Graduate Student Life

PUB CRAWL!!

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 17:19:31 GMT

We will be joining together in community and socializing on Thursday October 5th. Please come out, have some free food, and meet other graduate students.
7-8pm: Free food at http://www.pdx.edu/profiles/5228/Smith Memorial Student Union (SMSU). Look for the signs.
8-9pm: Meet at http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=24#nullMcMenamins Market St Pub
9-10pm: Head over to http://www.paccinirestaurant.com/Paccini's in the Ione Plaza.
10-11pm: Wrap up at http://www.cheerfulgrills.com/venues_tortoise.htmlThe Cheerful Tortoise
Tell your friends, stop by and have a libation or a soda. Now's your chance before classes begin!

Changes to PSU Health Insurance

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 17:22:46 GMT

The extended student health insurance plan is making some significant changes this year. Not only will the per-term rates be going up, but they are now �age banded,� meaning they vary based on your age�the older you are, the more you will be paying. Benefits are changing as well. Last year the deductible (the amount of money you need to pay before the insurance will start paying your health expenses) was only $150, inclusive of prescriptions. Now, the deductible is going up to $500, with a separate $150 deductible for prescriptions. That means rather than paying $150 per year out of pocket, you could be paying up to $650 out of pocket. One more big change is the co-insurance. Last year�s plan was what�s commonly known as an 80-20 plan: Once you�ve paid your $150 deductible, the insurance would pay 80% of most expenses and you paid the remaining 20%. This year, the co-insurance is dropping down to 75-25; that�s 5% more you can expect to pay out of pocket.

The link below is a handy little PowerPoint that the insurance company has put together for PSU students to explain these changes and answer any questions you may have. They include the new rate schedule as well.

http://www.shac.pdx.edu/insurance/06-07PSUDomestic.ppt

With this all said, know that you do not have to go with PSU Insurance. We are not advocating one way or another, just informing you of your options. You could get an individual plan through a private company, such as Kaiser, Providence, Regence, etc. and possibly get better coverage for cheaper! Take charge and protect yourself.

Graduate PLUS loan application now available online

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 17:24:18 GMT

Below is an article from PSU News. The basic jest of it is the following: The cost of attendance has risen to around $23k, this varies based on the individual. The max grads can get in Stafford loans is $18.5k, so... clearly there is a gap, which most of us make up by working or selling our souls. However! As of July 1st, you can now apply as a student for the Graduate Plus Loan Program up to the amount of the difference. I'm not a Financial Aid specialist, so do your own research to verify all the details. This sounds like a great opportunity!

Portland State University�s Office of Student Financial Aid in partnership with Northwest Education Loan Association has made the application process for the new 2006/07 Graduate PLUS loan even easier! Graduate students, you can now apply for the Graduate PLUS loan online. Or, if would prefer, a paper Graduate PLUS loan application is also available. The Graduate PLUS loan is a federal loan for independent students attending graduate school with a fixed interest rate of 8.5%. To be eligible for this loan, graduate students must be enrolled at least halftime, have submitted a FAFSA, be a U.S. citizen or national, a U.S. permanent resident, or an eligible non-citizen and pass a credit check. A 3% origination fee and up to 1% federal default fee will be deducted from the loan amount. With a Graduate PLUS loan, students may borrow up to the full cost of attendance, less other financial aid received.

Federal student loan program exposes data on 21,000 users

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 17:23:43 GMT

p>This is not a place for personal commentary, so I am masking it as an announcement concerning students.

Once again, the Federal government has lost our data. As a veteran, I thought it was bad enough when the Department of Defense lost 26.5 million veteran identities, then the Department of Transportation lost Florida identities, but now it hits closer to home. The Department of Education has lost 21,000 loan applicants identities. Good job by the software company ACS. It looks like our $5-billion dollars in tax dollars was well spent!.

New PSU Logo is here

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 17:25:02 GMT

It's over, amidst all the controversy the new PSU logo has been choosen. Read the entire Q&A here. Love it or hate it, it's here.