Student Financial Services
- Undergraduate students
- Prospective students
- Parents
- Grad students
- Med students
- Continuing ed students
Staying Informed
Information to help you navigate the transition of information access from parent to student.
As students join the UVM community, we know that one of the biggest changes and challenges is the transition of information
access and privacy rights from the parent to the student. Up until now, information was sent directly to the parent(s), but now, information about
financial aid, bills, grades, and more will be sent directly to the student. No matter how involved you are as a parent (we love involved parents!),
your student is now responsible for the financial aspects of their education and is entitled to the privacy of their academic and financial records.
So, as a concerned parent, how do you stay informed and assist your student in developing skills for management of finances?
Develop a communication strategy with your student.
Your student will be receiving a great deal of important information from our office and offices across campus, mostly via e-mail. Most of these e-mails will be sent only to your student. You know your student best; take a moment to establish a communication strategy. You may want to consider the following with your student:
- What do you want to know about and what does your student feel comfortable showing you? (Financial aid, billing, health insurance, course registration, grades?)
- Will your student forward all UVM related e-mails to you, or perhaps only emails from Student Financial Services and other certain offices?
- Will it be better to set up “check in” points when you will go over information together, including financial aid, billing, grades, etc?
- Your student can authorize our office to release information about his or her account to you by sending us a signed written authorization. Upon receipt of such an authorization, we will make a note on the student account. When you call, you will want to notify the counselor with whom you are speaking that your student has given written authorization. The counselor will verify this and will then be able to speak with you freely about the financial aid and billing account for your student. This authorization does not mean that you will receive copies of all e-mails directed to your student, so you will still need to communicate with your student the importance of sharing with you all e-mails from our office.
Encourage your student to develop the skills to manage their finances independently.
Ask your student to explore UVM's CashCourse, www.cashcourse.org/uvm. Feel free to use this resource yourself as well! On this website, you and your student will find information and tools for budgeting and financial planning, banking your money, dealing with debit and credit cards, protecting your credit, preventing identity theft, and more. Take the time to emphasize the importance of this information to your student.
Have your student set you up with online access to view and pay their bill online.
UVM does not send paper billing statements. Bills are accessed online, and when generated an email notification is sent to
students and anyone set up as an Authorized Payer on the student's account. Your student can set you up as an Authorized Payer through their
myUVM account. Once set up, you will have online access to the billing account so that you can view the current
balance and statements, and make online payments for the account. As an Authorized Payer, you will receive e-mail correspondence regarding your
student's billing account, such as notification of statements and payment reminders. Please review our
billing website for details on our billing process.
Please note the following about the electronic billing system:
- Authorized Payers do not have access to other student record information, such as grades, financial aid, or advisor assignments. Authorized Payers receive online access to the QuickPAY system, which contains the billing statement and current billing account information.
- Authorized Payers receive billing related notices via e-mail, but are not sent information regarding financial aid awards. Financial aid award information is sent only to the student.
How do we communicate information regarding the financial aid application and award for your student?
Generally, information about a student’s financial aid application, including requests for information and notification of financial aid
awards, is sent directly to the student’s UVM e-mail address.
Prospective students who have not officially accepted their offer of admission by paying the acceptance fee will receive information via the e-mail
address listed on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Once the offer of admission is officially accepted,
the student will receive a final communication at their e-mail address from the FAFSA. This communication will direct students on how to set up
their UVM e-mail account and how to access information in the UVM student system going forward.
When possible, we will use the parent e-mail address that is listed on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to
alert parents if we have sent a communication regarding the financial aid application or award to the student.
Last modified January 31 2011 11:06 AM
