June 2024
From the President
Dear Parents,
My wife Lisa and I had two students attend Wheaton last year. When spring semester ended, they moved home. They also brought a few other Wheaties with them—friends from the College who for reasons of work or family needed a place to stay this summer. So, with six men and women in the house from age 19 to age 23, we’re not empty nesters anymore, at least not for the next few months.
Moving back home is an adjustment for everyone, as many of you know. We need to buy more groceries. There’s also a little more chaos in the house. Somehow, our Wheaties have a way of moving halfway home, but not all the way.
Of course, going back home is an adjustment for our students as well, as they try to remember how to live with their families again.
On the plus side, we also have more laughter in the house, too, and livelier conversations—such a gift. It has been especially encouraging for Lisa and me to hear our daughters talk about how much they have grown this past year, how meaningful their friendships have been, and how hopeful they are about the future.
Lisa and I hope you also have a chance to connect with your Wheaton students this summer, whether right at home or on phone calls with sons and daughters halfway around the world. Please join us in praying that, wherever they are, all our students will make even more progress this summer as they use their gifts and grow in Christ.
In Christ’s service,
Philip Ryken
President
Welcome, New Parents!
If this is the first time you are receiving this newsletter, that means you are officially a Wheaton parent. Welcome to the Wheaton family!
Throughout the year, the Parent Engagement team works to keep you well informed and one way is through this monthly e-newsletter. Each issue contains important information pertaining to your student’s Wheaton experience, so we encourage you to read the newsletter in its entirety.
We look forward to meeting new parents on campus at the beginning of Wheaton Passage in August. We will send pertinent information about Wheaton Passage via email, so keep an eye on your inbox, but in the meantime, familiarize yourself with the parent website. For those who like to plan ahead, make note of future dates.
We are here to support you as you launch your student at Wheaton. It’s an exciting time and we can’t wait to see you on campus!
Update Your Contact Information
Returning parents, we want to be sure our information reaches you, so if any of your contact information has changed, please complete the update your contact information form. Thank you!
Passage: The Orientation Program of Wheaton College
Wheaton College's program to welcome new students into the campus community is called Passage. Passage is designed to foster new connections and provide a compelling experience for every new student at Wheaton. The Passage team is filled with anticipation as we look forward to the arrival of the Class of 2028 and new transfer students.
On Passage, students arrive with their families on August 14 or 15. Student leaders, faculty, and staff will help students move in and join you in worship, devotions, and programs to help you get to know Wheaton. After move-in and opening activities, new students depart on Passage trips across the Midwest to the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, HoneyRock in Wisconsin, or the City of Chicago in Illinois. On these trips, students can forge friendships with other new students and take their first Wheaton College Course: Holistic Human Flourishing. They'll get a vision for how to steward their time at Wheaton in a way that honors Christ. Following the Passage trips, students return to campus for student-focused programming to learn more about academic and club options, campus life, and residence life. Classes start on August 28, 2024.
As you prepare for your arrival, please make sure you are arriving on the correct day. Arrivals on August 14 include football players, international students, music majors, and Wilderness Passage students. Plan to arrive between 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Arrivals on August 15 include Northwoods and Urban Passage students and transfer students participating in Passage in Chicago.
As you plan, check out the helpful packing lists for all Passage tracks.
If you have further questions, please visit the Passage website or reach out to passage@wheaton.edu. For those with accommodation requirements, the Learning and Accessibility office is ready to assist. Please send an email to LAS@wheaton.edu. The Student Financial Services office is also available to answer any questions about financial assistance for the Passage program's $995 cost. Families can reach out to sfs@wheaton.edu for more information.
Center for Vocation and Career Summer Opportunities
We are pleased to present the annual Life After Wheaton report for the undergraduate Class of 2023. The Class of 2023 reported a 96.1% landed rate (employed, interning, furthering education, or pursuing other adventures of their choice) within six months of graduation, compared to the national average of 85.7% in 2022 (NACE).
Earlier this summer the CVC hosted workshops open to all alumni but tailored specifically for recent graduates. Our two sessions focused on Confident Budgeting, led by alumni Adam '09 and McKenzie Temple '10, and Building Professional Community, led by the CVC's own Sarah Laribee. If you have a recent graduate that missed out on these sessions, have them email CVC@wheaton.edu to request a recording and the resources shared!
Summer is a great time to gain meaningful professional experience. For students or graduates looking for ways to develop workforce skills and build their resume this summer, check out employer-designed job simulations through Forage, get paid for short-term professional assignments through Parker Dewey, or browse thousands of courses on LinkedIn Learning.
Registration for Fall 2024 Classes
Continuing students should already be registered for Fall 2024. Incoming students (first-year and transfer) should review their admitted student checklist for all tasks related to registration and onboarding to Wheaton College. Transfer students are required to meet with Academic Advising; please encourage your student to check their Wheaton email for details about transfer student registration.
Additional note for first-year students: the Academic Advising Office is happy to assist with registration via email (academic.advising@wheaton.edu) or with an advising appointment. Students can use their Wheaton credentials to make an appointment here. Our AIT Help Desk team is very helpful for technical issues, so if your student encounters technical issues making an appointment, they should reach out to AIT.Service.Desk@wheaton.edu or call 630-752-HELP. First-year students need to complete an advising questionnaire (available June 3) before they are given a time to register in early July. All students should be registered for CORE 101: First Year Seminar and a minimum of 12 hours/credits before arriving for Passage!
