Campus Emergency Alert Systems

Now that severe weather season is brewing again here in the midwest, I'd like to emphasize the importance of campus emergency alert systems and communicating with your child during an emergency.

Most campuses have emergency notification systems in place. Make sure your child signs up for the text, email or phone call notifications available through this system. Unless it is specified, parents should not sign up under their own phone numbers. It does no good for you to receive a text at midnight about a campus emergency while your student remains ignorant of the situation. These systems send thousands of texts or emails at once, so adding numbers or email addresses slows the system to a crawl and may delay notification to students on campus when they need it the most.

Discuss with your child how you will communicate with them during an emergency. Land and cell phones aren’t always the best way to stay in touch, so it can be helpful for your child to quickly post information about his location and status to social media. Here in tornado alley, it is common for people to post the location of where they are sheltering to social media as they reach shelter. At the very least, you will know that they are aware of the danger around them and have taken the necessary precautions.

Insurance Reminders for the New Year

A new year means a fresh start on many things including things like insurance coverage. If you changed your or your child's health or auto insurance coverage for 2014 remind them of the changes, and make sure they have copies of auto and health insurance cards (or an electronic version of it on their phone) and other pertinent information handy while they are on campus. It also helps for students to know a toll free number or where they can go online to ask questions or find assistance on their coverage.

Insurance coverage is a pretty dry subject for most college students, but it’s important for them to get used to understanding their coverage. It wont be long before they have to evaluate policies to buy or select their own coverage, and understanding the basics of how insurance coverage works will be helpful in the very near future. 

Health and Property Insurance

Does he need personal property insurance?

This is another one of those “grown-up” issues that students will need to be aware of before they head to campus. It is estimated that students bring between $5,000.00 to $10,000.00 worth of personal property with them to campus and when you combine all those easily carried valuables with the laid-back, open atmosphere on most college campuses, you have a recipe for property loss. In fact, larceny is the most reported crime on most college campuses. With this in mind, insurance is a must, but what kind?

Most homeowner’s policies will cover students’ valuables if they are living on campus and still list the family’s home address as their permanent address.  Even so, it is always a good idea to confirm your coverage and its limitations with your insurance agent before your child leaves for college. Also keep in mind that if your child makes claims against your homeowner’s policy, it could negatively affect your rate and ability to maintain coverage.

Another option is renter’s or student insurance. Renter’s or student insurance can cover a specific amount or just specific items and is usually very affordable. It will also not adversely affect your homeowner’s policy of your child makes a claim. Most major insurance companies offer renter’s insurance so speak to your current agent for the best rate.

What about health insurance

If there was ever a hot-button issue in the United States today, this is it. The cost of healthcare and insurance is staggering and although healthcare and coverage is usually the last thing on your student’s mind it is essential that you discuss the ins and outs of your policy with your child.  Imagine your dismay and frustration when you discover that your child went to an out-of network emergency room or clinic for a broken wrist when an in-network hospital was just a few more miles down the road.  The difference in the bills could well be in the thousands so it is important to discuss your policy with your child and determine where the in-network facilities are located near campus. The last thing either of you want is to pay for out-of-network medical bills instead of tuition.

Most medium to large campuses have their own health service centers or walk-in clinics on campus, and many times campus clinics are cheaper for certain services due to grants and subsidies. But, it is still a good idea to compare costs for routine visits, physicals, and prescriptions before he starts college.

Academic Troubles - That Aren't Necessarily Academic

If your child was admitted to the college or university in which he is enrolled, he is very likely to succeed academically, but oddly enough, challenging academics are not usually the reason that students fail classes or drop out.  Having worked in academic counseling, I know that the main reasons students fail out of school or simply drop out are:

Not attending class - This seems so obvious, but making class attendance a priority is the number one way that students can succeed in college. The student who just shows up will be more successful than the one who skips and the one who shows up well prepared, and engages in the lecture or class activity will learn more in class and have to study less outside of class to retain the material. When talking about class attendance with your child, make sure he knows it is important to you not only for his academic success, but also for the very basic fact that college isn’t cheap and each time he skips a class he’s throwing money away.

Poor time management skills - Most students have a steep learning curve when it comes to time management and it’s no wonder why. If they’ve been living at home with their parents acting as their alarm clock and their conscience they haven’t had to decide to get out of bed in the morning or finish their papers on time. They did those things because if they didn’t they would be grounded or badgered until they did. But now, with only themselves as their principal motivator, they have to develop and employ time management skills for possibly the first time in their lives.

If you are reading this book during your child’s senior year of high school or the summer after high school graduation, now is a great time to have him take responsibility for his own time management. Give him a task with clear expectations and a deadline and see how he does.  If it becomes evident that he needs to hone his time management skills don’t worry, almost every college has workshops about time management and somehow, hearing advice about time management from someone besides your parent makes it stick.

