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Issue 58, Volume 77
FINANCIAL AID
FAFSA procedures change Advisory committee: Students should wait until February to file financial aid applications Joshua Mann
THE DAILY COUGAR Students filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid this year should do something that has never before been advisable — wait to turn it in. The federal government now crossreferences data from the FAFSA with tax information in an attempt to cut down on
fraudulent aid claims, said Cedric Bandoh, chair of the Scholarships and Financial Aid Advisory Committee. Students should wait until after they or their parents have completed their taxes to avoid discrepancies that will result in the student automatically being selected for verification. “If you type in ‘I live at 123 Maple St.’ (on the FAFSA)... but then on your tax returns you actually spelled out ‘street’... you’ll be selected for verification,” Bandoh said. There is, however, an upside to the change. Students can “transfer IRS tax return data directly from the IRS website into the appropriate fields on the FAFSA,”
the UH website says, which should streamline the application process. But some students have to fill out the FAFSA before many employers give tax information in order to meet scholarship deadlines. “If you have to do your financial aid before Feb. 1... that’s OK,” he said. “We’re just giving you a heads up that you’ll most likely be selected for verification.” The process will likely take longer this year, but students are asked to remain patient.
HOW TO FILE
Seven steps to FAFSA Step 1: Students and Parents: File taxes as soon as possible in 2012 Step 2: Apply for a Federal Personal Identification Number at www.pin.ed.gov Step 3: Complete your FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov by April 1. UH Federal School Code is 003652 Step 4: Review Student Aid Report Step 5: Complete file if additional documentation is required Step 6: Check status in myUH at myuh.uh.edu Step 7: Accept aid in myUH For more information, visit: www.uh.edu/finaid2012.
FAFSA continues on page 2
Source: Scholarship and Financial Aid Advisory Committee
STUDENTS
CMAS
Cougars to compete in design ‘eco-marathon’
Mexican American Studies to have informational table The Center for Mexican American Studies will have an informational table from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wednesday at the University Center South Table. According to its website, CMAS was established in 1972 and consists of “teaching, research and publications, recruitment and retention, leadership training, academic advising, and community service.” “Its mission is to advance knowledge, promote critical thinking and foster the value of service to the community.” Students who visit the table will receive one cougar card. — Cougar News Staff
CAREER SERVICES
Free workshop to educate students about internships UH Career Services is having an internship workshop from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Student Services Center 1 Room 106. According to the Career Services calendar, the workshop “will focus on types of internships, sources of internship opportunities, and getting the most from an internship.” Students will receive one cougar card for attending. The workshop is free and open to the UH student body. For more information on this event or Career Services, e-mail ucs@uh.edu or call (713) 743-5100. — Cougar News Staff
Jed Ocot
THE DAILY COUGAR
Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs - Health and Wellness Floyd Robinson said one of his primary goals is to expand the Health Center. | Emily Chambers/The Daily Cougar
FACULTY
Assistant VP for Health and Wellness appointed Ryan Rockett
THE DAILY COUGAR The current Director of the UH Health Center Floyd Robinson has been appointed to the newly created position of Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Health and Wellness, and has stated expansion of the Health Center and renewed focus on student wellness as primary objectives moving into the future. Robinson was named assistant vice president effective Jan. 1. He was handpicked by Vice President for Student Affairs Richard Walker, who began looking at candidates during the Fall semester. Walker cited increasing student
population in the health center and counseling offices as reasons to create the position. “My feeling is that obviously the physical and psychological well-being of students is an area we need to focus more on,” Walker said. “(Robinson has) a very good reputation on campus; he is a strong student advocate, and he meets the needs of students on campus.” Walker said Robinson will be in charge of compiling a research committee to explore the options of expanding the UH Health Center. Robinson, who has served as head of the Health Center for 18 years, said an expansion and ROBINSON continues on page 3
Five seniors from the College of Technology have been hard at work creating a prototype gasfriendly car to enter in two different competitions to fulfill their Senior Design requirements. According to Senior Design Instructor Raresh Pascali, one of the team’s faculty advisers, Team Superleggera — Italian for superlightweight — will first present their prototype in March at the Shell Eco-Marathon at Discovery Green and again in June at SAE Supermileage in Michigan. Since the project takes a full year to complete, Jose Guerrero began looking for members in May 2011. Edwin Rendon and Chris Wolf were chosen before the start of the semester, followed by Troy Whitney and Robert DiRocco in August. “I knew Edwin from a previous project in 2009, and then we picked Chris because Edwin and I worked with him also on a previous project,” Guerrero said. “Once the semester began, we chose Troy and Robert because they each brought something to the project that we needed.” UH has participated in the Eco-Marathon in five nonconsecutive years since 2006. “This team has a harder task. They have to obey more rules (than) the other teams, since
they are creating one prototype for two different competitions. The rules are different for both competitions, but they are working hard to make it work,” Pascali said. Among other rules, the team’s prototype must achieve a minimum of 1,000 miles per gallon while weighing less than 100 pounds, and it must run on a 3.5HP Briggs & Stratton engine. Daniel Boone Cycles and General Plastics & Composites both sponsor the team, helping them pay for the parts that are needed. “The body of the prototype will be built in a body shop, courtesy of General Plastics & Composites,” said Wolf, whose main task is dealing with external engine modifications like the transmission and fuel injections. Team Superleggera will face stiff competition from the better funded Canadian team, Rendon said. “Realistically, winning is very difficult because of lack of funds and manpower when compared to Canada’s team, (which) has lots of money and a team of roughly either 10 to 20 people,” Rendon said. “However, we plan on making history for the University by breaking the MPG record. From where I stand, Team Superleggera has already won... We have made sure that the city of Houston knows who we are.” news@thedailycougar.com