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Greetings Alum, and happy New Year!
This month’s update will be short, but very important. Please make sure you read through everything.
- FAFSA/Verification and the Government shut down
- Tax Information (Form 1098T and AOTC)
- Alumni Portal account set up
- Complete a new FERPA waiver. (If already completed, thank you!)
- End of Term Survey (Assigned in Alumni Portal)
As always I am here if you have any questions. Please do not hesitate to contact me.
Patrick Carter
Mobile: 414.702.4127
Work text: 414.246.5585
Office: 414.837.4000 x161
If you still do not have your financial aid for this academic year please email me ASAP!
There is still time to file your 2019-2020 FAFSA for next school year, but the earlier you complete it the faster you’ll get your award letter for next year.
If you have completed your FAFSA already, but are now being contacted to complete verification, you will need to get that done in order to get you financial aid for the next school year.
All resources and meetings signups can be done through the alumni services page.
IMPORTANT: Due to the government shutdown, the IRS is currently closed. This means:
- Tax Refunds are on hold
- Tax Transcripts and Letters of Non-filing are on hold
This means you will NOT be able to complete the verification process until the government reopens. If you have any concerns please contact your schools financial aid office. See if they will let you turn in your verification worksheet without documentation from the IRS.
UPDATE 01/10/2019: The Department of Education has finally responded to request from financial aid offices on guidance during the current shut down. More details are in the article here, but your schools SHOULD accept copies IRS tax returns or if you need a signed non-filer statement letter (with income or without income).
Recognize this form?
The 1098T form is to report your academic expenses on your taxes. To better explain it I’ll refer you to a resource from UW-Milwaukee.
If you have further questions please contact your financial aid office.
What is AOTC and can I benefit from it?
The short answer is yes, you may be able to benefit from the AOTC. The American opportunity tax credit (AOTC) is a credit for qualified education expenses paid for an eligible student for the first four years of higher education. You can get a maximum annual credit of $2,500 per eligible student. If the credit brings the amount of tax you owe to zero, you can have 40 percent of any remaining amount of the credit (up to $1,000) refunded to you. Please refer to the IRS here for more information.
The new alumni portal is now active! Please make sure you register your new account. This portal will allow me to better support you the text and email communication and provide a secure place for me to post materials and resources for you.
Once you have completed the profile set up you will be able to update your academic and financial aid information and contact me if you have any questions.
NOTE: An End of Term task has been assigned to all alumni. This is only accessible through the portal. Grades will be due by the end of January.