St. Olaf College | Parents & Families
January 27, 2024
2024
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February

Welcome to the February 2024 edition of the Parents and Families newsletter!

A Message From Financial Aid

By Director of Financial Aid Steve Lindley

Hello from the Financial Aid Office!

While the Spring 2024 Semester is relatively similar to the past, there are many big changes for the FAFSA for the 2024–25 Academic Year. But first, let’s start with Spring 2024 items:

  • Spring Bill: the bill for Spring Semester went out on January 2 and is due on February 1.
  • 1098-T: the 1098-T Tax Form will be ready the last week of January and posted online. Find information on how to access the 1098T here.

Thinking ahead to next year:

  • What do I need to fill out and when is it due?
    • If a family is only interested in merit scholarships, you do not have to complete the FAFSA.
    • If your family is receiving need-based aid from St. Olaf (usually called the St. Olaf Grant) or borrowing Federal Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans — you have to submit the FAFSA. 
    • The CSS Profile is not required for current students.
  • I heard that the FAFSA is changing for next year. What do I need to know?
    • There are many changes to the FAFSA for the 2024–25 Academic Year. The FAFSA launched on January 1 instead of October 1. The first few weeks of the launch have been a little uneven.
    • We know that the FAFSA can be a source of stress and unease for families. We still have the FAFSA deadline of April 30 — but we will continue to monitor the situation and work with families if they discover issues within the FAFSA.
  • How will FAFSA changes impact my student’s aid from St. Olaf?
    • Grant and scholarship aid from St. Olaf will not be impacted by these FAFSA changes.
    • While it’s true that the new FAFSA will no longer consider the number of college students in the household, St. Olaf will still continue to take the number of college students into account.
    • Federal Pell Grants and MN State Grants may change. It is too early for us to know the exact impacts of the changes.
    • If you have further questions, we recommend checking out our FAFSA 24-25 FAQ Website or reaching out to the Financial Aid Office about your family’s individual situation.
  • Study Abroad Scholarships: St. Olaf has around $1.4M/year in need-based scholarships for students participating in study abroad. Here is our Study Abroad Scholarship Guide.
  • Residence Life Positions: Students working for Residence Life as an Resident Assistant or Junior Counselor receive a Housing Credit Stipend of $6,200. Applications are open now.

If you have any questions about your family’s individual circumstances, please reach out to the Financial Aid Office at finaid@stolaf.edu.

Loneliness and Student Wellness

By Wellness and Mental Health Coordinator Laura Turek

It is hard to believe that the Fall Semester and January Term are behind us and we are looking toward Spring! For many students, the semester’s routine will need a kick start and they will have to adjust to the increased pace on campus.

For some students, the feeling of pressure to “find your people” is beginning to feel more intense. Loneliness can show up in many ways — including anxiety, stress, or depression. If your Ole reports that they are lonely or aren’t having luck making friends, it can be hard to know how to respond.

Here a few tips on how to help your Ole find community:

  • Let them know that the feelings they are having are a normal part of being in a new environment — and that most students go through this (whether they believe it or not). Here is an article from the New York Times written by a “formerly lonely college student” with some more advice.
  • Encourage them to get out of their room and connect with other Oles. They can visit the Office of Student Activities. We have around 200 student organizations, many of which are ready to welcome new members. Involvement will help complement their experience in the classroom and enable them to meet a wide variety of students who share their interests.
  • Stay in touch, but not too in touch. Set up a regular time to check in. Not only does this help them stay connected with home and give them something to look forward to, but it helps them develop a regular routine and connect to life on campus.

For some students, keeping an eye on their own well-being is more difficult than others.  Family members can remind and encourage students to consider trying any number of self-care activities on campus. Most weeks during Spring Term, there will be at least one self-care activity each day. All the details can be found on Presence, a student activities promotion tool on campus!

  • Mindfulness Monday sessions, led by Director of the St. Olaf Counseling Center Jenna Wieden
  • Each Tuesday, Laurel Christensen leads a 30–minute meditation downstairs in Boe Chapel
  • Each Thursday, the Wellness Center hosts the Paw Program in the Pause. Students gather to snuggle therapy dogs that sooth them or remind them of pets at home. Also, the Office of Student Activities hosts Trivia in the Pause in the evening.
  • Each Friday, the student naturalists lead guided walks in the Natural Lands. Students can also purchase flowers in Buntrock Commons to show gratitude to a friend on campus

The Wellness Center has a quiet space and peer support available six days each week in Buntrock Commons. The Tostrud Recreation programming can help with stress management by getting students active and connecting with others in play. Chapel continues daily on campus, held each morning from 10:10–10:30 a.m. in Boe Chapel.

