,

Congratulations on your student’s admission to Northeastern Illinois University!

The Office of New Student and Family Programs is pleased to welcome you and to support you and your student during the first year of college. We will provide you with useful information throughout the year and invite you to events so you can continue to connect with the University and the many people who are here to help your student to succeed.

If you have any questions or would like more information on our programming, please contact our office at (773) 442-5373 or orientation@neiu.edu.

Sincerely,

Felicia Keelen Director of Student Transition Services

me!

Table of Contents How do I engage my student in conversations about college?

2

What questions should I ask my student?

3

How much time should students set aside for their studies?

4

How will I know how my student is performing in college?

6

How much is college going to cost?

7

How can college be financed?

9

Selected Resources for Students

10

#IBELONGATNEIU

1

How do I engage my student in conversations about college?

College can be a challenging experience while students go through academic and social transitions. Some of the biggest adjustments for students are to learn the self-discipline needed to manage their time, to keep up with their schoolwork, to make responsible choices and to learn to seek help from the many free resources at the University.

In addition to the learning that takes place in the classroom, a great deal of learning takes place outside the classroom.

Co-curricular activities will provide your student with opportunities to apply knowledge learned in the classroom to real situations that occur beyond the classroom walls.

As your student experiences the transition from high school to college, we encourage you to be actively involved in your student’s success.

Here are some tips on how you can support your student during the first year in college: • Be patient and allow your student time to navigate new situations. Speak to your student about the transition and offer your support.

• Encourage your student to ask faculty and academic advisors for help and to use the numerous free resources on campus whenever needed.

• Encourage your student to form study groups and to participate in campus activities to meet other students.

Co-curricular activities: activities that take place outside classes and course requirements, including student clubs and organizations, recreation and intramurals, and cultural, social and entertainment events. Also referred to as extracurricular activities.

Faculty: teaching professionals at the University. They are classified as instructors, assistant professors, associate professors and professors.

Academic advisors: staff who help students plan their schedules, choose their majors and understand the University services and resources available to them.

What questions should I ask my student?

Another great way to engage with your student is to show interest in his or her studies by asking questions. It’s not always easy to engage students in conversations about college, but here are some questions that can pave the way.

• What are your favorite and least favorite classes? Why? • Are you going to your classes?

• Are you setting aside enough time each week to study?

• Where do you study?

• Are you taking notes during class and reviewing them afterwards?

• Have you set a routine to help you manage your time?

• Are you having any trouble understanding the course material?

• How did you do on your last exam? When is your next exam?

• Are you aware of the free services that are available to you for academic and other support?

• Do you know how to ask for help at the University?

• When is your next meeting with your academic advisor?

• Have you registered for the next semester?

• How many classes will you take next semester?

• Have you thought about what major you will choose?

#IBELONGATNEIU

3

How much time should students set aside for their studies?

College is very different from high school. Students must manage their own schedules and exercise a lot of discipline with their studies. Students who have part-time or fulltime jobs have even more challenges to managing their time.

Students who want to succeed should expect to study approximately two hours for every credit hour for which they are registered. Most courses are 3 credit hours, meaning that the course is taught for approximately 3 hours per week during the semester. Therefore, students should set aside 6 hours of study per week for each class they take. If they are taking 15 credit hours (i.e., 5 classes), they will be in class for about 15 hours and should set aside 30 hours of study time each week.

It’s also important for students to make time to socialize and to take advantage of the free programming and activities available to them, like participating in student clubs, exercising at the Physical Education Complex, attending music, dance and theatre performances on campus, and more.

Credit hours: translate to the time spent each week receiving instruction from faculty plus the amount of time outside of class that students are expected to do school work. One credit hour is approximately equal to one hour of class time and two hours of study time each week.

Below is an example of how one full-time student organized her week. She was registered for 18 credit hours (or 6 classes) during the semester. She succeeded at Northeastern and went on to finish medical school after graduation!

As you can see, most of her waking hours were filled with class time and study time.

M

Tu

W

Th

F

Sat

Sun

Dress and have breakfast

7:30 a.m.

8:30 a.m.

History Class

Study Chemistry

History Class

Study Chemistry

History Class

Study Chemistry

9:30 a.m.

Study History

Yoga Class

Study History

Work Out

Study History

Study Chemistry

10:30 a.m.

