Administrative Announcements January 19 - January 25, 2016
Administrative Announcements January 19 - January 25, 2016
Faculty Services
Seeking Nominations of Graduating Students for Prestigious Labor and Employment Law Award
The Co-Directors of USF’s Labor and Employment Law Program invite all students and faculty members to submit nominations of graduating students to be considered for the ABA/Bloomberg Award for Excellence in the Study of Labor and Employment Law, which the Law School has been awarding annually since 2004. This Award recognizes outstanding achievement and commitment to the labor and employment law field, which may be demonstrated in a variety of ways, including active and thoughtful engagement in the law school’s curricular and non- curricular offerings, volunteer or work experience, and relevant research or scholarly work.
Please email the names of nominees by February 1st to Professor Michelle Travis (matravis@usfca.edu), Professor Tristin Green (tgreen4@usfca.edu), or Professor MariaOntiveros (ontiveros@usfca.edu). Self-nominations are welcome. You may also include a brief explanation of why you believe the individual is a strong candidate for the Award. Award recipients will be announced at the Annual Jack Pemberton Lecture on Workplace Justice, which will take place at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals at 6:30pm on Thursday, February 25th. Recipients will also have their names listed in the graduation program and will receive a certificate, book award, and recognition on the BNA/Bloomberg website.
Financial Aid Office
-Spring 2016 Registration & Financial Aid
-Spring 2016 Financial Aid Disbursement
-Spring 2016 Financial Aid Refund for Living Expenses
-Spring 2016 Tuition Payment Deadline
-Important Information for 2L, 3L and 4L Part Time Students Regarding Add/Drop
-Upcoming Scholarship Deadlines
Spring 2016 Registration & Financial Aid
All law students must be in good academic standing AND registered for Spring 2016 classes before any Spring 2016 financial aid can be disbursed (unless there is a hold on your student record for an unpaid fall balance or any other administrative or academic matter). No aid for Spring 2016 will be disbursed unless you are registered for the minimum number of units required by the US. Department of Education for Financial Aid Disbursement, which is 6 units minimum for full time students and 3 units minimum for part time students.*
*Please note: that USF School of Law School requires that all full time students register for a minimum of 12 units per semester and all part time students register for a minimum of 8 units per semester.
If you did not register for Spring 2016 classes during the fall online registration period, your financial aid will NOT disburse until AFTER you register for classes during the late registration period which begins on January 7, 2016. Funds typically disburse to the University twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays. Once you are registered for the appropriate number of units, funds will disburse on the next Monday orWednesday, depending on when you complete late registration.
Spring 2016 Financial Aid Disbursement
The earliest disbursement date for Spring 2016 financial aid was Monday, January 4, 2016.
To be eligible to receive financial aid, students must be in good academic standing and have accepted the financial aid offered to them and completed all other requirements for disbursement including being registered for spring classes. Please be aware that waitlisted units do NOT count towards the minimum unit requirement for financial aid disbursement.
If you have not applied for financial aid for the 2015-2016 academic year, you can still apply for aid by completing the 2015-2016 FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov. You must complete the current 2015-2016 FAFSA no later than April 1, 2016 in order to be considered for aid for this current academic year. Be sure to list USF’s Title IV code which is 001325 on your FAFSA.
Financial Aid Refund for Living Expenses
The disbursement date is NOT the date that you actually receive a refund in your bank account. The disbursement date is when funds are sent to the University on your behalf. Once funds are disbursed to the University and your tuition bill is paid, it takes an additional 2-5 business days for any excess aid (or refund) to reach your bank account if you are signed up for direct deposit refund processing. Please be aware that the University only processes loan refunds twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, whichever comes first after disbursement.
IMPORTANT: For students enrolled in direct deposit refund processing, this means that you may not have received your financial aid refund in your bank account until the first week of class on January 11. Please be sure to plan your finances accordingly. Please note that the Law School has no control over the refund processing schedule as it is performed by the USF One Stop Office.
Students not signed up for direct deposit refund processing will be sent a refund check 10-15 days AFTER funds disburse. You can sign up for direct deposit refund processing online. Instructions are available at: https://myusf.usfca.edu/onestop/billing-tuition/refunds
Spring 2016 Tuition Payment Deadline
Spring 2016 Tuition payment was due on January 2, 2016. The USF One Stop Student Accounts Office has already posted your Spring 2016 tuition bill on your USF student account. You can view your bill online via your myUSF student account. Payment must be made by personal funds, Authorized Financial Aid, a combination of personal funds and Authorized Financial Aid, or you must be signed up for the payment plan by January 2, 2016: https://myusf.usfca.edu/onestop/billing-tuition/payment-plan
IMPORTANT- Failure to make your tuition payment by the above payment methods will result in late fees assessed on your student account by the USF One Stop Office and a Hold will be placed on your student record. The Hold will prevent you from receiving certain services from the University and Law School, including the opportunity to Add or Drop a class, request official transcripts and register for upcoming summer and/or fall classes if applicable. Holds will be lifted only AFTER tuition reconciliation is completed.
Important Information for 2L, 3L and 4L Part Time Students Regarding Add/Drop
Late registration and Add/Drop began on Thursday, January 7, 2016, AFTER your spring financial aid disbursed and AFTER had already been processed for a financial aid refund. Adjustments to your financial aid may be necessary if any of the following situations occur during Add/Drop:
If you Add a class AFTER your refund has been processed, you will be immediately billed for the additional units. You will need to submit a payment with personal funds to pay for the additional units (or make an personal payment using the funds you received as a refund). If you already received the maximum financial aid for the semester BEFORE you added class, you can request additional financial aid to cover the cost of the additional units. For more information, please contact Rosanna Woods, the Assistant Director for Law Financial Aid at rlwoods@usfca.edu or call 415.422.6210.
