<p>These are all GREAT suggestions that build off the Health Care Proxy! Thanks so much!</p>
<p>shawbridge, most schools will not provide that information. You can get financial and billing information if you get your student to set you up as an authorized user. Grades and health problems may not be provided. Some schools do have a FERPA form that your student can sign but both of my kids schools will still limit the information they will provide even with the FERPA in place.
I’m okay with that in the case of my kids. They were told ahead of time that if they don’t maintain their merit scholarships my financial support ends. I don’t want to monitor anything else even if it means their grades are in danger of them being on probation.
Of course, everyone’s mileage will vary.</p>
<p>My understanding is consistent with yours, ebeee, that schools will not disclose without authorization from students. I was not aware that they would not disclose even after authorization from students. I’m not yet up on this stuff, but I thought that students could sign an agreement in advance allowing the schools to talk with parents. Here’s what I found on the web:</p>
<p>a student’s prior written consent is always required before institutions can legitimately disclose non-directory information. institutions may tailor a consent form to meet their unique academic needs. However, prior written consent must include the following elements:</p>
<pre><code>* Specify the records to be disclosed;
-
State the purpose of the disclosure; -
Identify the party or class of parties to whom the disclosure is to be made; -
The date; -
The signature of the student whose record is to be disclosed; -
The signature of the custodian of the educational record.
</code></pre>
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<p>Why would you suggest that a student do this before going off to college? </p>
<p>It seems to be something that a woman would do in response to developments in her personal life, not automatically because she’s going to college. And it’s a service that she can obtain at her college’s health center, if she happens to need it.</p>
<p>Perhaps the OP was just suggesting setting up an appointment so the use of the pills could be continued without interruption. I don’t think they were necessarily assuming that college= sexual activity.</p>
<p>I was thinking that the poster of the birth control comment was ensuring a smooth transition without an interruption in birth control. Though personally, I don’t think birth control is ever a bad idea.</p>
<p>“And it’s a service that she can obtain at her college’s health center, if she happens to need it.”
hmmm…not all college health centers offer/support the use birth control pills…</p>
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<p>Neither do all parents. Alas.</p>
<p>re/ birth control appointment:</p>
<p>If she is on bc pills, she should get a four month supply so she doesn’t have to worry about it (or forget to do it) while at school.</p>
<p>If she is not on bc pills, she should just talk with someone about it. Not saying that she will be sexually active, but face it, if she isn’t already, college is a time when a lot of girls take that leap, and I’d err on the side of being prepared. </p>
<p>It’s never a bad message to send that thinking ahead about sexual choices is a wise thing. Yes, they are women, but they are very young women and they are also still kids.</p>
<p>“and they are also still kids”.</p>
<p>“Kids” should not be having sex.</p>
<p>Make copies of the kid’s drivers license, SS card, and passport including the ID page and put in a safe place at home just in case they get lost. At least then they will have the numbers to get them replaced more easily.</p>
<p>eddieodessa - “should not” does not mean they won’t! They also “should not” be getting pregnant or having kids!</p>
<p>Re Birth Control: I am a soon-to-be freshman in a college half-way across the country from my parents. It is a Catholic university, and, recently, I found out that the Health Center on campus does NOT prescribe birth control because it is against their “values system”. So I had a conversation with my mother. I am not sexually active and do not plan on “sleeping around”. However, I want to be prepared, just in case. So I made an appointment to see a doctor to get a prescription. I explained to my mom, and this is the truth, that just because I have protection does NOT mean I plan on having sex. But it does mean that in case I decide to do it, I want to be protected and to take care of myself- not have to rely on the guy.</p>
<p>I think that at the very least, it is a good conversation for girls and mothers to have.</p>
<p>Be aware that you probably need to be taking the pill for 1 month before you can trust them to have the desired efficacy…</p>
<p>Many young women have birth control prescriptions for reasons other than prevention of pregnancy (e.g., severe acne problems and hormonal imbalances that make their cycle extremely unbearable). I think is unfair for individuals to make the judgement that every young woman who obtains b/c medication at the pharmacy is having sex.</p>
<p>Passports are important for students if their college is located near Canadian or Mexican borders, It’s not just for those considering study abroad.</p>
<p>Students need passports, or in some areas another lesser card, to drive back into the U.S. following a daytime trip.</p>
<p>Check the U.S. State Department website for latest rules.</p>
<p>For example, many students attending school near us in Western New York enjoy seeing Niagara Falls from both the U.S. and Canadian sides. Others enjoy weekends in Toronto or Montreal.</p>
<p>Laws just changed on June first for U.S. citizens, who must now show either a passport or a special newfangled card to cross back from Canada to the U.S. </p>
<p>Drivers licenses and birth certificates, which were good enough in prior years, no longer suffice.</p>
<p>Re passport, guess now that they’re all grown up, they take the original and we keep the copy, hm? Paradigm shift!</p>
<p>Buy a guaranteed renewable, term life insurance policy on kid, before kid does something that you did when you went to college. Be sure that primary and secondary provider has enough LI. Every year we hear from a kid that is now in financial trouble because their primary source of funds died unexpectedly.</p>
<p>Thanks, rajalg…I was going to post that same thing. I agree - I ran a student health center and girls take BCP for acne, dysmenorrhea…not just the original purpose. And nowadays especially, taking BCP is just not enough anyhow. </p>
<p>Also, checking health insurance is so important. My insurance for my D’s would NOT do a waiver just b/c they were in college. I called 3 times and got the same answer 3 times…not covered except for emergency services. So, I cancelled it and got the college insurance, which DID cover them at home as well as at school. And it was waaay cheaper, too. Saved me $3000 a year. Well worth it. </p>
<p>Suspending car insurance was trickier b/c if they come home at holidays and drive they need to be covered. </p>
<p>Contact lenses - get extra before leaving. You can always mail more but why not start out with plenty so you don’t get the "I am on my last pair can you please overnight me a new box " phone call which will end up costing you much more!</p>
<p>Bumping this up b/c I found useful items here…anything to add?</p>