The Wellness Center  has resources for families on supporting your student’s mental health from afar:

If your student needs additional support, remind them of the many people here on the Hill who are here to support and guide them. RAs, faculty members, the Counseling Center, Campus Ministry, their class dean are all ready and willing to speak with them and help them through times of challenging feelings. Other easy to access options for support are Peer Support one-on-one conversations with certified Peer Educators in the Wellness Center and Talk Now through Timely Care (app) where a licensed counselor is available for a virtual visit within 4–5 minutes.

A book recommendation for a practical read and advice for all people on how to make friends is below: 

You can find quick 30 second videos on how to make a friend, based on research, on her Instagram @drmarisagfranco.

A Day in the Life of a Senior

By Lily Moreschi ‘24. Lily is a Dance & Quantitative Economics double major from Virginia and works as a Student Specialist in Alumni and Parent Relations.

Have you ever thought to yourself, “What does my Ole do all day?” Have you ever wondered what could possibly be happening to occupy your Ole’s time during January Term? After all, Oles only take one class during January Term! How could someone possibly fill all that time?!

Well, I’m happy to say that your days of wondering are over. Here is a look into the day in the life of a St. Olaf Senior during January Term. While your Ole and I don’t have the same routine, I think my days during January Term are pretty typical for the average Ole. Use the arrow keys or swipe through the slideshow below to see what I’m up to all day!

  • Slow Mornings. One of my favorite parts about January Term is that most classes do not start early in the morning! My class starts at 10:40 am, so I love taking my sweet time to wake up, have coffee and breakfast in my dorm, and not worry about rushing to an 8:00 a.m. class!
  • Visit to the Piper Center. One of the joys (or maybe horrors) of being a senior is that I have to think about life post-graduation. Thankfully, the Piper Center is around to answer all career-based questions. Today I met with one of the Career Coaches, Meghan McMillan, to talk about some opportunities.
  • Class Time. Next stop: class! This year, I am taking a Greek and Roman Mythology class! I’ve had a lot of fun in our class discussion about the way mythology interacts with and reflects the social and cultural values of classical antiquity. Today, we talked about the myths from the aftermath of the Trojan War.
  • Homework in the Link. After class and lunch in Stav Hall, it’s time to get down to business. I know that having to do my homework after dinner during January Term is not motivating at all, so I always try to get as much done as I can in the afternoon. My favorite study spot this January has been the Link in the Center for Art and Dance (CAD). It has lots of natural light and great views of the sculptures behind CAD!
  • Work in the Alumni and Parent Relations Office. In addition to writing articles for this newsletter, I also have shifts in the Alumni and Parent Relations Office! Here’s a peek at my snazzy setup for responding to emails and answering the office phone.
  • Job Interview. My next stop of the day is to hurry back to my dorm for a virtual job interview. Remember how I was in the Piper Center earlier? That wasn’t for nothing!
  • Studio Time. Next I head back up the Hill to spend some time in the dance studios. I’m not in a dance class during January Term, and I definitely miss it! This is my favorite studio because of the comically large net of exercise balls and the gorgeous sunset view of Big Ole (our windmill) when it’s a clear evening.
  • Natural Lands Walk. The daylight (and the bit of slightly higher temperatures) is waning. Time to sneak in a walk in the natural lands with some friends!
  • Cage Pick-Me-Up. After a frigid walk, a stop at the Cage for some hot tea is necessary. Thankfully January Term is almost over because I am running out of Cage dollars alarmingly quickly!
  • Me v. Minnesota Winter. OK, it’s really cold in Minnesota during January. I’m from the mid-Atlantic East Coast, so I’m not used to this! But after 4 years at St. Olaf, I have learned the secrets of layering and rarely ever become a popsicle anymore on my post-dinner walks back down the Hill.
  • Homework (Fun Addition.) One of my favorite things about January Term is that a lot of classes involve creativity in their assignments. That’s not true for all of them, but many classes (especially the ones that are only offered in January Term) have creative projects. My class has a creative myth adaptation assignment, so I spent some time working on my art project. Don’t tell my roommate, but there is gold glitter from my project all over our rug (Ellie, if you’re reading this, I promise I’ll clean it up in the morning!!)
  • Goodnight! I like to use my extra free time in January Term doing activities I enjoy, but don’t always have time for when I inevitably overcommit myself every semester. For example, reading! Not that reading for classes isn’t riveting, but it’s not the same as reading something for fun.

I hope this has given you a bit of insight into what January Term is like! It’s one of my favorite times at St. Olaf. Despite the cold weather, the Hill stays alive and vibrant. It’s a wonderful time to take a bit of a breath after a long Fall semester, but still keep those study habits sharp. Whether your Ole is on campus or off campus, I hope they enjoyed their January Term and are ready for the Spring semester!