Disinterest in academics or college in general – This one is hard for parents to handle because we’ve spent so much time, effort, and money just helping our children through high school and the college admissions process, it’s hard to believe they aren’t really interested in college. This has a lot to do with your child’s expectations of what college will be like, and as is the case with many things, college can certainly fall short of expectations.

Maybe your child isn’t interested in any of his freshman general education courses, or maybe they’re much harder than he expected them to be. Maybe he’s taking his first major class and realizing that he doesn’t like it and doesn’t have a second choice for a major.  Whatever the reason, your student has lost the motivation he once had.

For most students this malaise only lasts for a couple of months or a semester, but if he reaches the end of his freshman year with poor grades and no plan or focus to continue, he may be in need of a gap year in which he works full time and either moves back home or lives on his own and supports himself. Sometimes, just the reality of a year of full time work and the responsibilities that come with it is enough to motivate a student who’s lost his drive.

Dissatisfaction with college choice - If your child did not get into his dream school or maybe the first choice school’s bill totaled $30,000.00 per year instead of $15,000.00, let him know that there are a number things he can and should do instead of succumbing to disappointment.

1.       Most importantly, make the most of the college experience wherever it may be. As I mention elsewhere in this book, the college return on investment isn’t just a financial number at the bottom of a balance sheet. Much of the “investment” must come from the student in terms of focus, determination, and plain old hard work.

2.       Plan to take a reciprocal exchange semester at the dream school. This program allows students to pay the regular tuition and fees to their own institution and take the classes elsewhere. More information is available at the National Student Exchange program website: http://www.nse.org

3.       Take a summer class at the dream school and work a summer job while there.

4.       Or better still; plan to attend graduate school at the dream school.  There will be opportunities for graduate assistantships that can pay for a portion or all of the graduate degree. This is how I, and tens of thousands of other people financed our graduate degrees. Keep in mind, that the dream school will expect great grades and numerous activities and leadership experiences from the current college.

Poor fit within the institution - Your child either didn’t want to attend college or didn’t want to attend the college in which he’s enrolled. This could be due to a number of factors. He didn’t get into his top choice and resents going to his second choice school, his best friend or girlfriend is attending another school, or “everyone” he graduated with is going out of state and he’s at the local college. The reasons for a poor fit are endless, but there is something you and your child can do to rectify the situation.

If he really wants to go to his first choice school, the best way to do that is to excel at his second choice school. Then, after a year, he can re-evaluate his choice and transfer if he still wants to. Many times, after a year, students find their niche and don’t want to leave anyway.

Lack of new friends or social connections - One thing that college is really great for is making new friends and forgetting about old romances. Being away from home and familiar surroundings is a sure fire way to learn that the world is a lot bigger than your high school or your old neighborhood. By the end of this first semester, your child will know if he really can’t live without his old friends or hometown love interest and will let you know one way or the other. Either way, emphasize the importance of making good grades and being involved on campus no matter where he is because he’ll need a strong academic record and leadership skills if he decides to transfer elsewhere.

Financial problems - In this economy, financial problems can affect just about anyone and if the family breadwinner, or even just one parent, loses a job a student’s college career can easily be sidelined. Even if the family can still scrimp enough to pay for school or find loans to help them until hard times pass, the student may refuse to allow the rest of the family to sacrifice for his benefit.

If you find yourself on the receiving end of a pink slip you need to re-evaluate your financial situation immediately and tell your child about your struggles as soon as possible too. Even if a wonderful new job is already on the horizon, you owe it to your child to be honest about what the whole family is experiencing.  It’s also important to speak to someone in the school’s financial aid or scholarship office as soon as you know what your new income will be. 

Financial aid counselors know a number of ways to help families through rough financial times. It may be that with a lower estimated family contribution (EFC), your child now qualifies for grants, need-based scholarships or work-study programs.  Don’t allow family pride to get in the way of financial assistance that could potentially keep your child in school.

Before your child talks to a financial aid counselor, gather documents and crunch some numbers so he will have your financial figures close at hand. Collect the FAFSA, prior year taxes, your current gross and net income after the job loss, and information about severance pay or any unemployment benefits you now receive. This is also the time to make some plans with your child and answer some questions. Will he be able to stay through the semester? Will he be able to adjust his schedule to take fewer classes while taking on more hours at work?

Health concerns - Whether they be yours or your child’s, health problems can cause a great deal of stress on college students. It is extremely hard to concentrate on academics when you or a loved one has a serious illness, especially if you are far from home. Other health problems such as substance abuse, an unplanned pregnancy, or mental health issues bring obvious challenges as well.

Whatever health challenges you and your student face, the single most important thing you can do as a parent is to communicate your needs and expectations and work closely with your child to make a plan for his future success. Remind yourself and your child that the goal of completing a college degree can be achieved, even if it is completed in a non-traditional way.

