In this issue:
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October is financial literacy month
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Student veterans appreciation event November 14
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Duplicate records: untangling the knot
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November RAC meeting
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Spring 2008 registration queue
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Scholarship search and management
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ASR 123 and ASR 163 forms are now online
October is financial literacy month!
As the cost of tuition at colleges and universities around the nation increases each year, so does the amount of debt many students incur. That¿s why the Office of Student Finance is reaching out to students this October during Financial Literacy Month.The month is intended to help raise awareness on the importance of students' financial solvency to ensure that graduation is a time of celebration rather than surprises.
“Every time we hand out sheets with (the amount of) student¿s debt at exit interviews you hear many students gasp at the total,” says Principal Collections Representative Jennifer Klecker.
Klecker helps run Financial Literacy Month, and says events held during this month will encourage students to create a budget they can keep recalculating throughout their college careers as their financial situations change. By budgeting, Klecker believes students can keep track of their debt and not receive such a shock when they find out how much they owe at graduation time.
“We want them to think about their
debt before they begin
paying it back,” said Klecker.
To highlight Financial Literacy Month, the Office of Student Finance has been passing out fliers on campus that direct students to the online tools students can use to manage their debt and check their credit report, among other useful tips. Also this month, the Minnesota Daily featured a three-part series on student finances to raise students' awareness of the financial tools that are available on campus.
Klecker says it¿s not only loans that land students in debt, it¿s also credit cards; the average college student graduates with $19,000 of school debt and $3,000 of credit card debt.
“Most of this debt happens because students don¿t understand the debt they¿re incurring,” Klecker says.
It¿s this reason why she reaches
out to students on campus,
offering information sessions to raise financial awareness. During her
sessions,
Klecker
discusses: budgeting, credit cards, finding your credit report, reading
your credit score and avoiding identity theft. If
you would like Jennifer Klecker to speak
for your student group or class please contact her at kleck007@umn.edu.
Student veterans appreciation event November 14
Save the date for the University of Minnesota Student
Veterans Appreciation Day event November 14, 2007. Lunch will be served
in the Northrop atrium at 11:30 a.m. (while supplies last), and a
recognition event will follow on the Northrop mall at 12:15 p.m. The
event will feature remarks by Governor Tim Pawlenty and Regent Dean
Johnson; an Air Force F16 flyover; the University marking band, and
more. Please join us to recognize the contributions of student veterans
at the University of Minnesota. Duplicate records: untangling the knot
ASR handles many important
tasks on
a daily basis, including the resolution of duplicate records. Duplicate
records
are created for a variety of reasons, most frequently when a new ID
number is
created for someone before an adequate search has been conducted in the
PeopleSoft
system to see if the person already has one. These instances can be
prevented.In order to prevent duplicate records, you must always do a thorough search PeopleSoft search before creating a new ID number. The easiest way to search for an existing ID number is to follow these steps:
1. Log onto Home
2. Click on Campus Community
3. Click on Personal Information
4. Click on Add/ Update a Person
5. Search under “Find an Existing Value”
6. Enter as much information as possible, including last name, first name and if available their Social Security Number.
If you do a search using a Social Security number, do NOT include dashes in between the numbers or your search will yield no results.
When the list of names appears, review it for possible matches. If the search yields a match on a name and/ or Social Security number, click on the name to review the biographical information. If you have a match, then the person you are looking for is already in the PeopleSoft system with an assigned ID number and a new one should not be created.
If someone who has duplicate IDs need a new U Card, the U Card office will issue a new one free of charge once one of the ID¿s has been marked as a duplicate. Also, it is a good idea for anyone with a duplicate ID to check with the e-mail accounts office to ensure that the correct e-mail account is associated with their proper ID.
Duplicate records create a problem because it is vital to maintain consistent information under one ID number. The longer two separate ID numbers remain in the system, the more likely it is that important information will be attached to separate records. Once this happens, it can be very difficult to determine which number should remain the permanent ID and which number should be deleted. Determining which number should be saved is a lengthy, complicated process that can involve as many as six or seven departments. Also, it is not uncommon for duplicate records to create havoc with a student¿s financial aid or ability to register for courses.
Whether a former undergraduate student is returning to the University as a graduate student or as an employee, his or her ID number must remain the same throughout his or her time at the University.