March 2023 Newsletter

Featured Stories    

Reminder - Parent & Family Virtual Events Available

The latest Parent & Family Virtual Event, Student Well-Being Part 2 is available on the Parent & Family Connections YouTube. 

Purdue University named No. 16 among World’s Most Innovative Companies, No. 1 in education

Purdue University, for the first time, has been named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies – coming in at No. 16 overall and No. 1 in education – for its advances in the vital field of semiconductors and microelectronics. The only university among Fast Company magazine’s prestigious Top 50 Most Innovative Companies, Purdue joins OpenAI (No. 1) and NASA (No. 17) as organizations “paving the way for the innovations of tomorrow.” Read more.

Purdue’s First African American professor’s impact felt across generations

Helen Bass Williams helped create programs that changed Boilermakers’ lives
Before becoming Purdue’s first African American professor in 1968, Helen Bass Williams had worked as a midwife, an undertaker and a leader in the civil rights movement.

Described by one of her colleagues as a “long-haul activist,” Williams was beaten up more than once in Mississippi for her activism, and at one point her home was sprayed with bullets. Those were times of terror, but she kept going.

“I can remember her single-minded persistence,” said her colleague Paul Bayless, former director of affirmative action at Purdue, upon Williams’ passing in 1991. “It was as if her total being, and her total passion, was for her students and their success.” Read more.

Resources available to assist with connection between mental health, financial wellness

There is a strong correlation between mental health and financial stress. According to Forbes, stress resulting from financial challenges is often chronic.

In a February 2022 study from the American Psychological Association, 65% of respondents said money is a significant source of stress. A Bankrate and Psych Central survey, completed in April 2022, also found a significant number of Americans experience financial worries, and more than 50% of those who worry about money cited it as a specific issue that negatively impacts their mental health.  

High levels of financial stress, as with other stressors, can manifest itself through physical symptoms such as anxiety, headaches/migraines, compromised immune systems, digestive issues, high blood pressure, muscle tension, heart arrhythmia, depression and a feeling of being overwhelmed. Read more.

Celebrating Horizons Student Support Services and the impact of the TRIO program at Purdue 

National TRIO Day—celebrated each year on the fourth Saturday in February—is meant to focus the nation’s attention on the needs of disadvantaged college students and the talent that could be wasted if universities don’t invest in their success.

Under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed off on the creation of three federal programs—Upward Bound, Talent Search, and Student Support Services. Together, these would be coined “TRIO.” 

Almost 60 years later, a lot has changed about TRIO, including its expansion from three programs to nine. However, the vision remains the same: provide students who are low-income, first-generation, or living with disabilities the resources and support they need to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to college.  Read more.

Three alumnae named as Distinguished Purdue Alumni Scholars

Three Purdue alumnae from two Purdue colleges have been selected as 2023 Distinguished Purdue Alumni Scholars for exceptional leadership and significant contributions to their fields.

The Office of the Provost and the Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence will honor the recipients during an award reception at 2 p.m. March 22 in the Purdue Memorial Union’s Anniversary Drawing Room. Awards will be presented by Peter Hollenbeck, vice provost for faculty affairs, and Linda Mason, dean of the Graduate School. Read more.

Disney connections: Purdue alum keeps “Pandora – The World of Avatar” flying

It’s 5:45 a.m. on a Monday morning, and Angel Price (BS mechanical engineering technology ’07) is already on the move.

She walks fast, passing industrial-size compressors and pumps through concrete corridors surrounded by steel beams and conduits full of cables. She’s getting reports from her third-shift manager about what happened overnight and building task lists for her day staff. At first glance, she could be any engineering services manager on any typical industrial jobsite.

But just over the treeline sits the rest of Price’s world, which is not typical at all: flying banshees, singing shamans and floating mountains. Read more.

Reminder - Information for 1098T

Purdue now reports in Box 1 of the 1098T which represents the amount of Qualified Tuition & Related Expenses (QTRE) paid during the year.

Depending on the students’ income (or family income, if the student is a dependent), whether the student is considered full or half-time enrolled, and the amount of the qualified educational expenses for the year, the student maybe eligible for a federal education tax credit. (Detailed information about claiming education tax credits are available on the IRS website, publication 970.

The dollar amounts reported on the Form 1098-T may assist in completing IRS Form 8863 – the form used for calculating the education tax credits that a taxpayer may claim as part of their tax return. 

Please note: due to the Winter Recess, any mailed payments including 529s must be received in  by December 22^nd to be processed and included on the 2022 1098-T.  Any payments made online electronically & posted by December 31, 2022 will be included.

Purdue University is unable to provide individual tax advice, but should you have questions, please seek the counsel of an informed tax preparer or adviser.

For your general reference, below is a blank sample of the 2022 Form 1098-T, that you will receive electronically via the student account in January 2023. For more information and additional resources about Form 1098-T, visit the Office of the Bursar website.

