Monthly Archives: October 2017

Advising week is almost here!

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Advising Week is almost here!

Advising Week is held every fall and spring at NOVA to help students prepare for their next semester and create an academic plan that works for them! Advising Week for spring 2018 will be held Monday, November 6 – November 9. Priority registration for continuing students begins Monday, November 6. Registration for all NOVA students begins on Monday, November 13. College Student Having Meeting With Tutor To Discuss Work

Follow this NOVA Online Student Blog next week as we help you prepare to get the most out of Advising Week.

Things to watch for to help you prepare for Advising Week:

  • Creating a schedule that works for you.
  • Connecting with your advisor.
  • Communicating effectively with your advisor.
  • Taking time for yourself.

Questions to ask yourself as you prepare for Advising Week:

  • What is one change I can make to my schedule to be more successful next term/semester?
  • When would be a good time for me to connect with my advisor?
  • What questions do I have for my advisor?
  • What is one thing I can do this week to help manage stress?

Pay attention to the tuition deadline so you are not dropped for non-payment. Contact Financial Aid with any questions.

This Advising Week Series will focus on academic planning, connecting with your advisor, and preparing for your upcoming terms. Throughout Advising Week the NOVA Online Student Blog will provide you with tools to plan effectively, resources to help guide your decisions, and answers to frequently asked questions throughout the process. Take advantage of Advising Week events on campus or virtually as you plan your schedule and register for courses. Reach out to the Student Services offices or Virtual Advisors with any questions you have as you are planning your courses.

This Week at NOVA Online!

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Advising week and spring registration is approaching! Follow this blog to make the most of advising week and prepare to register for spring semester courses. We will run a two week advising week series that begins tomorrow.

Join NOVA Online Counselors for a Getting Ready for your Next Semester Webinar. This group advising session will help you prepare for spring registration! Review the link above to review the dates/times and register for a live session.

Join NOVA Online’s Career Counselor for a Career Webinar Series each Wednesday in November. For more information about the webinar’s available review the registration form above.

Money Management Webinar – Wednesday, November 1 from Noon-1pm. Are you interested in learning more about managing your finances? Would you like to review how you can create a budget, reduce your expenses, create an emergency fund, and save for long-term goals? If so, please join us for a money management webinar! We’ll also discuss credit cards, credit scores, credit reports, responsible borrowing and the free financial coaching services that are available for NOVA students. We look forward to you joining us! Register now!

Have a NOVA Online exam coming up? Not sure how to test? Check out NOVA Online’s testing site or your taking exams tab in your Blackboard course site for details.

It is very important to monitor your VCCS student email for updates and announcements from NOVA Online, NOVA and your instructor. Look for emails from NOVA OnlineSuccess@nvcc.edu throughout your course.

 

Become a NOVA Online Student Blogger. Love to write? Become a NOVA Online Student Blogger! This group will be geared toward students who enjoy to write or blog and are possibly interested in pursuing a career in media and/or journalism. Members of this group will directly contribute to the NOVA Online student blog. For more information, fill out the NOVA Online Student Bloggers Interest Form.

Engage in your Community! We want to learn more about how NOVA NOVA Online Students are engaging in the community! Email us at elistulife@nvcc.edu and tell us where and when you are volunteering and we will send you a FREE NOVA Student Life T-shirt to wear!  Coming Soon! (Community volunteer booklet to learn more about the variety of non-profits participating and volunteer opportunities available).

Don’t forget to sign-up for NOVA Alert.  NOVA Alert is a free alert system that allows NOVA to contact you during an emergency by sending messages to your cell phone and email.

Apply for Financial Aid in Three Easy Steps

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STEP ONE:  Create a Federal Student Aid ID or
FSA ID by visiting https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm. If you are under the age of 24 and considered a dependent student, your parent must also create a FSA ID using a separate email address. This FSA ID will be used every year to complete and sign your FAFSA application for NOVA or any other college.

*Keep this login safe and secure.

STEP TWO:  Complete the FAFSA application by choosing “Start A New FAFSA” at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Northern Virginia Community College’s School Code is 003727. Allow 3-5 business days for your FAFSA application to be sent to NOVA.

*Returning students can renew their FAFSA application by choosing the “Login” option.

STEP THREE:  Once your FAFSA application has been received by NOVA, check your “To Do List” in your Student Center by logging into myNOVA at www.nvcc.edu for any additional documents or verification required by NOVA. Awards are usually posted 2 weeks after all documents have been received and the verification process has been completed (if required).

*You will receive an email to your NOVA email account 3-5 business days after submitting your FAFSA.

  • Navigating to the “To Do List”: NOVA’s Website > myNOVA > VCCS SIS > Student Center > To Do List.
  • NOVA’s Financial Aid Support Center Contact Number (Open 24/7): 1-855-323-3199.
  • FAS Online Verification (School Servicing Center) Contact Number: 1-855-328-4400.
  • The FAS Online Verification can be completed at sscwp.org by signing in under “Students”.

