Greetings from the Office of New Student and Family Programs (NSFP) as we welcome you to a new academic year at Winthrop! The faculty and staff are excited to welcome new and returning students back to our beautiful campus. At Winthrop, we understand that parents and family members are vital to their students' academic and co-curricular success during their college career. You are all valued members of the Winthrop community where everyone is dedicated to the well-being, education, and growth of your student. We look forward to working with you through this academic year, keeping you connected to the university, and informed of opportunities for your student.
Please know that our office is here to help answer your questions and guide you through this experience. The Office of New Student and Family Programs will be your connection to the University. We are happy to serve as a point of connection for you through answering your questions or putting you in touch with those who can. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have by e-mailing us at familyprogramsga@winthrop.edu or calling 803/323-2387.
We wish the best to you and your students as we begin the 2017-2018 academic year. Go Eagles!
We also encourage you to download the Winthrop NSFP app, available for both iPhones and Androids. It has lots of info on it about WU and Family Programs.
iPhone: https://www.apple.com/itunes/
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/
You are invited to attend Family Day 2017 on October 7, 2017! This weekend provides you the opportunity to visit with your student and take part in numerous activities and events planned for your enjoyment. We hope to see you there!
The registration fee for Family Day is $25 per person. Family members six and under are not charged the $25 registration fee. Your registration fee covers a ticket for you and your student to attend the Family Day picnic, a Family Day giveaway, a variety of activities, and administrative costs. Please note that some optional activities have additional fees and are not included in the registration cost. You will also have the opportunity to purchase a Family Day T-shirt for $5 (S-2XL) when registering.
Family Day 2017 registration is open. For more information and to register for Family Day, please visit our webpage.
You will need to enter your student's last name and birth date to access the system. Once in the system, you will enter information for each family member you are registering.
Please note that the last day to register or cancel for a refund is Wednesday, September 27, 2017.
We hope you will join us on October 7! Please do not hesitate to contact our office at any time if you have any questions at 803/323-2387 or via e-mail at familyprogramsga@winthrop.edu
Welcome to Winthrop (or welcome back)! You've made an important decision and one of the most lucrative financial investments you will make in your lifetime: a college education. The financial aid staff at Winthrop University is here to assist you in furthering your education by helping you navigate the barriers and confusion you may encounter in the financial aid process.
We believe that you will find our office to be a financial resource center to you and your family. We are a team of professionals who are here to work in partnership with you to help you understand and manage your college expenses.
We know you and your family are quite busy as you begin the fall semester at Winthrop, but when you get a chance please check out our website . You'll find our website to be informative and helpful; we have prepared information that will guide you through the financial aid application process, explain the types of scholarships, grants, loans and work study available, explain how to remain eligible for financial aid, as well as much more information about the financial aid process.
Important Upcoming Dates — The 2018-2019 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available beginning October 1. We encourage you to complete the FAFSA as soon as possible. Winthrop University has a February 1 priority deadline to file the FAFSA in order to be considered for certain need-based programs. However, the sooner the FAFSA is completed, the better, especially as it relates to funding that may be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Financial Aid . An appointment is never needed to drop by the office and speak with us.
There he stood in the security line at the Charlotte Douglas Airport. The moment was surreal. He was tall, such a handsome young boy, standing in the line waiting for his turn to check in. I wondered, "How did I get here?" My mind drifted to years before and I recalled what seemed like yesterday. There he was sitting on my lap looking into my eyes telling me some very important story. I mean really, where did the time go? My attention snapped back to the present when I saw him move forward in the line and then it happened, he nodded his head to the agent, and then in one brief second, he turned to look for his dad and me. He found us. His eyes met mine and he smiled the most brilliant smile, and then waved at us and in an instant, he was gone. He disappeared into the crowd of people that were all going somewhere. His destination was Lugano, Switzerland. He was leaving me. My baby! My youngest! He was really leaving me! He was taking his first semester in college abroad. The reality hit me like a ton of bricks. Suddenly, I felt the panic rise and I thought to myself, "What were we thinking by letting him do this? Have both of us lost our minds?" However, the truth was that he was ready because we had prepared him for that moment for all of his brief 18 years.
Fast forward to the present and now at 23, he is a graduate of college, with a year of graduate school under his belt and he is applying for medical school. I don't think he would be nearly the person he is if we had not let him go. He needed time and experiences away from us to determine who he was and who he wanted to become. Did he make mistakes? Yes indeed! Did he suffer a few difficult consequences? Oh yes! Yet in each instance, he figured out the solution on his own, suffered through the consequences or (as a last resort when he didn't know what else to do) he knew he could call home and talk to us.
So here is my advice. Let go. That's right, tell them good-bye and leave them. Don't call them. Wait until they call you (because they will). Believe in them. Trust them to figure it out because they can.
Your young adult is on a learning curve, and they really are very resilient. However, when things don't go well, provide a safe place to talk it through so they can learn. As any parent knows, failures are possible. Just remember, failing at something doesn't mean they are a failure. It just means they need to reflect, reevaluate and try again.
So from one parent to another, let me leave you with this, let your baby go so that they can return to you as the responsible young adult that you are hoping for.
Here are some tips for family members provided by the Department of Residence Life.
We are pleased to announce that the Parent Portal is now available for use. This allows Winthrop students the ability to grant access to their information to parents, guardians, or another third party. Depending upon the level of access granted by the student, authorized users may view addresses, grades, unofficial transcripts, class schedules, financial aid, and emergency contacts.
Only student can grant access or remove access at any time. This does NOT take the place of your signed Permission to Release Records form. That form is still needed to allow parents/guardians to talk with instructors or to obtain copies of academic records.
For more information and instructions on how to set up a proxy, visit the Office of Records and Registration website.
For your lodging needs please contact the Inn at Winthrop located in the heart of campus in Joynes Hall.
The Inn at Winthrop features 12 elegantly-appointed suites and is certified by the South Carolina Green Hospitality Alliance as a Two Palmetto facility for green practices that protect and preserve the environment. Consider staying with us for Family Day!
Contact Kelly Shelton; 803/323-2300