Study French

Chemistry Class

Study French

Chemistry Class

Study French

Chemistry Class

11:30 a.m.

French Class

Study Chemistry

French Class

Study Chemistry

French Class

Study Chemistry

Lunch

12:30 p.m.

1:30 p.m.

Math Class

2:30 p.m.

Study Math

3:30 p.m.

Study English

4:30 p.m.

English Class

Film Making Class

Math Class

Film Making Class

Study Math Library: Theme

Math Class Study Math

Study English

Chemistry Lab

English Class

Free Time

Study English

Work on Film Project

English Class

5:30 p.m.

Free time/ Recreation

6:30 p.m.

Dinner

7:30 p.m.

Study English

Study Math

Study English

Study Math

Study English

8:30 p.m.

Study French

Study History

Study French

Study History

Study French

9:30 p.m.

Review English

Review French

Review History

Review Math

Review Chemistry

Free Time

Study English Study History

Recreational reading

10:30 p.m.

11:30 p.m.

Sleep

12:30 a.m.

Time spent in class

Time spent studying

Free time

#IBELONGATNEIU

5

How will I know how my student is performing in college?

Students’ work is graded differently depending on the class. The faculty member teaching each class will provide your student with a course syllabus, which is an outline that explains what will be learned in the class, what reading and assignments will need to be completed, how students will be graded, how attendance will factor into the grade, when the faculty member is available to meet with students outside of the class times and more.

Final grades for each semester are recorded in the student’s transcript, which is the University’s official record of college work. It lists all the courses attempted, final grades, grade point average, academic standing and any transferred credits. Your student can view an unofficial version of the transcript at any time by logging into NEIUport at neiuport.neiu.edu.

Keep in mind that your student’s educational record remains confidential in accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This typically means that no one outside of the University, including parents, can access the record without your student’s permission. This is surprising to some parents, but the University takes students’ privacy very seriously.

If your student chooses to, he or she can submit a consent form so that parents (or someone else he or she designates) may view the record. The form can be accessed at neiu.edu/ferpa-release-form.

NEIUport is the University’s online portal, providing students with centralized and secure access to: • View class schedules and manage class registration.

• View personalized financial aid information.

• View academic profiles and any holds that may be on their accounts.

• Make payments towards tuition and fees.

Engaging your student in conversations about college is a great way to learn about your student’s college experiences and performance.

• View final course grades.

• And much more.

Syllabus: a course outline that explains course requirements, attendance policy, assignments, readings, examination schedule, faculty office number and hours, and other pertinent information.

Transcript: the official record of a student’s college work, which includes courses, grades, grade point average, and transfer credit information.

FERPA: the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.

How much is college going to cost?

A breakdown of the annual tuition and fees can be found at neiu.edu/tuition-and-fees

Many parents want to know how much a college education will cost. The answer is: It depends!

When students register for classes, they are billed for tuition, which is charged per credit hour of instruction. Students also pay mandatory fees that are charged per credit hour of instruction. Additionally, students pay several mandatory flat fees per semester and fees for optional services like parking.

Students can access their account information in NEIUport at any time to see the charges for their tuition and fees, any financial aid (e.g., student loans, grants, scholarships) that has been applied to their account, any payments that have posted and whether an account balance is due.

If students register for 30 or more credit hours per academic year, they will typically graduate in four years and will receive the greatest benefit from the University’s four-year tuition guarantee for continuously

Residents of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin pay in-state tuition rates, as do veteran and active military duty students and their dependent children.

Undocumented students who meet the criteria for instate tuition rates can submit the NEIU Affidavit form to the Admissions Office. neiu.edu/undocumentedaffidavit

enrolled undergraduate students. Completing a degree in four years also minimizes the total amount of fees paid to the University, and therefore reduces the overall cost of a college degree.

During the 2017-2018 academic year, the total tuition and fees (including Blue-level parking and CTA U-Pass) for a new student resident in Illinois or a neighboring state who was registered for 15 credit hours during the Fall 2017 semester and 15 credit hours during the Spring 2018 semester was $13,675.60.

Tuition: the amount of money a student is charged for courses, exclusive of mandatory fees or course fees. Students are charged a tuition rate for each credit hour registered per semester.

