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 posted and when are they due?
- 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?
- How do I make a deposit to my student's UCard Debit Account?
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 posted and when are they due?
The University no longer sends paper invoices so we recommend that your student sets you up as an authorized payer in QuikPAY. Students should go to the Finances section of their Student Service Center in SPIRE and click on View/Pay Bill. Your student will enter your name and email address, then assign you a log on and a temporary password. QuikPAY will send you an email with a link in the text which will bring you to QuikPAY site; you will enter the temporary password and select one of your choice. In this site you can view current and previous invoices as well as make payments on line.
There is no charge for an e-check but a 2.75 % fee applies to credit cards.
Billing notifications are emailed in July for the fall semester and in December for the spring
semester.
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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) 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 9:30 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 Gifts From Home, including an online order form go to http://www.umassdining.com/home/parents/.
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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/advocates/.
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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. The Parents Fund web site also contains valuable information about giving to the university.
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How do I make a deposit to my student's UCard Debit Account?
Parents can make a deposit to a UCard Debit Account online with a credit/debit card or by mailing a check to the UCard Office. For more information visit the How to Make a Deposit section of the UCard Web site.
