Stone Center for Latin American Studies: Post-Katrina Information
Friday, September 09, 2005
Important Financial Info for Grad Students
Hi, all - Just wanted to let you know, if you haven't already done so, that you should visit the Tulane website to register with the University and to complete some paperwork relative to payroll.
First, access and complete the Employee Registration page. This will give the University administration some basic information they will need to help them facilitate the payroll process. In the comments section of this Registration form, please identify yourself as a Fellowship/Stipend student in the Latin American Studies Graduate Program and list me and my email contact information as a reference. Feel free to also include any additional questions or items you would like the administration to be aware of.
Second, please complete a Direct Deposit form and send it to the Tulane Administration in Houston via the instructions on the second page of this .pdf file. Even if you already have Direct Deposit set up, I would encourage you to complete the form again and send it in anyway. Keep copies of your records and emails. If sending the document by snail mail, you might want to send it certified mail, just in case. This will just ensure that the University will have bank account and deposit information for you on hand. If you are a new Grad Student who did not yet fill out a Federal Tax Withholding form, click here and follow submission instructions.
We are still awaiting confirmation from the University Administration of a number of issues related to your status as Fellowship/Stipend Graduate Student. Rest assured that we are working on this via every angle imaginable. We will clarify issues for you as the University Administration clarifies them to us.
In the meantime, please keep in mind that Tulane University has NOT guaranteed that it will reimburse you for any loans or out-of-pocket monies you spend on tuition/fees at your temporary host institution. In fact, I would advise you to operate as if Tulane will not reimburse you for the costs of tuition/fees at other institutions. Thus, if you are facing the prospects of a costly tuition bill, I would encourage you to explore any avenues for tuition waivers at your host institution and/or have your contact at the host institution touch base with either me or Dr. Reese to discuss the matter.
As I understand current University Policy, graduate students should still receive their stipends if they are continuing their studies at other institutions. This is good and welcome news. However, sorting this out, collecting the relevant paperwork and payroll data, and issuing checks or scheduling direct deposits will probably take some time to work out. So, you may want to investigate the possibilities of low interest or no interest loans to bide you over in the meantime. Please ask your host institutions about such possibilities.
For those of you choosing to pursue other opportunities and are delaying your studies until Tulane gets back up on its feet again, I expect your fellowship and stipend to be available and waiting for you.
Finally, on an unrelated note, all of you probably are eligible to receive some assistance from FEMA and/or Red Cross. I know that one Grad Student has already received a direct deposit of $2,000 from FEMA into her banking account. It is very much worth the wait in a line or worth the time spent in front of the computer filling out a FEMA grant application. Please make the effort to do so if you are really in a financial pinch. Foreign Students should also see if these avenues for support are available to you. After all, you are just as much a victim as anyone else. Just make sure you have as much documentation proving your admission, fellowship, residence in New Orleans, and immigration student visa status as possible on hand to answer any questions you might receive. In fact, you may want to touch base with your country's Embassy or local Consulate to see if there are any assistance programs in place from your own country's government or charitable relief agencies that can assist you in the absence of other sources of support.
If anyone has already explored these options, please feel free to share your experience and your tips in the comments section of this posting.
As always, I am available to answer any questions or concerns you may have. Please stay tuned and check in with me regularly. Abrazos to all.
First, access and complete the Employee Registration page. This will give the University administration some basic information they will need to help them facilitate the payroll process. In the comments section of this Registration form, please identify yourself as a Fellowship/Stipend student in the Latin American Studies Graduate Program and list me and my email contact information as a reference. Feel free to also include any additional questions or items you would like the administration to be aware of.
Second, please complete a Direct Deposit form and send it to the Tulane Administration in Houston via the instructions on the second page of this .pdf file. Even if you already have Direct Deposit set up, I would encourage you to complete the form again and send it in anyway. Keep copies of your records and emails. If sending the document by snail mail, you might want to send it certified mail, just in case. This will just ensure that the University will have bank account and deposit information for you on hand. If you are a new Grad Student who did not yet fill out a Federal Tax Withholding form, click here and follow submission instructions.
We are still awaiting confirmation from the University Administration of a number of issues related to your status as Fellowship/Stipend Graduate Student. Rest assured that we are working on this via every angle imaginable. We will clarify issues for you as the University Administration clarifies them to us.
In the meantime, please keep in mind that Tulane University has NOT guaranteed that it will reimburse you for any loans or out-of-pocket monies you spend on tuition/fees at your temporary host institution. In fact, I would advise you to operate as if Tulane will not reimburse you for the costs of tuition/fees at other institutions. Thus, if you are facing the prospects of a costly tuition bill, I would encourage you to explore any avenues for tuition waivers at your host institution and/or have your contact at the host institution touch base with either me or Dr. Reese to discuss the matter.
As I understand current University Policy, graduate students should still receive their stipends if they are continuing their studies at other institutions. This is good and welcome news. However, sorting this out, collecting the relevant paperwork and payroll data, and issuing checks or scheduling direct deposits will probably take some time to work out. So, you may want to investigate the possibilities of low interest or no interest loans to bide you over in the meantime. Please ask your host institutions about such possibilities.
For those of you choosing to pursue other opportunities and are delaying your studies until Tulane gets back up on its feet again, I expect your fellowship and stipend to be available and waiting for you.
Finally, on an unrelated note, all of you probably are eligible to receive some assistance from FEMA and/or Red Cross. I know that one Grad Student has already received a direct deposit of $2,000 from FEMA into her banking account. It is very much worth the wait in a line or worth the time spent in front of the computer filling out a FEMA grant application. Please make the effort to do so if you are really in a financial pinch. Foreign Students should also see if these avenues for support are available to you. After all, you are just as much a victim as anyone else. Just make sure you have as much documentation proving your admission, fellowship, residence in New Orleans, and immigration student visa status as possible on hand to answer any questions you might receive. In fact, you may want to touch base with your country's Embassy or local Consulate to see if there are any assistance programs in place from your own country's government or charitable relief agencies that can assist you in the absence of other sources of support.
If anyone has already explored these options, please feel free to share your experience and your tips in the comments section of this posting.
As always, I am available to answer any questions or concerns you may have. Please stay tuned and check in with me regularly. Abrazos to all.
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Aaron - The first stipend checks should have been direct deposited into your bank account the Friday before the storm hit. The second one should have been deposited this past Friday. If you didn't receive these payments, please log on to the Tulane website and send an email to the Administration.
Also, please fill out the survey I sent out to all students a while ago so we can bring a comprehensive list of issues to the administration at once. Thanks and stay safe and dry.
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Also, please fill out the survey I sent out to all students a while ago so we can bring a comprehensive list of issues to the administration at once. Thanks and stay safe and dry.
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