Fees: costs that students pay in addition to tuition. Mandatory fees include the Academic Enhancement Fee, Computer Resource Fee, Green Fee, Health Services Fee, Performing Arts Fee, Recreation Fee, Student Activity Fee, Student Union Fee and CTA U-Pass Fee. Individual courses may also have fees assessed.

Academic Year: The University operates on a semester system. The academic calendar or year consists of a 16-week fall semester beginning in August, a 16-week spring semester beginning in January, and a summer semester (with three sessions) beginning in May.

Additional charges apply for students who live in The Nest, the University’s new residence hall that opened on the Main Campus in Fall 2016.

To learn more about living on campus, visit neiu.edu/housing or call (773) 442-4663. For information on meal plans, visit neiu.edu/meal-plans.

#IBELONGATNEIU

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2016-2017 tuition and fees breakdown Fall 2016

To the right is a sample tuition statement of a student registered for 12 credit hours during Fall 2016 and 15 credit hours during Spring 2017. This student was first enrolled at the University during Summer 2015. Therefore, the student is being billed the 2014-2015 tuition rate for four years as part of the Four-Year Tuition Guarantee.

Code BI25 DEFE MFAE MFAF MFCI MFCR MFGR MFHS MFLF MFLV MFPA MFRE MFSU MFUP SHI T1AL CHGW CHRG PAWV SHWV

Description Biology Fee Deferred Payment Fee Academic Enchancement Fee Student Activity Fee Campus Improvement Fee Computer Resource Fee Green Fee Health Services Fee Library Fee Parking Level II Fee Performing Arts Fee Recreation Fee Student Union Fee CTA U-PASS Fee Student Health Insurance UG Res Tuition Summer15 cohort Credit Card Pmt from Web Credit Card Payment Parking Waiver Student Health Ins Waiver

Term Charges: Term Credits and Payments: Term Balance:

Charge $0.00 $10.00 $92.25 $73.80 $30.75 $221.40 $3.00 $55.35 $36.90 $123.00 $12.30 $61.50 $95.33 $128.00 $931.50 $3,739.20

Payment

$2,559.78 $2,000.00 $123.00 $931.50

Balance $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

$5,614.28 $5,614.28 $0.00

Spring 2017 Code AR20 BI25 DEFE MFAE MFAF MFCI MFCR MFGR MFHS MFLF MFLV MFOL MFPA MFRE MFSU MFUP PH20 SHI T1AL PAWV SHWV

Description Art Fee Biology Fee Deferred Payment Fee Academic Enchancement Fee Student Activity Fee Campus Improvement Fee Computer Resource Fee Green Fee Health Services Fee Library Fee Parking Level II Fee Mandatory Online Course Fee Performing Arts Fee Recreation Fee Student Union Fee CTA U-PASS Fee Physics Fee Student Health Insurance UG Res Tuition Summer15 cohort Parking Waiver Student Health Ins Waiver

Term Charges: Term Credits and Payments: Term Balance:

Charge $0.00 $0.00 $10.00 $112.50 $90.00 $37.50 $270.00 $3.00 $67.50 $45.00 $150.00 $0.00 $15.00 $75.00 $116.25 $128.00 $20.00 $931.50 $4,560.00

Payment

Balance $0.00 $0.00 $10.00 $112.50 $90.00 $37.50 $270.00 $3.00 $67.50 $45.00 $0.00 $0.00 $15.00 $75.00 $116.25 $128.00 $20.00 $0.00 $4,560.00

$150.00 $931.50 $6,631.25 $1,081.50 $5,549.75

How can college be financed?

In order to determine eligibility for federal, state and institutional financial aid, students must complete the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, beginning October 1 each year.

Completing the FAFSA as early as possible increases your student’s chances of getting the maximum amount of aid for which he or she may be eligible for the upcoming academic year. A FAFSA must be submitted for each academic year that your student intends to be in college in order to determine eligibility for federal, state and institutional financial aid.

Eligibility for financial aid is based on financial need or merit, depending on the funding program. Even if your student completes the FAFSA but is not eligible for aid one year, he or she may become eligible the following year. Students are encouraged to submit the FAFSA for each academic year that they plan to attend college. The FAFSA can be accessed at fafsa.ed.gov.

