.
March 2025 Newsletter
Featured Stories
Reminder: Spring Family Weekend - April 4-6
We look forward to engaging with families this spring! Check out the Spring Family Weekend website for the schedule for the weekend and to register. Registration closes March 31.
Introducing - Purdue Parent & Family Connections Portal
Purdue Parent & Family Connections invites you to join the Purdue Parent & Family Connections Portal. This portal allows our Boilermaker Families to receive periodic news and updates according to personal preferences – weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly. Families will be able to view Purdue news and information specific to their Boilermaker’s journey all based on available communities. Families with students starting in the fall of 2025 are encouraged to join the families of the new beginner students' community.
This is your go-to for Parent & Family Connections information including:
- Important news, updates and deadlines
- Personalized content (information) specific to you and your student
- Announcements
- Updates for your student and/or friends and family
As we transition to the use of the Purdue Parent & Family Connections Portal, we will continue to send this newsletter until May. Starting in June, future Parent & Family Connections information, Family Weekends and announcements will be sent only through the portal. If you have questions or are unsure about creating a portal account, do not worry — we’ve created a video overview on how to create your account and use the portal.
Parent & Family Connections will continue to provide information, resources, tools and services using the portal to communicate. We work together with families to empower family members as partners in student success.
Thank you for supporting your student's academic journey. If you need support or are looking for resources, families can contact Parent & Family Connections at boilerfamily@purdue.edu or by calling us at (765) 496-0524 . 
1098-T and Education Tax Credits
As part of the Office of the Bursar's commitment to keeping you informed, we want to provide some important details regarding Form 1098-T . This form plays a key role in helping you claim certain federal education tax credits , which may reduce your tax liability.
- Form 1098-T Overview: Box 1 of the Form 1098-T represents the amount of Qualified Tuition & Related Expenses (QTRE) paid during the year at Purdue University.
- Education Tax Credits: Depending on your student's income, enrollment status, and qualified educational expenses, they may be eligible for federal education tax credits. Detailed information about claiming these credits is available on the IRS website, publication 970
- Completing IRS Form 8863: The dollar amounts reported on the Form 1098-T may be essential for completing IRS Form 8863 , used to calculate education tax credits for your tax return.
- Important Deadlines: Please be aware that due to the Winter Recess, any mailed payments, including 529s, must be received in our office no later than December 19 th to be processed and included on the 2024 Form 1098-T. Payments made online electronically and posted by December 31, 2024, will be included.
- Tax Advice Disclaimer: While Purdue University cannot provide individual tax advice, we recommend seeking the counsel of an informed tax preparer or adviser should you have specific questions.
Form 1098-T Sample: For your general reference, a blank sample of the 2024 Form 1098-T, which you will receive electronically via the student account in January 2025, is provided above.
For more information and additional resources about Form 1098-T, visit the Office of the Bursar website.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We appreciate your ongoing partnership in your student's education journey.
2025-2026 FAFSA is OPEN!
Current students interested in receiving financial aid (including federal educational loans) at Purdue University for the 2025-2026 academic year must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The 2025-26 FAFSA will look two years back at 2023 tax data. This will allow most students and their family contributors to have their income information downloaded directly into the FAFSA from their already completed 2023 IRS tax records. For maximum aid consideration, students/family contributors should complete a FAFSA by Purdue’s April 15, 2025 priority filing date, using School Code 001825. Students/contributors submit the FAFSA at studentaid.gov/ . Dependent students and at least one parent must each have a Federal Student Aid Account (FSA ID) to complete the FAFSA process. Learn more about creating an FSA Account and other helpful hints at Federal Student Aid.
Homecoming scheduled for Oct. 25
Alpha Lambda Delta Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society Invitations
National Alpha Lambda Delta and National Phi Eta Sigma are the two oldest and most prestigious of all of the honor societies that honor and recognize the academic accomplishments of first-year students. Founded at the University of Illinois in 1924 and 1923 respectively, they have the highest grade requirement, as many of the other honor societies require between a 3.0-3.4. They are also the only two national honor societies exclusively for first year students that are accredited by the Association of College Honor Societies.
The spring induction is set for Sunday, March 30, 2025. Parents and family members are encouraged to be there to recognize their students at a very nice ceremony at Loeb Playhouse in Stewart Center. For more information visit the Purdue’s chapter website, or the two national websites: www.nationalald.org and www.phietasigma.org. If you have any questions, please email Dr. Susan Melson Huffman, Purdue Chapter Advisor at smhuffman@purdue.edu.
White River State Park Offers a Perfect Getaway for Purdue Family Weekend
With more than 250 acres of greenspace just minutes from the Purdue University in Indianapolis campus, White River State Park is the perfect getaway to visit during Family Weekend on April 4-6. The park is home to seven world-class attractions, including the Eiteljorg Museum, Everwise Amphitheater, IMAX Theater in the Indiana State Museum, Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis Zoo, NCAA Hall of Champions, and Victory Field.
