March 2024 Family Newsletter

The Radford University family newsletter is a monthly resource for parents, aunties, siblings, abuelas, besties and all supporters of Radford University students. The goal is to keep you informed about upcoming events, important dates, and new opportunities for your student to enhance their Highlander journey. 

Welcome to the new Radford University Family Newsletter! You'll notice several new features including a "subscribe" button for folks who want to join the community to receive the monthly update and short videos introducing campus resources. We hope you enjoy the new and improved format.

Let's make the big announcement right up front!

Mark your calendars and get your hotel rooms for Family Weekend 2024. We'll celebrate September 27-29, 2024. There will be some annual favorites in the lineup as well as some new experiences to engage the entire family. And remember, "family" is an all inclusive word - bring along friends, companions, cousins, and anyone else who loves your Highlander! A full schedule will be released this summer and for the limited number of events that require tickets, those will be available in August. 

Hello! My name is Evan Barnes. I am a rising senior in our Geospatial Science program. Home for me is a small town with only one stop light in southern Virginia. This small town is known as Gretna. Coming from a small town can be challenging, as it feels like you are stepping into a huge lake compared to your small pond. As for me, I had to take a large jump into this lake as I was the only person in my high school graduating class to decide on Radford University. Radford offered me what no other college really offered, a smaller college with a small bustling community surrounding it. It felt as if the smaller classes and campus were just perfect for me.

Connections in my mind are the most important thing to have while in college. Whether that be friends, bosses, or professors who will help you further your education and development into an adult. I know that they offer so many different opportunities to get involved in campus life. This includes clubs or events such as the Bonnie Bash or even basketball games. If you have an interest, I am sure there is a community that you can find in over 250 clubs offered by Radford University. Getting involved can change your life. I know it has for me and is one of the most important lessons that I’ve learned in college.

Now, parents, I have a challenge for you. The challenge is to push your kids to get out of that dorm room and encourage them to meet their peers within the community and find themselves along the way. Coming from personal experience, being influenced by my parents to find friends and get involved was a pivotal moment in my life. Encouraging your child to find their community within Radford may be a life-changing moment for them as well.

Evan (third from left, standing) with four friends hanging out at "the Bonnie."

It is time to file your FAFSA 2024-2025 – make sure you have submitted the FAFSA for next year by our March 1st priority deadline. The FAFSA can be submitted online at studentaid.gov.

The FAFSA for 2024-2025 is very different than prior years. Many students and families are encountering issues that cannot be resolved by financial aid offices.  If you are not able to complete and submit your FAFSA we encourage you to file a ticket with the Federal Student Aid helpdesk for support - https://studentaid.gov/help-center/contact.

All financial aid recipients are expected to meet the satisfactory academic progress standards to be eligible to receive financial aid for future academic years. Make sure to read the Financial Aid Satisfactory Progress Policy (radford.edu/progress) and understand what is expected as a financial aid recipient.

Summer financial aid review started the week of February 5th. If your student plans to take courses during the summer 2024 sessions, encourage them register early so we can review aid eligibility. 

All financial aid information is available to view in OneCampus 24/7. We launched the financial aid dashboard in late December 2023, and it provides a comprehensive overview of financial aid status and requirements.  Make sure to check-out the financial aid dashboard – https://onecampus.radford.edu.

With the numerous changes and delays with the 2024-2025 FAFSA we will continue to communicate with students regularly via email.  Please check-in with your student to make sure they are reading, responding, and sharing all emails from the Office of Financial Aid.

Please check our website regularly, as information is released about FAFSA changes we will continue to share updates.

It’s Spring Break and we’re already missing our students at McConnell Library!  

Families:  please encourage your students who used library services and resources in their course-based research within the past 12 months to apply to the Winesett Awards for Library Research! Submissions are due by Sunday, March 24th at 11:59 p.m. EST There will be six $800 awards between two undergraduate levels and the graduate level.

After break, it’s time to get back to the books, in more ways than one:

Other events coming soon:

Ongoing weekly events:

Encourage your student to join us as we unveil an exciting lineup of culinary events for March and April! From tastings to interactive festivities, our calendar is brimming with opportunities to delight your taste buds, expand your culinary horizons, and create unforgettable memories. Plus, don't miss the return of JOYFUL with an exciting twist in April! Stay updated by visiting dineoncampus.com/radford or connecting with us on social media at @radfordudining on Instagram and Facebook. Let's embark on a flavorful journey through the spring season, where every bite tells a story and every event promises a delectable experience! 

Upcoming Events:

March

      March. 11th - 16th: Crunch Lab @ Honeycomb Commons 

      March. 14th -15th: Onsite Insights

      March. 15th: Off-Campus Apartment Teaching Kitchen

      March. 17th: St. Patrick’s Day & St. Patty Dinner @ Dalton Kitchen

      March. 18th - 22nd: Crunch Lab @ Dalton Kitchen

      March 19th: Pepsi Beverage Tasting

      March. 20th: International Day of Happiness and DIY Pickles

      March. 27th: Battle of the Movies

      March. 29th:Off-Campus Apartment Teaching Kitchen with Guest Chef Robert Rivera

April

      April. 1st: April Fools' Day 

      April. 11th: JOYFUL

      April. 22nd: Earth Day

      April. 24th: Stop Food Waste Day

      April. 25th: Teaching Kitchen

There are many more events available on the University Calendar and all student organization events are in RUInvolved. 

This newsletter is published by the Division of Student Affairs.