Bulldog Basics 2020

Bulldog Basics - A Virtual Event

• Welcome from President Debbie Cottrell

  

• 3 Things You'll Need to do for the Registrar

  

  
  Throughout your time at TLU, you'll most likely interact with TLU Registrar Glenn Yockey and his team in Registration & Records (Beck Building, first floor). The Registrar's office handles:

  • Transfer credit and transcript evaluations
  • Enrollment verifications
  • Course registration and schedule changes
  • VA certifying benefits

  For now, Glenn has three things he wants incoming students to accomplish before move-in day in August:

  1. Make an ID picture: Log in to MyTLU. In the upper right-hand corner, you'll see your user icon. Go to My profile & settings. Click on My photo to upload. Your photo must be taken from the shoulders up, in front of a gray or brown background. No hats or glasses may be worn in the photo. No outdoor photos. The image should be similar to a driver’s license photo.
  2. Set your FERPA permissions on MyTLU>Student>Registration and Advising>Set FERPA Permissions
  3. Check in online: Log in to MyTLU>Student>Online Check-in to make sure you clear all holds and then check in online Wednesday, August 19 or Thursday, August 20.
• Final Items to Complete for Financial Aid

  

  Financial Aid Documents
  

  In order to ensure a smooth check-in and move-in process at the start of the semester, it is important that you complete all required financial documents as early as possible over the summer.

  The status of your documents may be viewed on MyTLU by clicking the “Admissions” or “Student” tab and then “Financial Aid Information.” Then navigate to the “Document Tracking” section to view all items.

  By now you have most likely received and reviewed your financial aid offer letter and net costs summary sheet. If you still have any questions regarding this information, please reach out to Student Financial Services for assistance.

  Student Employment

  In addition to the aid available that directly applies as payment to your student account (such as scholarships, grants, and loans) you may also want to consider applying for student employment opportunities that help you not only earn more money but also gain valuable experience to add to your classroom education. Available positions may be viewed on MyTLU by clicking “TLU Info” and then “Student Employment.” Students must be eligible for Federal Work Study in order to apply for any off-campus community service opportunities.

  Satisfactory Academic Progress

  We want to remind students that in order to maintain eligibility for aid during all years of attendance, you must be sure to complete the FAFSA each year beginning October and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, or SAP. Good standing for TLU scholarships and Federal aid is a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA and completion of at least 75% of the credit hours attempted. If you are receiving the state funded Tuition Equalization Grant, you must maintain a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA, completion of at least 75% of attempted credit hours, and earn a minimum of 24 credit hours per academic year.

  Billing Statements

  Fall billing statements should be available by mid-July. They will be sent to the student's TLU email address and will be accessible online via MyTLU. Payment for the fall semester is due August 10th. If choosing the installment plan option, the first payment will be 40% of the total balance owed. The account will then be assessed a $50 installment plan fee. The remaining balance will be divided into three payments due the 15th of September, October and November. We encourage payments be submitted electronically via MyTLU for the most secure processing, but payments may also be processed in person via the cashier window in Student Financial Services or by mail (check or money order only). Please note that the cashier window in Student Financial Services is open Tuesdays and Thursdays during regular business hours.

  Most third-party payments, including Veteran Education benefits, Tuition Saving Plans, and outside scholarships will be sent directly to TLU from the agency providing payment and will be applied to the student account balance.

  If a student account has an expected credit balance (or refund) from financial aid resources, some or all of that credit balance may be transferred to Bulldog Bucks to be used at the TLU Bookstore. Credit refunds from financial aid will not be made available to students until the first Friday after the census date (or 12^th class day). For the fall semester, this will be September 18^th.

  If you have any questions related to financial and or student accounts, please contact our office by phone at 830.372.8010 or by email at StudentFinancialServices@tlu.edu.

• Admissions To-Dos: Final Transcripts, Meningitis Shot Record

  

  Your Enrollment & Financial Aid Checklists
  

  The enrollment checklist can be found on your Student Status Page and contains details on the specific items you need to complete before check-in this fall. You will notice an enrollment checklist and a financial aid checklist on your Student Status Page. The items on both checklists will need to be completed before you check in.

  When the Admissions Office receives an item on your enrollment checklist, the status of that item will change to “received.” Some items, such as transcripts and meningitis shot records, may take a business day or two to update as “received” after they are submitted to our office.

  Links will be included on your status page if a checklist item requires you to access a different website. Many of these items will be accessed through your MyTLU student portal. As a student, you will use MyTLU on a regular basis to check your student account, financial aid, grades, and course materials. Your login credentials to this account were emailed to you when you were accepted.

  You will also see on the checklist that we require official, final transcripts from each school you attended. A final transcript includes grades for all semesters enrolled, including the most recent semester. High school transcripts must include the date of graduation. These transcripts must be sent directly from the institution in a sealed envelope or through an official electronic reporting system.

  Transfer students must submit final transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. First-year students must submit their final high school transcript, as well as any final college transcripts where dual credit was earned. If you have earned credit through CLEP or AP examinations, you will need to send official scores to TLU.

  Meningitis Shot Record

  Another checklist requirement is the meningitis shot record. Texas State Law requires that all students under the age of 22 who are entering a college or university in Texas must be immunized against bacterial meningitis. The vaccination must be administered between August 15, 2015 and August 15, 2020, and the record was required to be submitted to the Office of Admissions by July 1st. If you missed this deadline, you will have a hold on your account. To remove this hold, your vaccination record should be emailed as a PDF to applicant@tlu.edu.

  It is important that all of these items are submitted on the enrollment checklist as soon as possible. Items that are not submitted will eventually become holds on your student account and will remain there until the item has been received. All holds must be cleared in order to check in for orientation and to begin attending class.

  Additional Items

  For more information and contact details for Veteran Affairs, FERPA, and Dining Services, and the enrollment/check-in process, view the quick reference guide here.
  

  If you need any assistance on enrollment steps, your admissions representative will be happy to assist.

• Freshman Experience (FREX) - Summer Project

  

  Incoming students will need to purchase #TLUBulldogs from the TLU bookstore and read it during the summer break. A few weeks prior to the beginning of the semester, you will think about your life experiences thus far and think about your story as it might appear in #TLUBulldogs. Choose what you would consider a defining moment. Tell this story and then explain what you learned and/or how it made an impact on you. Choose a defining moment you can be truthful about, one that you are willing to share with others. Look for parallels between your defining moment and the educational stories in #TLUBulldogs. In your essay, explore and explain how at least one or two of the stories in #TLUBulldogs mirror your own experiences.

  • 500+ words, 12-point, Times New Roman font, double-spaced
  • Your reflection will be shared early in the semester in your Freshmen Experience (Frex 134) course.
  • Estimated Time of Preparation: several hours of active reading, thinking, writing, and revising

  Questions may be directed to FREX 134 Director Mark Dibble by email: mdibble@tlu.edu.

• Recordings of Virtual Bulldog Basics I and II