Of course, it would be ideal for every student to attend college for four straight years and never have to worry about poor grades, social isolation, financial, or health issues, but that simply doesn’t happen. A lot can happen to a family in 4-6 years and when life places hurdles in your child’s way he’ll need your experience and guidance to overcome them. You’ll also be teaching him through example that overcoming challenges may require a change of strategy, but one’s goals can remain the same. 

Topics to Discuss During The Senior Summer

·      Campus Safety - Including the topics such as alcohol and drug use, personal and property safety, common illnesses including STDs, chronic illnesses that your child is managing, any other information included on the college’s website.

·      Academic Expectations – Including realistic expectations for grades, study and class preparation time and where he can go on campus for academic assistance and tutoring. Refer to the college’s website for specific information.

·      Travel plans for move-in day, holidays and breaks – Figure out if your child will move himself or if you will join him for move-in day. Also, will he return home or stay on campus for breaks, and holidays? If he’s staying on campus confirm that his residence hall is open during breaks, if it is not, some colleges offer students break housing in other halls.

·      Emotional health and well being – Including any current or on-going mental health issues, discuss medication and medication management, discuss where to go and whom to call on campus in case of an emergency. Decide if prescriptions, health care, and mental health care will be transferred to a provider near the college or if he will be able to continue with his current doctor, counselor, and pharmacy.

·      How you will communicate – Keeping the lines of communication open is absolutely crucial to college students and their parents at home. Discuss and develop a plan for daily or weekly regular communication that includes a weekly “check-up” phone call as well as expectations for returning calls, texts and emails throughout the week.

* Be sure that you will stick to this plan too. It’s poor form to expect your child to reply to calls or texts within 24 hours if you never do.

Senior Summer "Must-dos"

Colleges often send, or have online, checklists for new freshmen. These are usually on a timeline that you can use to plan these discussions and get organized. By tackling these on a weekly basis, you are also showing your child how to prioritize, break down a long list of responsibilities into easily accomplished tasks, and avoid procrastination by working steadily toward a goal. If the college did not provide a checklist or you can’t find one, the one below is similar what most colleges will send.

In addition to talking with your child about these important items, it is helpful to remind him that if he has not received some type of confirmation of completing the tasks on the checklist, he may not have completed them after all, and should confirm with the college.

Have your child keep all papers from the college in a folder and file emails in their own clearly marked file. Keep this information accessible and be sure to have it handy when calling the college or visiting for tours or orientation. If your child finds that he needs to call the college about a document he has received, directly calling the person or the office that sent the document is best, and it helps immensely to have the document on hand. Teach your child how to file documents and retrieve them whether they are on paper or electronic.

* It never hurts to scan or photograph a paper document for future reference. It doesn’t have to be perfectly filed, it just has to be accessible.

Senior summer checklist

·      Complete the Free Application for Student Financial Aid (FAFSA) – This is usually completed in January or February, but if your child has not already completed the FAFSA he can do so at any time. Fortunately, as a parent, you can keep track of whether or not this has been accomplished because you will need to provide information from your tax return in order for him to complete it.⁵

·      Receive a financial aid award letter and accept or reject awards - This is actually done online by the student when he logs onto his account at: http://fafsa.ed.gov, and after he receives word via email that his FAFSA has been processed.

·      Register for orientation and enrollment – Your child won’t be a college student at all without enrolling, which usually occurs during freshman orientation. Make sure he’s signed up for an orientation and/or enrollment program and has received a confirmation of the program’s date(s)

·      Take placement exams – These are often administered as part of orientation and enrollment, but your child should check to confirm this and sign up for testing if it is required. Some colleges will not let students enroll without placement exam scores.

·      Submit a final high school/college transcript – Some high schools will do this automatically if they also sent one after the student’s junior year; most require a written request. If your child has taken any classes at a different college, he will need to have an official transcript sent from that college as well.

·      Complete scholarship applications – This is an ongoing process that I will discuss at length in a later chapter, but many colleges use the student’s completed FAFSA in conjunction with a separate scholarship application to award scholarship. Scholarships are good!

·      Residence hall applications, contracts, and deposits – Unless your child is commuting, he will need a place to live on or near campus. Many colleges require students to live on campus during their first year. Make sure your child has completed the application for housing, a contract if necessary, and has paid the typical deposit to hold his spot in the residence halls. Receiving confirmation of these deposits is essential.

·      Submit proof of immunizations – I’ll talk more about what immunizations are usually required and recommended later in the book. Some colleges will not allow students to attend class, or will cancel enrollment without proof of immunizations or a written refusal form.

·      Meal plan selection and deposits – In addition to a place to live, your child will need to eat. Most meal plans require a deposit or partial payment. If you’re up in the air about which plan to choose, review the options to see if there is a reasonable incentive to purchase a larger meal plan over a smaller one. If not, start with the smallest one possible; he can always increase it later.

·      Greek letter organization registration – Is required of students who are interested in joining a social fraternity or sorority. The formal recruitment process usually has its own set of forms, fees, and deadlines to follow as well. More on this later in the book.