Texas A&M

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Hello 2012 future classmates,
Anyone planning to purchase a sphygmomanometer & stethoscope through the school’s suggested sector -- APhA-ASP? Well, I contacted Mr. Kanwar and was told that it is $20 each and was asked to spread the words.
 
Hi.

Do any of you know what to wear to the pre-orientation? (Male-wise)
I'm planning on a nice dress shirt with dress pants along with a tie. Also dress shoes.
I hope no vest/tux.

See you all at Pre-Orientation!
 
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I called Debra Wells today with that and other questions and she said they should go out late this week or next week. So they are on the way.
 
I must have missed the memo or something because I wasn't expecting it to be $39.

That is good news about the financial aid going out next week, because I need it. I wonder if all of these little costs are factored into the estimate.
 
CaptainPicard said:
I must have missed the memo or something because I wasn't expecting it to be $39.

That is good news about the financial aid going out next week, because I need it. I wonder if all of these little costs are factored into the estimate.
Click to expand...

Aid should be based on COA versus need. The FA department will attempt to satisfy your individual financial need with money from all sources(SEOG, TPEG, HB 3015, Stafford Sub and Ubsub). This info can be found on the TAMHSC website. Here's a link: http://www.tamhsc.edu/education/finaid/cost-of-attendance.html

I already did some preliminary budgeting, and their listed COA comes pretty darn close to my estimate(rent, food, gas, books, tuition/fees, personal).
 
kingbobo100 said:
TAMUK has a shuttle system that goes to the corpus christi airport and surrounding areas.
Click to expand...
Hi Kingbobo

what number did you call to schedule the shuttle to pick you up at the airport? How much does it cost from corpus christi airport to the school? thanks.
 
I believe the number I called was 361-593-3606.

The process was pretty complicated for me the first time I did it and you have to do it about a week ahead of time.

I found an old shuttle request form on the TAMUK website and I filled it out and faxed it in. A day later someone emailed me requesting more information and gave me a confirmation number. That, I believe is the correct way to do it.

But, I think a faster way is to contact this person at [email protected] and include the following information:

Noelia A. Najera
Administrative Assistant
Dean of Students Office
700 University Blvd.; MSC 122
Kingsville, TX 78363
(361) 593-3606 (o)
(361) 593-3947 (f)

1) Flight itinerary provided by travel agency/airline and flight confirmation number
2) Address in Kingsville (if you live in Kingsville)
3) Cell phone number (if you have one)
3) Purpose of your trip (why are you going from the airport to TAMUK)
5) Student ID Number

The shuttle was free of charge.

Hope this helps. :)
 
thank you Kingbobo for the information. It"s very helpful.
kingbobo100 said:
I believe the number I called was 361-593-3606.

The process was pretty complicated for me the first time I did it and you have to do it about a week ahead of time.

I found an old shuttle request form on the TAMUK website and I filled it out and faxed it in. A day later someone emailed me requesting more information and gave me a confirmation number. That, I believe is the correct way to do it.

But, I think a faster way is to contact this person at [email protected] and include the following information:

Noelia A. Najera
Administrative Assistant
Dean of Students Office
700 University Blvd.; MSC 122
Kingsville, TX 78363
(361) 593-3606 (o)
(361) 593-3947 (f)

1) Flight itinerary provided by travel agency/airline and flight confirmation number
2) Address in Kingsville (if you live in Kingsville)
3) Cell phone number (if you have one)
3) Purpose of your trip (why are you going from the airport to TAMUK)
5) Student ID Number

The shuttle was free of charge.

Hope this helps. :)
Click to expand...
 
It looks like that A&M sent out financial aid award letters to everyone yesterday. Students should have received an e-mail containing a PDF with instructions for Stafford loans and a Word document that contains their financial aid information along which is to be sent back to the Health Science Center. It looks like that most students received a small amount from the Texas Public Education Grant (TPEG) that should not have to be paid back if accepted, along with substantially larger numbers for the subsidized Stafford loan and the unsubsidized Stafford loan. Since we're all classified as independents (as a result of attending graduate/professional school), we should have all received similar, if not identical, reward amounts for the two Stafford-type loans. The TPEG amount, however, might vary. Generally, though, the TPEG is a small amount. Notably, although this has yet to be confirmed, the financial aid award letter probably does not include information concerning the Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students (SDS). The SDS form is still due on July 25 and students should have received the SDS form via e-mail sometime last week.

As alluded to earlier, the Texas Public Education Grant is not a loan. It is a grant and much like a scholarship, it does not need to be repaid. In laymans terms, it's free money.

The difference between the subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans lies in how interest accrues. Subsidized Stafford loans do not accrue interest until 6 months after a student is no longer a half-time or full-time student. Usually this means 6 months after you graduate, but this also applies to unconventional circumstances such as illness, financial difficulties, or other life conditions that may force a student out of school for a discernible amount of time. Unsubsidized Stafford loans accrue interest while you are a student. However, no amount of money has to be paid until 6 months after school. In short, the subsidized Stafford loan is better than the unsubsidized Stafford loan. However, as in the case of A&M's financial aid, the maximum amount available from subsidized Stafford loans are smaller than unsubsidized Stafford loans.

In general, Stafford loans are relatively safe and popular. If you do decide to take out a Stafford loan, be sure to fill out some extra paperwork online (such as an online Entrance Counseling form). It's not that bad, but it does provide a little bit of busy work (anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour).

Anyho, start faxing!

