Did you know that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides tax benefits for education? The tax benefits can be used to get back some of the money you spend on tuition or loan interest or to maximize your college savings. Learn more here.
— Ryan Zantingh, Director of Financial Aid
On Dec. 22, the federal student loan payment pause was extended through May 1, 2022. The loan repayment/collection pause and the 0% interest rate were previously scheduled to expire on Jan. 31, 2022. Read more here. Keep reading for additional announcements concerning federal student loans.
On Oct. 6, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education announced a temporary period during which borrowers may receive credit for payments that previously did not qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Learn more about this here.
Federal student loan servicers Navient, PHEAA (FedLoan Servicing), and Granite State have announced plans to stop servicing federal student loans. Borrowers currently assigned to these servicers can learn more about the USDE’s transition plans here.
— Ryan Zantingh, Student Financial Planning
Over the past several months the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) has issued several announcements and resources that are of interest to federal student loan borrowers.
The COVID-19 emergency relief for federal student loans, including the loan repayment/collection pause and the 0% interest rate, will expire on January 31, 2022. Learn more about what to expect here.
On Oct. 6, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education announced a temporary period during which borrowers may receive credit for payments that previously did not qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Learn more about this here.
Federal student loan servicers Navient, PHEAA (FedLoan Servicing), and Granite State have announced plans to stop servicing federal student loans. Borrowers currently assigned to these servicers can learn more about the USDE’s transition plans here.
— Ryan Zantingh, Student Financial Planning
Prevention Ambassadors help ensure that sexual and dating violence prevention conversations continue to happen across campus. As a Prevention Ambassador, you will be equipped to lead inclusive and meaningful conversations about how to create a safe campus environment.
The J-Term training will be virtually and you must be able to attend all three sessions.
We will hold trainings on the following dates:
Monday, Jan. 3, Jan. 10, and Jan. 17 from 1:30–4 p.m. OR
Tuesday, Jan. 4, Jan. 11, and Jan. 18 from 9:30–12 p.m.
In the spring, we will have a new and revamped Prevention Ambassador model. If you have an interest in being more involved, we will meet regularly to continue our education, facilitation skills, and event planning. Involvement after training is not a requirement.
— Lynne Cornelius, Violence Prevention & Programming
If you’re interested in becoming a Peer Mentor Academic Consultant (PMAC), attend a virtual information session on Dec. 10 at 5 p.m. Scan the QR code below to sign up for the session.
— Kirby Nelson, senior
The deadline to return fall rental books is Dec. 21. You may return in-store or ship back at your expense. For shipping, the check-in form is located within your rental account at universitybook.com. The bookstore will remain open through Dec. 23 for any late returns or shipments. Please remove any sticky notes or flags and unfold any bent pages.
Damages: We will not accept returns of books with broken spines, ripped or missing pages, excessive writing or highlighting or water damage. We didn’t sell it to you in that condition, so we will not accept it back. If your book falls under that category you will have to pay the difference between the original rental price and the purchase price to buy it outright.
Keeping the book: If you want to keep the book, you can buy it outright by paying the difference between the original rental price and the purchase price. You have until Dec. 21 to make that selection.
— Kyle McVay, University Bookstore
In-person sign-up
Virtual sign-up
The Harkin Institute is offering a limited number of tickets for Drake students to attend “An Evening with Charlie Cook” in person at Sheslow Auditorium on Tuesday, Dec. 7. Though this is an online event, a small in-person audience will be allowed as well. Tickets are free and available to all Drake graduate and undergraduate students. However, only 30 seats are available. Regarded by many as one of the leading authorities on the U.S. political scene, Cook provides a yearly lecture on American politics. Cook is a political analyst for National Journal magazine, founder of and contributor to the Cook Political Report, and a National Advisory Council member for The Harkin Institute.
— Jaelyn Lentz, senior
Drake University students interested in a career in mathematics, the physical sciences, natural sciences, or engineering are invited to apply for the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program.
Established by Congress in 1986, the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation operates an educational scholarship program designed to provide opportunities for outstanding U.S. students with excellent academic records and demonstrated interest in, and potential for, careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, the physical sciences, and engineering.
In April 2022, the Foundation will award scholarships to students who will be college juniors or seniors during the 2022–2023 academic year. In order to be considered for an award, students must be nominated by their institution. The national DEADLINE for RECEIPT of all nominations is Jan. 28, 2022. There are earlier on-campus deadlines however. Please note them below.
The scholarship award covers eligible expenses up to a maximum of $7,500 per year. Sophomore scholarship recipients can expect to receive a maximum of two years of support. Junior scholarship recipients are eligible for a maximum of one year of support.
Who is eligible to apply?
The application consists of two to three pages student essay on a research problem in science, three letters of recommendation, most likely from Drake University faculty, transcripts, and a nomination from the Goldwater Scholarship Faculty Representative (Dr. Gholam Mirafzal). In the case of students with research experience, one of the three letters of recommendation must come from the research advisor.
Application materials are available at: goldwaterscholarship.gov/
Drake University can nominate up to four individuals. Qualified individuals will submit their essay to Dr. Mirafzal. They will then be read by the Drake Goldwater Scholarship Committee. From this pool of essays, four will be chosen and will be forwarded to the national scholarship committee. The internal review of essays will begin on Jan. 14, 2022.
To be considered, interested sophomores and juniors should contact: Dr. Mirafzal, (Department of Chemistry, 213 Morgan E. Cline Hall of Pharmacy and Science, x4811) no later than Dec. 10. I would encourage you to speak to me earlier than that, however, to get a start on the essay and on the other application material.
Several Drake students have received this scholarship in recent years and our hope is for that to continue. The scholarships are prestigious and the students that have received them have gone on to well known institutions for graduate studies.
— Gholam Mirafzal, Windsor Professor of Chemistry
The Des Moines Women’s Club has 14 different scholarship programs available to students from Polk, Boone, Dallas, Jasper, Madison, Marion, Story, or Warren Counties. Applications are due Jan. 18, 2022.
To learn more about the available scholarships and to apply, visit desmoineswomensclub.com/scholarships.
— Ryan Zantingh, Student Financial Planning
Join us Nov. 29–Dec. 2 at 11:30 a.m. for lunch and a semester catch up with fellow students and Hannah Clayborne, dean of students. Lunch will be provided at Hubbell Hall and sign up is limited to 10 students per session on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is required. Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Contact Gina Ryan (gina.ryan@drake.edu) with questions.
First-year students, Nov. 29 https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4AAFA82AA7FFC52-lunch
Sophomores, Nov. 30 https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4AAFA82AA7FFC52-lunch1
Juniors, Dec. 1
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4AAFA82AA7FFC52-lunch2
Seniors, Dec. 2
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4AAFA82AA7FFC52-lunch3
— Hannah Clayborne, Dean of Students
