Author Archives: Sarah

Important Dates and Reminders

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Important dates:

  • August 17: Sophomore Move In Day*
  • August 18: Sophomore Orientation Begins
  • August 19-20: New Student Move In Days*
  • August 21: New Student Orientation Begins
  • August 23: Fall semester begins
  • *Students will receive an email on June 18 with instructions on how to choose their own specific arrival day and/or timeslot online.

For other important dates, we’ve compiled several helpful calendars on our Parent website.

Important information from Financial Aid

  • Encourage your student to check their UP email periodically through the summer, as that is how Financial Aid will be communicating with them to make sure their financial aid is ready to go for the fall semester.
  • It’s not too late to file the 2021-22 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which can be completed at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.

Engagement Opportunities for Students

  • Students and recent grads should remember that the Career Education Center is virtually open all summer! They can log into Handshake to schedule an appointment.

  • For additional student events and activities, we encourage students to log in and visit Engage regularly to get involved with the UP community.

Engagement Opportunities for Students and Families

  • June 16: Business and Ethics series: Habits, Values and Virtues will take place on June 16, 4pm (PDT) via Zoom. This interactive experience will engage participants in conversations about personal values and strengths, focusing on the habits and behaviors that guide us through the challenges of ethical decision making in the workplace. Students and families are invited to register.
  • Go Pilots! Pay attention to upcoming athletic games and meets by following portlandpilots.com.
  • Campus Ministry streams Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m. PST and daily Mass at 12:05 p.m. PST Monday through Friday. You can access the live stream here.
  • Submit a Grotto prayer request! Grotto prayer requests are a way to share your life with the UP community – whether a wedding, a birth, a funeral, or milestone in your life. We welcome you to submit a prayer request for yourself or on behalf of others. A member of the Congregation of Holy Cross will visit the Grotto to pray for your intentions over the purple candle which is always kept burning for the prayers of Pilot community.
  • Connect with a regional UP chapter and attend an event this summer!

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Updates from Student Accounts

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Summer Classes

Summer school is right around the corner. Students that plan on attending summer semester are encouraged to register for classes as soon as possible. The first summer invoice was sent to students on April 1, 2021.  Summer tuition is due in full on May 3, 2021. For students who are financial aid recipients, please make sure you have all your required financial aid documentation in by the May 3, 2021 deadline. We encourage students to always check their Banner Self-Serve account for any changes to their balance due.

Online Payments

In other news from the Office of Student Accounts, our old Tuition Management System (TMS) will be fully integrated to the Nelnet Enterprise System by mid-April 2021. Nelnet is the third-party the University has selected to partner with to provide students and their families the opportunity to utilize monthly payment plans and e-payments. There have been enhancements made regarding enrolling in our monthly payment plans and making a one-time payment. There are two ways students can access the new process.

1. Students can start by logging onto PilotsUP

  • Navigate to the Banner Self-Serve
  • Select Student Account Tab
  • Choose Account Summary (to look up the account balance)
  • Click the Pay Now button

2. Students can also begin by visiting the landing page mycollegepaymentplan.com/uportland.  

Students may authorize others to access their agreement and make payments on their behalf. The student will need to set the authorized user up before they can establish an account via mycollegepaymentplan.com/uportland in order to set-up a payment plan or make a one-time payment. Please note that an Authorized Payer for the Nelnet Enterprise System is different than the Parent Proxy Access required by FERPA regarding sharing information with anyone other than the student.  

Monthly Payment Plans

Our structure of our monthly payment plans will also have a new look. It will be important to pay close attention to the enrollment dates for the plans. 

Summer Payment Plans: Opens on April 1 (3-month plan) *$48 Enrollment Fee

  • Last day to sign up for a summer plan is May 12
    • Payment period: May 15 – July 15

Fall Payment Plans: Opens on June 1 (5-4-3-month plan) *$48 Enrollment Fee

  • Last day to enroll in a 5-month plan is July 13
    • Payment period: July 15 – November 15
  • Last day to enroll in a 4-month plan is August 12
    • Payment period: August 15 – November 15
  • Last day to enroll in a 3-month plan is September 13
    • Payment period: September 15 – November 15

Spring Payment Plans: Opens on October 1 *$48 Enrollment Fee

  • Last day to enroll in a 5-month plan is December 12
    • Payment period: December 15 – April 15
  • Last day to enroll in a 4-month plan is January 13
    • Payment period: January 15 – April 15
  • Last day to enroll in a 3-month plan is February 11
    • Payment period: February 15 – April 15

Finishing the Semester Strong

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As your student heads into the final weeks of classes and prepares for finals, consider these suggestions for supporting them!

Students should lean on their professors.

  • Review sessions and exams may look different for every class depending on the professor. Make sure your student has clarity on what is expected by their professor. If there is any confusion, they should feel free to reach out to their professor and ask for clarification. Students can send emails, visit their “office hours,” or request time to speak on the phone. In whatever format they may use, it is more important than ever for students to reach out to and lean on their professors.

Every student is different.

  • Just like every professor may be different in their teaching style, every student is different in their learning style. How has your student found success in studying previously? Is it possible to recreate that environment and those circumstances at home? With many students being remote, they may need to get creative in their approach to studying. If they usually study in groups, can they set up nightly study sessions on Microsoft Teams with their classmates?

Two is better than one.

  • Encourage your student to study with a partner or group. This serves a two-fold purpose – it helps students learn the material and prepare for finals, and also provides social interaction and a sense of connection during a virtual semester. Going through intense things, like studying for finals, is a common college experience, so support your student in living these college experiences, even if it looks a little bit different now.

Br. Thomas Giumenta, C.S.C., the University’s Counselor for Learning Assistance, also provides some advice for families:

Dosage

  • We all know that when we take medication, it is very important to take the right dose at the correct time. You don’t get better faster by taking all the pills at once. The same can be true in preparing for final exams. It is hard to start to prepare for exams if you think of “taking it all at once.” Exam preparation must start sooner than later and be parceled out well. This is done by putting the “what in the when.” That means that a student, with the help of an advocate, should look at the content that must be learned and the amount of time that remains to learn it. Then a match must be made by scheduling a specific study time with a specific academic task. It’s a little like making an appointment with yourself.

Should I Study for an Open-Book Test?

  • The answer is “yes” – but in a particular way. If a student says to a parent, “There’s no need to study, it’s open book,” that student may not be able to locate the correct answers without familiarizing themselves with the content being tested. Always know where to find all the parts of the correct answer.

“It’s Overwhelming to Study for a Comprehensive Final.”

  • If a student says this, they are feeling some discouragement which needs to be addressed. It’s important to see if the professor has provided a study guide for the final exam. If so, that needs to be the starting place. If not, a student can easily make their own study guide and then send it to the professor for comment. Narrowing down the content of study can provide the necessary encouragement. 

All divisions of the Shepard Academic Resource Center (SARC) are meeting with students and available to help in the following ways:

  • The First-Year Experience team will be sending all first-year students an email inviting them to meet with them and make a study plan for final exams. Please know if your student is having academic difficulties right now, the SARC staff wants to meet with and help them.
  • The Learning Commons is providing online tutoring to students. If your student needs help with a specific class, please remind them that tutoring is available.
  • Br. Thomas Giumenta, the Counselor for Learning Assistance, is also meeting with students. Br. Tom teaches students learning strategies and skills in a one-on-one (virtual) setting.

If your student has academic needs, please encourage them to reach out to the Shepard Academic Resource Center by sending an email to sarc@up.edu, calling 503.943.7895 and leaving a message, or by connecting with any of their staff through Microsoft Teams.