Federal Student Aid Information Center

8:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. Monday – Friday (EST) and 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Saturday – Sunday (EST)

Phone: 1-800-433-3243 | International: 1-334-523-2691 | Hearing Impaired: TTY calls only 1-800-730-8913

Questions about your Financial Aid award? Contact them by phone, live chat, or email through the Student Support Center.

 

National Disability Awareness Month

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NOVA is observing National Disability Awareness Month during October. Please join in this observance by viewing an interactive, informative and inspiring disability awareness video created by  NOVA’s Extended Learning Institute.

(Click on photo to play video)

For more information about Disability Support Services and requesting accommodations at NOVA review the Disability Support Services website.

Calling all Poets and Artists – National Career Development Month is Almost Here!

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Did you know that November is National Career Development Month?  NCDM was designed to highlight the importance of life-long career development and the personal empowerment of all people. 

Help celebrate National Career Development Month by participating in the 52nd annual poetry and poster contest. This year’s theme is “Leading the Way to a Future Full of Possibilities”. There are various division areas for the contest including adult student – 18 and older enrolled in school as well as open adult – 18 and older not enrolled in school.  Learn more about the contest here.

Transfer Planning Webinar

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Thinking about transferring after NOVA and not sure where to start? Want to make sure you have options available to you if you decide to transfer? Start planning now! Join us for a Transfer Planning Webinar tomorrow!

It’s never too early to begin your planning to transfer another institution. This one-hour webinar will discuss the basics of transfer planning; information about Guaranteed Admission Agreements, Articulation Agreements, and Transfer Guides; and a provide web tour of NOVA’s transfer website.

Join us live Wednesday, October 25th, 12:00pm-1:00pm or request a recording.

This Week at NOVA Online

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Is today the first day of your NOVA Online course? Today is NOVA Online’s last start date for the fall semester!

Review the Critical Enrollment Dates blog post to make sure you get off to a great start. Join us for today’s NOVA Online Orientation webinar or request a recording to help you get started!

All courses beginning today are 8-week courses. These courses will run at an accelerated pace to cover the full 16-week semester’s material. Make sure you are comfortable with the pace of the course from day 1. An NOVA Online Student Blogger has shared her experiences preparing for an accelerated course!

Have a NOVA Online exam coming up? Not sure how to test? Check out NOVA Online’s testing site or your taking exams tab in your Blackboard course site for details.

It is very important to monitor your VCCS student email for updates and announcements from NOVA Online, NOVA and your instructor. Look for emails from NOVA OnlineSuccess@nvcc.edu throughout your course.

 As a college-wide initiative intended to highlight LGBTQ History Month, Student Life will be hosting the Gender and Sexuality panel entitled Intersectionality and Me on Tuesday, October 24th from 2-4pm. Livestream instructions can be found at: http://eli.nvcc.edu/studentlife/. Find out more information about the event and the panelists!

The VALHEN 2018-2019 Scholarship Application is now open. The Virginia Higher Education Network (VALHEN) is dedicated to assist Latinx/Hispanic students to pursue higher education within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Scholarship awards are for one year and are paid directly to the recipient’s college or university, to cover tuition, books, and/or fees. Application deadline: Dec. 1, 2017

Financial Literacy Contest– Have you entered NOVA’s CashContest for the chance to win $500 while learning more about managing your personal finances?  It only takes about 45 minutes… Simply follow the Official CashContest Rules posted on NOVA’s Financial Literacy Blog and complete a short course at https://fa.financialavenue.org/ by the deadline for a chance to win a $500 award.  Complete all four courses for additional chances to win one of the ten $500 awards.

Join our Virtual Student Union. Are you taking online classes and looking to connect with other students outside of a classroom setting? Check out our Virtual Student Union or VSU. This is an engagement hub where NOVA Online students have access to create a profile, join discussion forums and connect with other students. In celebration of our new site launch, students will be eligible for raffle prizes once they create an account and interact on the site. Drawings will be done weekly and monthly through the fall semester. Join now!

Become a NOVA Online Student Blogger. Love to write? Become a NOVA Online Student Blogger! This group will be geared toward students who enjoy to write or blog and are possibly interested in pursuing a career in media and/or journalism. Members of this group will directly contribute to the NOVA Online student blog. For more information, fill out the NOVA Online Student Bloggers Interest Form.

Engage in your Community! We want to learn more about how NOVA NOVA Online Students are engaging in the community! Email us at elistulife@nvcc.edu and tell us where and when you are volunteering and we will send you a FREE NOVA Student Life T-shirt to wear!  Coming Soon! (Community volunteer booklet to learn more about the variety of non-profits participating and volunteer opportunities available).