Northeastern Illinois University participates in all of the U.S. Department of Education Title IV Funding programs:

Northeastern’s Financial Aid Office can assist students with

Gift Assistance, which does not have to be repaid: Federal

employment and scholarships, visit neiu.edu/financial-aid or

Pell Grant, Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP), Eagle Performance Award, Federal Supplemental Educational

their financial aid. The Office will also assist students who do not qualify for federal or state financial aid to explore alternate funding sources. To find out more about grants, loans, student phone the offices listed below:

Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

Financial Aid: (773) 442-5016

Loans, which must be repaid:

Scholarships: (773) 442-4606

Federal William D. Ford Direct Loan Program

Student Employment: (773) 442-4696

Employment, which is earned by the student: Federal Work-Study Program

Making Payments Payments for tuition and fees are handled by Student Payment Services. Payments can be made online through NEIUport, by telephone at (773) 442-5184, by mail or in person at the Cashier’s Office. Accepted forms of payment are cash, check, credit card and money order.

Payments can be made in installments. If students have overdue balances, this can interfere with their ability to register for the following semester. Students who have trouble making their payments on time are encouraged to contact Student Payment Services at (773) 442-5170 as early as possible to set up personalized payment plans. By setting up plans, they will be authorized to register for the following semester so they don’t miss out on reserving a seat in their desired classes.

FAFSA: Students interested in determining their eligibility for federal, state and institutional financial aid must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year, beginning October 1.

#IBELONGATNEIU

9 9

Selected Resources for Students The University offers free services to support the success of our students. Below are some of the key support services. Explore our full range of services for students by visiting neiu.edu.

Advising Center: When meeting with academic advisors, students learn about educational options, degree requirements and University policies. They clarify educational, career and life goals through the development of a meaningful academic plan and become familiar with support services and resources.

throughout all phases of their career development when transitioning from college to career. Career Services provides opportunities for students and alumni to locate internships, volunteer experiences, and career-related employment.

(773) 442-4650 • neiu.edu/sccs

(773) 442-5470 • neiu.edu/advising Center for Academic Writing: The CAW provides peer tutoring to students enrolled in Writing Intensive Program (WIP) courses. The WIP is comprised of undergraduate courses that fulfill the writing intensive graduation requirement.

(773) 442-4492 • neiu.edu/caw Learning Success Center: The LSC provides peerdirected academic tutoring for individuals and groups in General Education Program courses, writing, reading and learning support, math development and college-level math, and academic coaching.

(773) 442-4568 • neiu.edu/lsc

Student Disability Services: SDS provides students with physical and learning disabilities reasonable accommodations, including sign language interpreters, note takers, reader/scribe assistance, extra time on exams and texts in alternative formats.

(773) 442-4595 • neiu.edu/sds Student Health Services: Health and wellness services are available to all students. Services include work and school physicals, care for minor illnesses and injuries, women’s health exams, birth control, screening tests, and health education.

(773) 442-5800 • neiu.edu/health TRIO Student Support Services: Students meeting one

N-Safe: The University’s official emergency notification and warning system that relays important information via email and text. Students can register for N-Safe at neiu.edu/n-safe or via the free 911 Shield mobile app, available in the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Student Counseling and Career Services: Counseling and therapy is provided to help students understand and deal with emotional distress, relationship difficulties, and personal concerns, freeing them to make clearer and healthier decisions. In therapy, students can explore personal life problems including anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, relationship problems, anger, addictions, and many other difficulties that may cause stress and disrupt their life. Individual, couples, and group psychotherapy is available to current Northeastern students.

Career Services assists students and alumni in developing appropriate major and career options through individual appointments, assessments, job fairs, workshops, and many other events at the University and outside of the University. Career advisors provide guidance to students

of the following criteria may apply to be considered for TRIO SSS: first generation college student, low-income student or student with a disability. Services include academic, career and personal advising, financial aid and scholarship guidance, personal and leadership development, college success workshops, tutoring and peer mentoring.

(773) 442-4971 • neiu.edu/triosss University Police: They are always available to provide campus safety, emergency assistance, automobile assistance when parked on University property, and information and programming related to crime prevention.

They provide escort service upon request to University parking lots or adjacent city streets.

Non-emergencies: (773) 442-5511 or 5511 from any campus telephone neiu.edu/police Police escort services: (773) 442-4100

U E I N T A G N O L E B I # neiu.edu