Student Financial Services
2024-25 Financial Aid Offers
This month, Student Financial Services will begin preparing 2024-25 financial aid offers for continuing students. Students will be eligible for the same total amount of need-based aid that they received in the 2023-24 school year, but they must still complete a 2024-25 FAFSA to receive need-based funds and a student loan offer (see our Need-Based Aid renewal policy for details). Please work with your student to file their 2024-25 FAFSA if you have not already done so. Students must start the form and will identify their parent contributors, and then parents will receive an emailed invitation to complete the parent portion of the FAFSA. The FAFSA filing process has changed significantly this year, so we recommend reviewing the Tips for Preparing To Fill Out the FAFSA® Form at the Federal Student Aid website before your student begins their form.
Students should check their Financial Aid Dashboard and complete any outstanding financial aid requirements to avoid delays in receiving their offers. All required documents not submitted by online forms should be scanned and uploaded using our Secure File Transfer. Emailing sensitive financial information is not recommended for security reasons.
Please encourage your student to monitor their Wheaton email account over the summer. This is our main method of communication regarding any missing or incomplete requirements and to notify them that their offer is ready to view and accept on their Financial Aid Dashboard.
Fall 2024 Billing and Payment
Fall 2024 billing statements will be published online in the Billing & Payment Gateway in late July with a due date of August 28, 2024 (first day of classes). Students and their Authorized Users will receive an email when the bill is ready. Fall payment plan enrollment will be opened when bills are published. Wheaton bills by semester, so payment plan participants must enroll in a new plan each semester. The payment plan application fee will increase from $40 to $50 beginning in the fall however, there is still no interest charged for the convenience of our pay-as-you-go payment option. The late payment penalty that is assessed when balances are not paid or enrolled in a payment plan by the semester due date will increase from $75 to $95. More details regarding Billing & Payment at Wheaton can be found on our website.
Not receiving monthly billing email notices? Students need to grant parent access to the Billing & Payment Gateway under their profile for Authorized Users. Students log in through their student portal. Once authorized, parents will receive two automated emails with login credentials which will allow access to account activity, online payments, and payment plans. This also gives our office permission to speak with parents about their student’s account. It is recommended that parents and students log in to the Billing & Payment Gateway after receiving a billing email notice to review their accounts for new charges and credits. Authorized Users log in here.
Please direct questions to Student Financial Services at sfs@wheaton.edu or 630-752-5700.
Ministry and Evangelism
The office of Ministry and Evangelism has sent 27 students to eight different international ministry partners this summer. We are grateful for these experiences and for the commitment that students have made in preparing for these cross-cultural ministry opportunities. Would you consider praying for these students? We are specifically praying that our students are filled with the love of Christ as they serve, learn, and partner with these organizations in the redemptive work of the Gospel!
Conferences on Campus This Summer
If you have not yet experienced the summer at Wheaton, you might not know that the College keeps the campus busy, busy, busy! The Event Services department helps fill campus with a wide range of visitors staying in our residence halls, gathering in our classrooms and meeting rooms, and enjoying the beautiful outdoor spaces on campus - as well as everything the Chicagoland area has to offer!
The Event Services department helps the College exercise faithful stewardship of facilities that would otherwise remain vacant during the summer months as we support Christian organizations in their evangelism and discipleship efforts.
In addition to graduations, recitals, and concerts in our performance and meeting spaces, Wheaton will host over 25 residential camps and conferences, including music camps, sports camps, and Christian youth conferences. Our hope and prayer is that as these guests (especially many young people) experience God’s presence on our campus, they’ll remember Wheaton when the time comes to make their own college decisions and join us back here again. We invite you to pray for those who will visit Wheaton this summer: that their experiences would be encouraging, uplifting and rewarding.
Global Programs and Studies
Global Programs and Studies seeks to develop global Christians through sustained, meaningful intercultural study and engagement and supports the priority to “globalize a Wheaton education.” As part of these efforts, each summer Wheaton faculty lead study abroad programs and students participate in international internships around the globe. This summer over 120 students are enrolled in the following opportunities:
- Wheaton in England (May 22-July 19, 2024), led by Drs. Dyanne and Tom Martin
- Wheaton in Korea (June 24-July 19, 2024), led by Dr. Hanmee Kim and Dr. Greg Lee
- Wheaton in Spain (May 21-July 13, 2024), led by Prof. Sharenda Barlar and Dr. Tamara Townsend
- Individual International Internships
Ways to Pray for Wheaton this Summer
Every Wednesday morning throughout the summer faculty and staff are invited to walk campus together and pray for the year ahead. Please join us in praying according to the prayer-walk schedule.
- June 19 – Campus visitors
- June 26 – Chapel and Discipleship Ministries
- July 10 – Students
- July 17 – Staff
- July 24 – Faculty
- July 31 – Events and activities
- August 7 – Passage Orientation
With thanks for your involvement and prayers,
The Wheaton College Parent Engagement Team
