Do you know a fellow student you think everyone else should know? Is there something you are involved in that you’d like others to know about? If so, consider nominating yourself or a fellow student to be featured in The Snellen Letter! Anyone can be considered for a Snellen Spotlight! Spotlights are not limited to accomplishments and can occur in or outside of optometry. A spotlight could feature someone with a unique skill, area of interest, hobby, story, or experience. We aim to feature a broad scope of students and learn more about who is in our community. If you have questions, please contact Jen Bennett at bennett.1075@osu.edu. If you are ready to spotlight or be spotlighted, complete a nomination (in five minutes or less) at https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0DpfcpIHNHLRRC5.

Last week, Dr. Earley (via e-mail) invited OPT II and III students to apply for The Ohio State University Sesquicentennial Scholar Leadership Program. Sesquicentennial Scholars will receive a $2,500 scholarship; participate in high-level leadership training; receive professional development support; and serve as sesquicentennial ambassadors for the university at programs and events. The opportunity to be connected to and build a network within the larger Ohio State community can provide lasting benefits that stretch beyond the program itself. You do not need to have held a formal leadership position or see yourself (today) as a leader to apply.

Learn more and apply at https://150.osu.edu/scholarship.html. Applications from second- and third-year students will be accepted through February 1, 2019. If you have questions, feel free to contact Jen Bennett at bennett.1075@osu.edu.

OSU Votes will provide free transportation to students who want to participate in early voting at the Franklin County Board of Elections for the November election. For more details and sign-up information, please visit https://activities.osu.edu/involvement/osuvotes/early_voting_transportati/.

The SMART lab provides a number of coaching, computer-mediated learning, and group activity services that help students develop stress management and resiliency skills. Located on the fourth floor of the Physical Activities and Educational Studies building (PAES), the SMART lab’s mission is to teach and research the efficacy of stress management and resiliency skills. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit https://u.osu.edu/smartlab/.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available to file for next school year. Students and families will use income tax information from two years prior (2017) to complete the application. In addition to the FAFSA, the University application for 2019-2020 Special Scholarships is also available. Deadline for the FAFSA and Special University Scholarships is February 1, 2019.

FAFSA: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa
University application for Special Scholarships: https://sfa.osu.edu/secure/schapp/

FAFSA Tip
Students who qualify are strongly encouraged to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to import tax information directly to the FAFSA. Using this tool should streamline the verification process and Health Professions Loan application process should you be chosen or receive this loan.

What is Ohio State’s Federal School Code?
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY-ALL CAMPUSES
COLUMBUS, OH
Federal School Code: 003090

How do I make sure I am considered for the Health Professions Loan?
Once navigating to the “dependency status” section of the FAFSA, be sure to answer YES to the question as listed below:
You are considered an “independent” student. This means you are not required to answer questions about your parents. However, you may want to answer questions about your parents if:

• You are a law school or health profession student (such as a medical or nursing student), or
• Your school requires parental information from all students.

Do you want to answer questions about your parents? Yes       No

More FAQ’s from the Department of Education: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/help

If you have additional questions, please contact Justin Griest.