Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some frequently asked questions. If you don't find the answer you need, please call our office at (413) 577-4444 or e-mail us at umassparents@acad.umass.edu.
- What is FERPA?
- When are bills sent and when are they due?
- Who are bills sent to? Is there a way for the bill to be sent to the parent?
- How does my student know who his or her advisor is?
- My student is having some trouble in a class, how can he or she find a tutor?
- Will I receive grades or progress reports for my student?
- I would like to mail something to my student in the residence halls, how do I address it?
- How are packages delivered to students who live on campus?
- I would like to send a gift package to my student, how would I go about doing that?
- I am the parent of a new student, is there anything for parents to do during my student’s orientation session?
- What is the best way to find out about arts and events on campus?
- What can I do to be a university advocate?
- I would like to make a donation to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, how can I go about doing that?
What is FERPA?
FERPA stands for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law also known as the Buckley Amendment. FERPA allows present or former students at educational institutions access to educational records kept on them, as well as basic protections of privacy of their records. The law applies to educational records, which are defined as those records that are directly related to a student and maintained by an educational agency or institution.
A copy of FERPA can be found in the Code of Student Conduct that is available on the Dean of Students web site.
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When are bills sent and when are they due?
Bills are mailed out in July for the fall semester and in December for the spring semester. They are due one month after receipt. Specific due dates are printed on the bill. Students can also access their billing record on SPIRE.
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Who are bills sent to? Is there a way for the bill to be sent to the parent?
Bills are set to the student at their designated local address. If a student would like the bill sent to their parent's address, they can go on SPIRE and add a “Billing Address” field with the preferred billing address.
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How does my student know who his or her advisor is?
Undeclared students can meet with an advisor through Undergraduate Advising. To make an appointment with an advisor call (413) 545-2191.
Declared students should contact their academic department as each handles advising slightly differently. A listing of academic departments can be found at www.umass.edu/umhome/academics/dept.html.
For more information, see Academic Advising.
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My student is having some trouble in a class, how can he or she find a tutor?
Learning Resource Center (LRC), formerly Learning Support Services, on the 10th floor of the W.E.B. DuBois Library offers free tutoring to all university students in a wide variety of subjects. Visit the LRC website at www.umass.edu/lrc to check the tutoring schedule and learn more about their other resources.
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Will I receive grades or progress reports for my student?
Due to the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA), grades are released only to the student. FERPA also restricts the release of financial information. The university does not issue progress reports prior to the release of semester grades. It is each student’s responsibility to keep track of their own progress by following the grading criteria set forth in each course’s syllabus, which is issued during the first class meeting.
More information about FERPA can be found in the Code of Student Conduct that is available on the Dean of Students website.
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I would like to mail something to my student in the residence halls, how do I address it?
Mail should be addressed to your student as follows:
Student Name
Name of Residence Hall, UMass Amherst
Residence Hall Street Address, Room #
Amherst, MA 01003 - (4-digit extended ZIP)
An alphabetical listing of residence halls and addresses can be found at: www.housing.umass.edu/reshalls/halls_alpha.html.
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How are packages delivered to students who live on campus?
Regular Package Delivery
U.S. Mail and United Parcel Service (UPS) deliver packages to the residence halls. Packages that do not fit in a student's mail slot will be left in the hall’s mailroom, and they will be notified that a package has arrived.
Overnight Mailings
UPS delivers overnight mailings to the residence halls Monday through Friday only.
U.S. Mail does not deliver Express Mail packages to the residence halls. Express Mail is held at the central Amherst Post Office, 141 N. Pleasant St. and can be picked up during regular business hours.
A Federal Express (FedEx) World Service Center is located on the second floor of the Campus Center. Business hours are Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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I would like to send a gift package to my student, how would I go about doing that?
University Dining Services has a variety of gift package options. For information on their gift packages, including an online order form go to http://www.umass.edu/diningservices/for-parents.html.
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I am the parent of a new student, is there anything for parents to do during my student’s orientation session?
The New Students Program offers a Parent and Family Program that runs concurrently with the new student orientation sessions. More information can be found at www.umass.edu/newstudent/parents.
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What is the best way to find out about arts and events on campus?
To find out about arts and events happening on campus or in the Amherst area visit the following online calendars:
UMass Amherst Events Calendar:
www.umass.edu/umhome/events
Five College Calendar of Events:
http://calendar.fivecolleges.edu/FiveCol/calendrome.cgi.
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What can I do to be a university advocate?
Information about our advocacy programs can be found at http://www.umass.edu/ambassadors/.
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I would like to make a donation to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, how can I go about doing that?
Contact the Office of Development at 866-450-UMASS, they would be happy to speak with you. You can also e-mail Stacy Buono with the Parents Fund at stacyb@admin.umass.edu. The Development web site also contains valuable information about giving to the university.
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