**The Office of the Bursar & ID Card Operations/Support has moved from Hovde Hall to Stewart Center Rm 194 on December 12, 2022. Please note the Office of the Bursar's official mailing address will  be: Purdue University Bursar 128 Memorial Mall, Rm 194 West Lafayette, IN 47907 

Purdue Division of Financial Aid reminds students to submit a FAFSA

To receive priority consideration for federal, state and university-based financial aid, all current and prospective students planning to attend Purdue University West Lafayette in the fall of 2023 should submit the 2023-24 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) after Oct. 1, but no later than Purdue’s April 15, 2023, priority filing date.

Before starting the FAFSA process, each student and a parent should create a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) at https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch.

“The 2023-24 FAFSA will use 2021 tax data,” said David Reseigh, assistant director of outreach services in Purdue's Division of Financial Aid. “Most students and families can use the IRS data retrieval tool (IRS DRT) to fill in the FAFSA with their already completed 2021 IRS tax information.”

Students submit the FAFSA on the Federal Student Aid website.

New-to-Purdue families should use the Division of Financial Aid Net Price Calculator to receive a financial aid package estimate that includes an estimated “net price” (estimated costs less anticipated need-based scholarship and grant aid).

Indiana families can get free FAFSA filing help from financial aid experts at one of two College Goal Sunday events, set for Nov. 6 and Feb. 26. Both events start at 2 p.m. Families can view a complete list of the participating sites around Indiana and obtain additional event information at collegegoalsunday.org/.

The Division of Financial Aid provides financial aid information to students and families through community outreach, email and online at purdue.edu/dfa.

Now's the time to Think Summer 

According to data from the Center for Career Opportunities and Institutional Data Analytics + Assessment, students net an average of $54,000 by using summer courses to graduate one year early and $23,400 to graduate a semester early. Open registration for Summer 2023 begins on February 27.  Encourage your student to look through the list of summer classes, including over 400 fully online options, and talk with their academic advisor about registering before space fills. Questions about summer enrollment can be sent to thinksummer@purdue.edu. 

 Center for Career Opportunities

The Center for Career Opportunities provides Purdue students career coaching, job search assets, and opportunities to engage with potential employers. https://www.cco.purdue.edu/

Steps to Leaps - Well-Being Tips

Members of the Research Collaborative for Steps to Leaps work to bring a new Well-Being Tip of the week. Set a reminder to check out a new tip each week!

Commencement Corner

As a reminder, there is a dedicated website for Purdue Commencement providing Key Dates, Ticketing Information, Parking Information and many other helpful tips as your student prepares for Commencement.

Check out the Spring 2023 commencement page for digital downloads including Boilermaker Poster, Cake Topper Template, Graduate Yard Signs, Mortarboard Art, and Purdue GIF Stickers. Looking for more? Check out the Spring 2023 Commencement FAQs.

Spring Commencement Dates

Division I -- Friday, May 12, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. ET

• Agriculture (undergraduate only)
• Engineering (undergraduate only)
  • Agricultural and Biomedical Engineering (ABE)
  • Mechanical Engineering (ME)

Division II -- Friday, May 12, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. ET

• Engineering (undergraduate only)
  • Aeronautics and Astronautics (AAE)
  • Biomedical Engineering (BE)
  • Civil Engineering (CE)
  • Chemical Engineering (CHE)
  • Construction Engineering (CNE)
  • Environmental and Ecological Engineering (EV)
  • Interdisciplinary Engineering (IDE)
  • Nuclear Engineering (NE)

Division III -- Friday, May 12, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. ET

• Engineering (undergraduate only)
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)
  • Industrial Engineering (IE)
  • Materials Engineering (MSE)

Division IV -- Saturday, May 13, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. ET

• Health and Human Sciences (Undergraduate and Professional)

Division V -- Saturday, May 13, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. ET

• Science (undergraduate only)

Division VI -- Saturday, May 13, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. ET

• Polytechnic Institute (Undergraduate and Professional)

Division VII -- Sunday, May 14, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. ET

• Veterinary Medicine (Undergraduate and Professional)
• Pharmacy (Undergraduate and Professional)
• Liberal Arts (undergraduate only)

Division VIII -- Sunday, May 14, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. ET

• Management (undergraduate only)
• Education (undergraduate only)

Division IX -- Sunday, May 14, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. ET

• Masters and Doctor of Philosophy (all colleges/schools)

Summer Commencement Dates

Division I -- Saturday, August 5, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. ET

• Division assignments to be announced

Division II -- Saturday, August 5, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. ET

• Division assignments to be announced

Winter Commencement Dates

Division I -- Saturday, December 16, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. ET

• Division assignments to be announced

Division II -- Saturday, December 16, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. ET

• Division assignments to be announced

Division III -- Sunday, December 17, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. ET

• Division assignments to be announced

Dates

February 20, Last day for grade correction for fall semester 2022

March 10, Last day to withdraw from a course with a W or WF grade or to add/modify a course with instructor, advisor and department head signatures

March 13, Schedule of classes published for Fall 2023

March 13-18, Spring Vacation

April 29, Classes End

May 1-6, Final Exams

May 6, Semester Ends

May 12-14, Commencement

2022-2023 Academic Calendar