Don’t forget to sign-up for NOVA Alert.  NOVA Alert is a free alert system that allows NOVA to contact you during an emergency by sending messages to your cell phone and email. https://alert.nvcc.edu

Intersectionality and Me

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 As a college-wide initiative intended to highlight LGBTQ History Month, Student Life will be hosting the Gender and Sexuality panel entitled Intersectionality and Me on Tuesday, October 24th from 2-4pm. This event will be hosted on the Manassas campus, streamed to select locations on participating campuses, and will be livestreamed to our NOVA server so that online and campus-based students who do not want to commute can participate. Following the panel, there will be a Q &A to localize this topic to the NOVA community.

Livestream instructions can be found at: http://eli.nvcc.edu/studentlife/. Find out more information about the event and the panelists below:

How do identities intersect?

With the help of our diverse panel, we will discuss the concept
of holistic identity and how stereotypes and assumptions
influence daily interactions in the NOVA community and how
to become better allies.

Dio Aldridge identifies as a Blatinx transgender man born in Limon, Costa Rica. He graduated from UC, Santa Barbara’s Black Studies program, and it was there where he truly began his journey of understanding the complexity of how identity shapes and impacts our lived experiences.

Romeo Jackson is a Black, Queer, Non-Binary Femme, feminist dedicated to intersectional justice and cross movement building. Currently, they study Race, Gender, and Sexuality within a Higher Education Context with an emphasis on the experiences of Queer and Trans Students of Color.

Bianca Humady Rey was born and raised in the Philippines. Her passions include a devotion to the normalizing and visibility of the Transgender community. Bianca has also worked with Equality Virginia’s Transgender Advocacy Speaker Bureau Program as a Speaker/Facilitator. She is currently a Project Coordinator at Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States Region.

 

The VALHEN 2018-2019 Scholarship Application

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The VALHEN 2018-2019 Scholarship Application is now open.

The Virginia Higher Education Network (VALHEN) is dedicated to assist Latinx/Hispanic students to pursue higher education within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Scholarship awards are for one year and are paid directly to the recipient’s college or university, to cover tuition, books, and/or fees. Application deadline: Dec. 1, 2017

Applications available at: bit.ly/valhenscholarship

Visit: www.valhen.org/scholarships/

Contact the Scholarship Coordinators at scholarship@valhen.org

Applicants must:

  1. Be of Latinx/Hispanic heritage
  2. Live in Virginia
  3. Have a minimum of 2.5 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
  4. Be a high school senior or graduate of a Virginia high school and either have been accepted to, or be already enrolled as a full-time student, in a degree-granting public or private college or university
  5. Be able to demonstrate leadership through involvement in school and in the community, government, non-profit organization, work/job duties, or in another manner not mentioned here

*Important note: Essays of 300-500 words are required for all applicants.*

For additional information or questions, please contact the Scholarship Coordinators at scholarship@valhen.org

This Week at NOVA Online!

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Still looking for a fall semester course? You may find an 8 week option through NOVA Online! Take a look at the schedule in NOVA Connect.

NOVA Idol Talent Show Auditions Coming in November! It’s more than a singing competition. Pick your song or best talent and start practicing.  Campus auditions begin November 2. For more information visit http://www.nvcc.edu/novaidol/

Financial Literacy Contest– Have you entered NOVA’s CashContest for the chance to win $500 while learning more about managing your personal finances?  It only takes about 45 minutes… Simply follow the Official CashContest Rules posted on NOVA’s Financial Literacy Blog and complete a short course at https://fa.financialavenue.org/ by the deadline for a chance to win a $500 award.  Complete all four courses for additional chances to win one of the ten $500 awards.

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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage- During this month we recognize all the contributions our Hispanic and Latino Americans have made within the United States. Follow our social media sites all month to learn more, participate in trivia and check out events that are happening on campus and locally near the DC area to celebrate!

Join our Virtual Student Union. Are you taking online classes and looking to connect with other students outside of a classroom setting? Check out our Virtual Student Union or VSU. This is an engagement hub where NOVA Online students have access to create a profile, join discussion forums and connect with other students. In celebration of our new site launch, students will be eligible for raffle prizes once they create an account and interact on the site. Drawings will be done weekly and monthly through the fall semester. Join now!

Become a NOVA Online Student Blogger. Love to write? Become a NOVA Online Student Blogger! This group will be geared toward students who enjoy to write or blog and are possibly interested in pursuing a career in media and/or journalism. Members of this group will directly contribute to the NOVA Online student blog. For more information, fill out the NOVA Online Student Bloggers Interest Form.

Engage in your Community! We want to learn more about how NOVA NOVA Online Students are engaging in the community! Email us at elistulife@nvcc.edu and tell us where and when you are volunteering and we will send you a FREE NOVA Student Life T-shirt to wear!  Coming Soon!(Community volunteer booklet to learn more about the variety of non-profits participating and volunteer opportunities available)