Purdue students receive free or discounted opportunities to several park attractions:
- Eiteljorg Museum - Free admission when showing their student ID
- IMAX Theater in the Indiana State Museum - $2 off price of admission with a valid student ID (must be redeemed in person)
- Indiana State Museum - $5 admission with a valid student ID. Faculty visiting with students also receive this discounted rate.
- NCAA Hall of Champions - Free admission for NCAA student-athletes
Families are also encouraged to take a walk along the Central Canal during their visit for a wonderful view of the city skyline. To learn more about Indy’s Backyard and events, concerts, and exhibits coming this year, visit WhiteRiverStatePark.org.
Navigating the wine world: Nancie Oxley's path from Purdue to head winemaker
What started as a love of science and math has led Nancie Oxley to the largest winery in Michigan. The vice president and head winemaker at St. Julian Winery and Distillery traces her start in the industry back to her love of science and creating products for others to enjoy. Unsure of how to apply her interests in college, Oxley recalls her older sister bringing home information about the new food science major being offered at Purdue. She met with Phil Nelson, the first head of the department, and learned about the range of opportunities. Oxley decided to major in food manufacturing operations, a combination of food science, engineering and management. Read more.
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
Spring 2025 Commencement Dates
Thank you for your patience. With a record number of Purdue graduates and our goal to provide the best experience we can for students and their families, the new schedule for commencement is as follows:
Division I -- PhD Ceremony -- Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. ET
Note: Professional Doctorate degrees (Audiology, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Veterinary Medicine) will be conferred during their college ceremonies held Friday-Sunday.
Division II -- Friday, May 16, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. ET
- College of Agriculture
- Agricultural Economics
- Including Agribusiness, Farm Management
- Agronomy
- Including Applied Meteorology & Climate, Crop Science
- Animal Sciences
- Agricultural Economics
- College of Engineering
- School of Ag & Biological Engineering
- School of Civil & Construction Engineering
- College of Engineering Administration
- School of Engineering Education
- Including IDE and MDE
- School of Environmental & Ecological Engineering
- School of Materials Engineering
- College of Pharmacy
- Including Doctor of Pharmacy
- Joint and Special Programs
Division III -- Friday, May 16, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. ET
- College of Engineering
- School of Chemical Engineering
- School of Industrial Engineering
- School of Mechanical Engineering
- Including Energy Engineering and Motorsports Engineering
- School of Nuclear Engineering
Division IV -- Friday, May 16, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. ET
- College of Engineering
- School of Aero & Astro Engineering
- School of Biomedical Engineering
- School of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Division V -- Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. ET
- College of Veterinary Medicine
- Including Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
- Polytechnic Institute
- Aviation & Transportation Management
- Computer & Information Technology
- Including Cybersecurity
- Construction Management Technology
- Including Interior Architecture
- School of Engineering Technology
- Technology Leadership & Innovation
- Including Organizational Leadership, Human Resource Development, Technical Communication
Division VI -- Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. ET
- College of Science
- Computer Science
- Including Applied CS, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Web Programming & Design
- Psychology (formerly IUPUI School of Science)
- Statistics
- Computer Science
- Polytechnic Institute
- Computer Graphics Technology
- Including Game Development, UX Design
- Purdue Polytechnic Administration
- Including Doctor of Technology
- Computer Graphics Technology
Division VII -- Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. ET
- College of Education
- College of Science
- Biological Science
- Including Biotechnology
- Chemistry
- Earth, Atmospheric, & Planetary Sciences
- Forensics & Invest Sci
- Mathematics
- Including Actuarial Science
- Neuroscience
- Physics and Astronomy
- Biological Science
Division VIII -- Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. ET
- College of Agriculture
- Ag Sciences Educ & Comm
- Including Agricultural Education
- Biochemistry
- Botany and Plant Pathology
- College of Agriculture Admin
- Including Natural Resources & Environmental Science, Interdisciplinary Agriculture
- Food Science
- Entomology
- Forestry and Natural Resources
- Hort & Landscape Architecture
- Ag Sciences Educ & Comm
- College of Liberal Arts
Division IX -- Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. ET
- College of Health & Human Sciences
- Health & Kinesiology
- Health Sciences
- Hospitality & Tourism Management
- Nursing
- Including Doctor of Nursing Practice
- Nutrition Science
- Psychological Sciences
- Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
- Including Doctor of Audiology
Division X -- Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. ET
- College of Health & Human Sciences
- College of HHS Administration
- Human Development & Family Science
- Public Health
- Daniels School of Business
2025 Summer Commencement Schedule
Division I-- Saturday, August 9, 2025 9:30 a.m. ET
- College of Agriculture
- College of Education
- College of Engineering
- Mitch Daniels School of Business
- Joint & Special Programs
Division II-- Saturday, August 9, 2025 2:30 p.m. ET
- College of Health & Human Sciences
- College of Liberal Arts
- College of Pharmacy
- College of Science
- College of Veterinary Medicine
- Polytechnic Institute
