Remember, remember these things in September!
Hey everyone! Welcome back to campus! We’ve missed you! Whether you’re returning to Rochester, your beloved college town beside the Genesee, or are arriving on campus for the first time as a brand new freshman, we are happy to have you here and ready for a new academic year.
BUT, there are some things we need you to remember this September when it comes to your financial aid! So pay attention; here is a brief overview of all the good stuff we’d like you to be aware of in the world of FinAid.
FAOnline
You may be wondering, “What is FAOnline?” You remember FAOnline! It’s an online portal where you can access all your financial aid information, everything from your 2013-2014 financial aid award to required documents, as well as important messages, standard forms, and disbursement information. FAOnline is a great resource and we want to make sure you’re using it to its fullest potential!
You can find FAOnline from our website: enrollment.rochester.edu/financial-aid
Or, you can find FAOnline through BlackBoard! Look for ‘AS&E Undergraduate Student Links’ (or graduate, if you are in a graduate program) on the left hand side of the page.
Promissory Notes
Do you still need to complete a promissory note? Make sure to check FAOnline under the ‘Required Documents’ tab to see if you have not yet completed yours! Signing a promissory note indicates that you promise to repay your loans and any accrued interest to the Department of Education. You can sign your promissory note by visiting studentloans.gov.
One important aspect of completing the promissory note is that origination must have occurred first. Origination is when we notify the Department of Education that we have created a loan. You will receive an email from our office when origination has occurred and you can complete your promissory note.
Also keep in mind that the Perkins Loan has a separate promissory note from your Direct Loans. Follow the link in the ‘Required Document’ tab of FAOnline to complete the promissory note for Perkins, if you’ve been awarded one!
Entrance Counseling
Like the promissory note, you must complete your entrance counseling in order for your loans to disburse! Entrance counseling is an online process for Federal Direct Loans that provides information about direct loans, the loan process, managing educational expenses, financial resources, and your rights and responsibilities as a borrower. The goal of entrance counseling is to learn more about your loans and to have some financial awareness about your borrowing.
Entrance counseling can be found on studentloans.gov just like the promissory note.
Don’t forget, though: Perkins Loans also have separate entrance counseling from the Direct Loans. You can access Perkins entrance counseling via your ‘Required Documents’ tab in FAOnline.
I-9s
Do you want to work on campus this year? Make sure you fill out an I-9! The process is quick and easy! First, visit newi9.com. It will look like this:
You will fill out a brief form online for Part I of your I-9. Be sure to use 11968 as our employer code. When asked for the employer location, please choose ‘100000-Student Workers‘ from the drop-down menu.
Once you’ve submitted Part I, call our office at (585) 275-3226 to schedule an appointment to complete Part II. You will need to bring original documents (not photocopies); a list will be provided when you submit Part I online. Appointments are available daily and must be scheduled a day in advance.
In September, we are helping students with I-9s from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 2 – 4 p.m. daily, so give us a call and we can easily schedule you in one of those blocks! Once you complete Part II, you are all set to work on campus.
That’s all, folks! Remember, we’re here to help, so be sure to give us a call, shoot us an email, or reach out to us on Twitter (@URFinAid) if you have any questions. Happy fall, y’all!