Parent Newsletter - March, 2023

From the President

Dear Parents,

My wife Lisa and I had the fun of attending two President’s Balls this Spring—one on February 20 with 1,465 Wheaton students at Chicago’s House of Blues—and another one over Spring Break with 18 Wheaton in Mexico students at “Baile del Presidente.”

Since its launch in 2014, Wheaton in Mexico has become one of our most popular semester-long, off-campus programs, led by Spanish Professor Tim Klingler in the beautiful colonial city of Querétaro, Mexico. We enjoyed walking through the cultural sites of a city founded in 1561, sharing meals with students, admiring their Spanish language skills, and meeting their host families and local pastors and ministry leaders. Our students are well cared for in Querétaro, as they are on all our campuses.

Classes back in Wheaton will resume on Monday, March 13. Our seniors will be focusing on making the most of their friendships and finishing their coursework before they graduate on May 7. We are grateful for a good year at Wheaton College, and we look forward to seeing many of you at Commencement.

In Christ's service,

Philip Ryken
President 

Commencement Weekend: May 6-7

Bravo! Congratulations to the parents of our soon-to-be alumni of the Class of 2023! We look forward to welcoming you to campus to celebrate this significant milestone in the life of your family. As you make plans to attend Commencement, please visit the Registrar’s Commencement Week Event Schedule and Undergraduate Commencement FAQS for helpful information. If you have additional questions, they can be directed to the Registrar’s Office by emailing registrar@wheaton.edu or calling 630.752.5045.

Shop the Campus Store for Graduation-Related Items

If you are looking for graduation announcements, class rings, and related items, check out what the campus store has to offer.

March 22 – Show Your Love for Wheaton Students

On March 22, 2023, Wheaties from across the globe will once again come together for Wheaton's fifth-annual giving day, WheatonGives. This year, with brand-new giving options, the game has changed.

Your gift toward the Wheaton Fund, Academic and Need-Based Scholarships, CVC Internships, or Athletics during WheatonGives allows every student to have a more excellent and affordable Wheaton education.

Parents, when you make an early gift at wheaton.edu/wg23, you can vote for your son or daughter’s club or sports team to win extra prizes and nominate one of their friends for a $5,000 scholarship. If you are a parent of a senior, your gift automatically enters you to win one of four extra graduation tickets!

If you have any questions or want to make a leadership gift to sponsor one of our many exciting challenges, please contact annual.giving@wheaton.edu.

Center for Vocation and Career (CVC)

The CVC welcomed Olivia Zimmermann Lorimer '11 as our new director in January. In addition to growing our team's career education and employer connections teams, Olivia is eager to collaborate with other student-serving offices on campus. Recent partnership events include a joint panel event with the Wheaton Conservatory about careers in music/arts administration featuring Career Coach Hannah Wood, and a joint panel event with the International Student Program featuring alumni currently on F-1 visas.

The CVC welcomed more than 100 students on Saturday, February 25 for our annual What Are Your 5? event. This event provided first-year and sophomore students the opportunity to take Gallup’s CliftonStrengths assessment and connect with juniors and seniors to learn more about their top five Strengths. See the photos on LinkedIn for a glimpse into the fun!

We will launch our Senior Series for the Class of 2023 right after Spring Break! Our first event is the popular Nothing Bundt Budgeting session on March 16, led by Alex and Lindsay Copler Aja ’15 (featuring bundt cakes, of course!). Other events include Professional Palooza on March 30, Senior Job Fair on April 12, and Senior Celebration on April 21. Tell your soon-to-be graduate to check with the CVC to learn about resources and events just for them!

 

Men’s Basketball Plays in Sectional Round on Friday, March 10

The Wheaton men's basketball team won a pair of NCAA Tournament games last weekend in King Arena to advance to the Sectional Round of the 2023 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament. Wheaton will face University of Saint Joseph (29-1) Friday, March 10 in the Sectional Semifinal, hosted by Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. Wheaton's game will tip off at 4:30 p.m. (EST), while the second Sectional Semifinal between Christopher Newport (26-3) and Mary Hardin Baylor (23-5) is slated for a 7:30 p.m. (EST) start time. Friday's victors will play in the Sectional Final on Saturday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m. (EST).

Fans that wish to watch games live can watch the online broadcast here and livestats will be available here. 

Tickets for each day are $15 for chairback seating and $10 for general admission. Children 2 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased online at this link.

Student Financial Services

Registration for Summer ’23 and Fall ’23 begins in March.

Student account balances must be paid down below $1000 or covered by a Wheaton payment plan before students can register for future semesters. Please review your student’s account (Authorized User login) and make sure that their balance is covered and that financial aid has disbursed. Estimated Financial Aid will result in a finance hold even for those enrolled in a payment plan. If there is still Estimated Financial Aid that has not disbursed, there may be outstanding requirements that need to be completed. Students should check their student portal Financial Aid Dashboard for instructions and contact our office if they have any questions.

If you are unable to pay the account down before your student’s assigned registration date, consider signing up for a payment plan, applying for a Federal Parent PLUS Loan (studentaid.gov ) or securing a private student loan with your student.  Payment plans are still open for enrollment which is completed online in the Student Billing and Payment Gateway.  Any missed installments will be due when you sign up.

2023-2024 Financial Aid Awards

Please work with your student to file their FAFSA if it has not already been submitted. It is especially important for students to check their financial aid dashboard for outstanding financial aid requirements to avoid delays in receiving awards. All required documents or forms that are not submitted online should be scanned and uploaded using our Secure File Transfer. Emailing sensitive information is not recommended for security reasons. 

Not receiving monthly e-bill notices? Students need to grant parents access to the Student Billing and Payment Gateway under their profile for Authorized Users. Students log in through their student portal and once authorized, parents will receive two automated emails with login credentials which will allow access to account activity, on-line payments, and payment plans.  This also gives our office permission to speak with parents about their student’s accounts. It is recommended that parents and students log in to the Billing and Payment Gateway at least once each month when the eBill notices are sent to review their accounts. Authorized Users log in here. 

How to Pray for Wheaton in the Month of March

• Pray that faculty, staff, and students will commit everything they do to the Lord. (Psalm 37:5)
• Pray that faculty and students will return from spring break with renewed strength and that they will run and not grow weary as they enter the final months of the academic year and push towards the finish line. (Isaiah 40:29-31)
• Pray that families who are in a season of pain and suffering experience God as their refuge and strength and a God who is always ready to help in times of trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

With thanks for your involvement and prayers, 

The Wheaton College Parent Engagement Team