If you Drop a class AFTER your refund has been processed, with the intention of adding another class with the same unit value, you must Add and Drop on the same day, otherwise you run the risk of a an outstanding tuition balance due on your USF student account.
If you Drop a class after your refund has been processed, and you do not intend to add another class, you will create a credit on your USF student account. You must notify the Law Financial Aid Office immediately by contacting Rosanna woods, the Assistant Director for Law Financial Aid, at the contact information above. Otherwise you will be inadvertently issued a refund for this credit, which you will be required to repay the University since you are not eligible to receive financial aid for this dropped class.
Important: The Law Financial Aid Office will conduct an audit of all Part Time students' financial aid records after the February 1, 2016 census date (last day to withdraw without penalty). If your financial aid for the spring semester is not appropriate for the unit load you are registered for, we will make the necessary adjustments to your aid and you will be notified via email. Please remember that any over-award (receiving financial aid in excess of your unit load), will result in the USF One Stop Office returning those funds to the lender and creating a balance due on your USF student account. It is critically important that you review your student account after the census date to insure that your account is reconciled. Any unpaid balance will result in late fees assessed on your student account and a Hold placed on your student record, which will prevent you from registering for the upcoming fall semester.
Upcoming Scholarship Deadlines
Arent Fox Diversity Scholarship
Arent Fox will provide a scholarship award in the amount of $15,000 to three first-year law students, position in the 2016 Summer Program, and an opportunity to attend the leadership conference in Chicago, IL.
Award Amount: $15,000
Deadline: 1/20/2016
http://www.arentfox.com/firm/diversity/diversity-scholarship
California Bar Foundation Public Interest Bar Exam Scholarship
Through the Diversity in the Public Interest Scholarship, the Foundation awards BarBri Bar exam review courses (valued at more than $4,000) and cash awards to recent and soon-to-be diverse graduates of California law schools.
Award Amount: Varies
Deadline: 2/16/2016
http://www.calbarfoundation.org/bar-exam-scholarship.html
Agnes Jones Jackson Scholarship
Applicants for the Jones Johnson Scholarship must be a member of the NAACP and under 25 years of age. Awards are based on GPA and academic achievement.
Award Amount: Up to $2,000
Deadline: March 2016
http://www.poisefoundation.org/programs/scholarships.html
California Bar Diversity Scholarship
The California Bar Foundation's Diversity Scholarship financially supports first-year California law students with the goal of furthering diversity in the legal profession. Diversity includes a broad array of backgrounds and life experiences, including students from groups or with skills or attributes that are underrepresented in the legal profession, and specifically including students from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Award Amount: $7,500
Deadline: Apps Available March 2016
http://www.calbarfoundation.org/diversity-scholarship.html
Chicana / Latina Foundation Scholarship Program
Each year the Chicana Latina Foundation awards merit-based scholarships to Latina college students, valued at $1,500 dollars each. This year we are delighted to offer 31 scholarships.
Award Amount: $1,500
Deadline: March 2016
Farella Braun + Martel 1L Diversity Scholarship
Applicants must be current first-year, full or part-time (attending first-year classes) law students who are students of color, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community, disabled, or whose background or experience would otherwise contribute to the diversity of the legal profession.
Award Amount: $10,000
Deadline: March 2016
http://www.fbm.com/Diversity_Scholarship_Program/
La Raza Lawyers Association-Central Valley Chapter/Hon. Mario Olmos Memorial Scholarship
Applicants must be presently enrolled in the first, second, third or fourth year of legal study. Application materials can be picked up in the Law Financial Aid Office.
Award Amount: $1,000 to $3,000
Deadline: 03/04/2016
LULAC National Scholarship Fund
The LULAC National Scholarship Fund was established to provide scholarships to qualified Hispanic students attending accredited colleges, universities, and graduate schools in the United States.
Award Amount: $250 to $2,000
Deadline: March 31 of each year
http://www.lnesc.org/site/338/Scholarships/LULAC-National-Scholarship-Fund
If you have any questions related to financial aid, please feel free to contact the Law Financial Aid Office at 415.422.6210 or email lawfinaid@usfca.edu
International Externships
International Summer Externships
Today is the Deadline to apply for International Summer Externships: Opportunities are available in China, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Vietnam, and in cities throughout Europe with local and U.S. based law firms, NGOs, courts, and government and intergovernmental agencies. Applications are due Tuesday, January 19th. Click on these links for additional information, as well as the application and academic and financial aid information. Questions, please contact Esther Sprague at lawsummerabroad@usfca.edu, in KN342 or by calling 415.422.6280. It’s going to be a great summer!
Office of Student Affairs
MUNI Passes are on sale now
We’re pleased to announce that we will be offering discounted MUNI bus passes to students in our program for the Spring semester.
The MUNI Pass is valid until May 26, 2016 and can be purchased for $116, which represents approximately a 40% discount from the regular monthly price. Please note that lost or stolen passes cannot be replaced, and the pass will be void if removed from your student ID.
To participate, put in a request for your MUNI Pass before midnight on Tuesday, January 26, 2015 by following these instructions. Be sure that you have $116 in your Dons Dollars Account at midnight at the time of your request and on January 26. Your account will not be charged until the 26th, regardless of when you make your request.
No exceptions can be made if you miss the deadline for purchase. If you have trouble with the form, please contact ONE CARD. If you don’t get a confirmation, please contact ONE CARD (onecard@usfca.edu or 415-422-7663).
Passes must be purchased in advance and may be picked up in person outside in the Student Boulevard during one of the following times:
Monday, February 1 and Tuesday, February 2
12:00pm – 1:30pm
5:30pm – 6:30pm
For more information, contact Megan Watt at mwatt@usfca.edu.