--Garfield3d
 
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Garfield,

I haven't received a grant or scholarship before, but I seem to remember when I filed my taxes that I was asked about it. Any idea how "money you don't have to pay back" affects your taxes? Loans and interest are deductions, but I think the grant/scholarship are something different. Thanks!
 
TAMUPharmD2011 said:
Garfield,

I haven't received a grant or scholarship before, but I seem to remember when I filed my taxes that I was asked about it. Any idea how "money you don't have to pay back" affects your taxes? Loans and interest are deductions, but I think the grant/scholarship are something different. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Sorry PharmD, but I'm afraid I'm not very familiar with taxes and tax deductibles around college expenses. It is best for you to ask someone else; perhaps call the financial aid office?

I was under the impression that student loans are deductible because of the interest, and this detail does not apply to grants and scholarships. http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc456.html expands on this requirement of student loan deductions with the following requirements for claiming a student loan deduction:
IRS.gov said:
  1. You paid interest on a qualified student loan in tax year 2007
  2. Your filing status is not married filing separately
  3. Your modified adjusted gross income is less than $65,000 ($135,000 if filing jointly)
  4. You and your spouse, if filing jointly, cannot be claimed as dependents on someone else's return
Click to expand...

So, you are right in saying that grants and scholarships should not be classified as a "student loan" deduction.

Additionally, grants and scholarships also cannot be filed as a "tuition and fees" deduction. This is stated in http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc457.html with the following:

IRS.gov said:
You cannot claim a deduction or credit based on expenses paid with tax-free scholarship, fellowship, grant, or education savings account funds such as a Coverdell education savings account, tax-free savings bond interest or employer-provided education assistance.
Click to expand...

In short, it doesn't seem like you'll be able to deduct a grant or scholarship for anything. Honestly, I'm not sure what a grant or scholarship would count for.

In the technical sense, a grant or scholarship falls in as your income. But, in most cases, it's tax-free. If you use the entire scholarship or grant to pay for your cost of tuition and other "fees" (such as books, your sphyg and steth, and items 'required for the courses'), it should be tax-free and you'll barely notice it on your final tax calculation. If, however, you end up using the scholarship money for non-tuition type stuff (importantly, this includes room and board), then your scholarship money (or the part that you used for the non-tuition costs) will become taxable. You can refer to Chapter 1 of Publication 970 at http://www.irs.gov/publications/p970/ch01.html for the exact text and more details. You can also visit http://www.irs.gov/publications/p970/index.html to read Publication 970 in its entirety.

In short, how your grant and scholarship show up on a tax form will depend on how you use that money. If you use it for tuition and fees, then the money won't count towards your taxable income. If you do use it for other stuff, then the money will be counted just like a wage or salary from work.

I do want to note that my understanding of the tax interactions surrounding loans and scholarships isn't comprehensive, and I am not familiar with the nuances and details that a tax adviser or professional might know. It might be better for you to talk to a financial professional on this.

--Garfield3d
 
Planning on applying for 2009 and was wondering if you have to write any essays for A&M Kingsville?
 
Only school I have heard of doing this. That takes some pressure off when you are applying to multiple schools. Thanks for the response.
 
TTUMike said:
Only school I have heard of doing this. That takes some pressure off when you are applying to multiple schools. Thanks for the response.
Click to expand...

actually let me clarify, you dont have to write an essay for the initial application, but the essay will be a part of the interview process
 
OK a little off topic but is anyone here buying the Lenovo laptop through the school. I got my Dell checked out at the preorientation and then the video card started overheating and now it will stay on for 10 minutes and then shut down. So needless to say I have to buy a new one. Just wondering what you were doing....
 
talkingdonkey said:
OK a little off topic but is anyone here buying the Lenovo laptop through the school. I got my Dell checked out at the preorientation and then the video card started overheating and now it will stay on for 10 minutes and then shut down. So needless to say I have to buy a new one. Just wondering what you were doing....
Click to expand...

walmart has a very good deal on an 15.4 in HP laptop with 3 gb ram for 598. its looking pretty good to me.
 
Garfield3d said:
I do want to note that my understanding of the tax interactions surrounding loans and scholarships isn't comprehensive, and I am not familiar with the nuances and details that a tax adviser or professional might know. It might be better for you to talk to a financial professional on this.

--Garfield3d
Click to expand...

Where's MedicalCPA when you need him???
 
Hello.

Does anyone know if it is required to have Windows Vista Business on our laptops or is Window Vista Home Primium fine? I try e-mailing them today, but their all out for the week. Just wondering if anyone knows for sure.

Also, they talked about discounts on softwares, does anyone know how much of a discount?

Thanks.
 
First of all the IT guy reccomended sticking with XP Pro if possible...

Secondly... very much of a discount... https://software.tamu.edu/sell-student/credentials.aspx

20 bucks for Vista Ultimate
10 for XP Pro
20 for Office 07

Finally, we can't buy anything until the school registers us... which is what several of us are waiting on...
 
Hello again,

I think this is the last question I have before orientation.

Does anyone know if we are able to purchase books at the school. I have already purchased all my required and recommended books except for one, which is Communication Skills for Pharmcists for Clinical Communications. I have tried to find it, but I just can't find a place to order or purchase it.

Many Thanks and See you all on the 14th and 15th.
 
pharmdsrus said:
Hello again,

I think this is the last question I have before orientation.

Does anyone know if we are able to purchase books at the school. I have already purchased all my required and recommended books except for one, which is Communication Skills for Pharmcists for Clinical Communications. I have tried to find it, but I just can't find a place to order or purchase it.

Many Thanks and See you all on the 14th and 15th.
Click to expand...


I found it at amazon.com and half.com had it also
 
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