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Announcements for Students

• (5/16/13) All May term registrations that are not paid for will be cancelled on Monday May 20, at 8 am EST. Please review your account summary now and make sure that you do not have an outstanding balance. Acceptable payment arrangements are approved financial aid (as shown on your account summary) and the Time Payment Plan.
• (5/13/13) Late registration opens today at 9 a.m. and closes Friday 5/17 at 5 p.m. E.S.T. If you register during the late registration period, your registration must be paid for immediately or your enrollment will not be finalized and your classes will be cancelled. If you sign up for the time payment plan, the first 1/3 payment installment must be made at the time of enrollment.
• (5/10/13) Payment for the May term is due by 5:00 p.m. E.S.T. today. You must have payment or payment arrangements in full in place (as shown on your account summary) to avoid cancellation of your enrollment. Students who registered or changed their registration since May 6 will not receive a paper bill.
• (5/3/13) If you register or change your May registration after May 6, you will not receive a paper bill. You may view your account summary online. The payment due date for the May term is May 10, 2013. Enrollments not paid in full, or through approved financial aid, sponsorship or enrollment in the time payment plan will be cancelled after the payment due date.
• (4/30/13) The payment due date for the May term is May 10. Registrations not paid for by this date will be cancelled. If you are on the time payment plan, your first 1/3 payment is due by May 10.
• (4/29/13) Only 1 week left to submit work for the 5^th Annual Student Art Competition. The art will be turned into a poster and will be displayed throughout the college. Students will be honored at the Student Academic Conference. First, second and third place winners receive a monetary award. Students can submit their work anytime between now and May 3, 2013. For more information or to submit, please visit our web site http://www.esc.edu/studentart. If you have any questions please contact Danielle Benedict at (518) 587-2100 extension 2255.
• (4/26/13) The Student Connection ,a student-run newsletter, has launched its 50th issue. Have you read a book or seen a movie lately? Why not write a review for the student newsletter? For more information or to get involved, see our Book/Movie Review Submission Guidelines or contact the editor at Student.Editor@esc.edu.
• (4/17/13) Not sure when and where your graduation ceremony will take place? Check the college calendar for details.
• (4/16/13) Students can now view the status of their 2013-2014 federal financial aid online, including whether any information is required in order for federal aid to be determined for the 2013-2014 school year. You'll find the link on the “My Records” tab, in the “My Financial Aid” section.
• (4/8/13) The Student Connection, a student-run newsletter, has launched its 49th issue. We are seeking student reporters/writers. Articles will cover general-interest and college-related topics, as well as student/alumni/faculty profiles. For more information or to get involved, see our Article Submission Guidelines or contact the editor at Student.Editor@esc.edu.
• (3/27/13) Registration is filling up fast for Empire State College's first ever Student Wellness Retreat, to be held May 16-18 in Albany NY. Learn yoga, Pilates, swing dance, get tips on time management and stress management, learn about affordable health insurance options, indulge in a massage, meet other students, and so much more! Register now, while space is still available, for free at choose.esc.edu/swr2013.
• (3/26/13) Registration for the May "A" and "B" terms opens today at 9 a.m. and closes on Friday May 10 at 5 p.m. E.S.T.
• (12/20/12) For students forced to withdraw because of Hurricane Sandy: SUNY Board of Trustees has passed a resolution on tuition assistance.
• (11/15/12) Hurricane Assistance Website Available: Empire State College has launched a hurricane assistance website at www.esc.edu/hurricane..
• (10/30/12) The student telecommunications fee will increase to $125 per term, effective January 2013. The fee increase comes only after careful consideration of the need for an increase, consultation with a representative number of students, and approval by the State University of New York. The telecommunications fee exclusively supports the use of technology by and for students across the college and will increase to reflect the higher level of service now being provided to students.

  In order to keep the total cost of attendance as low as possible for students, the telecommunications fee has been kept at an amount lower than actual costs. Last year, college spending on student-related technology was $2.5 million more than the associated fees collected. With this increase to $125 per term, the fee is still among the lowest of all SUNY campuses. Last year, the average campus technology fee, as the telecommunications fee is referred to at most SUNY campuses, was $180 per term.
  
  The telecommunications fee supports the student learning online learning management system, hardware and software in the student computer labs at each of the college’s regional learning centers, helpdesks and Internet services to name a few.

• (10/12/12) The application for graduation is now available on MyESC under the Student Services and Information tab, in the "Graduation" box.
• (7/6/12) Important Message for Financial Aid Students: Look for your Higher One card in the bright green envelope! The college is changing the way we process financial aid refunds beginning with the September term. Cards from Higher One started shipping last week. When you receive your card, visit www.ESCChoiceCard.com to choose the way you would like to receive your financial aid refund. Visit www.esc.edu/refunds for complete information on the new refund process.
• (6/4/12) Tuition rates for the September term have increased as the next phase of SUNY rational tuition plan becomes effective (subject to formal administrative actions). In addition, there have been some changes to tuition rates for military students and their families. Visit www.esc.edu/tuition for complete information.
• (6/4/12) Important Message for Financial Aid Students: Beginning with the September term, the college is changing the way we process financial aid refunds. We have partnered with Higher One, Inc. to offer you more ways to receive your refund, including direct deposit. Sometime after July 1, 2012, you will receive a card in a bright green envelope from Higher One that you will use to indicate your refund choice at www.escchoicecard.com, so please make sure we have your correct address. Go to My Records to change your contact information, and visit www.esc.edu/refunds for complete information about the new refund process.
• (2/2/12) The Financial Aid Orientation materials for 2012-2013 have been released. We recommend that all current and new students review the presentations to ensure understanding and maximum financial aid eligibility
• (10/6/11) The college's Annual Safety and Security Report and Procedures is available on the Safety and Security web site (http://www.esc.edu/safetyandsecurity).
• (3/17/11) Important notice about the Smarthinking online tutoring service:
  Empire State College has a contract for tutoring services through Smarthinking.com. Note that this is Smarthinking with only one "T". An unofficial site has been launched (www.smartthinking.com -- notice the two "T"'s) which prompts individuals to enter their credit card information. Students should ONLY utilize the Smarthinking.com site, or go through the college's Smarthinking portal at www.esc.edu/smarthinking. See the full announcement for details.
• (3/31/09) Beware of Financial Aid Scams:
  This is a reminder that if you receive correspondence from an outside agency asking for significant personal information and a processing fee for financial aid it is most likely a scam. We highly encourage you to NOT respond to this type of request, as you could lose the fee and jeopardize your personally identifiable information.
• Need some tips for registering online? View our online demo at http://www.esc.edu/RegistrationDemo.