Being a contemporary student means that you may be over 25, didn’t begin college right out of high school, work full-time, are a student with children of your own, are a veteran or are military affiliated, were previously in the foster-care system, are a transfer student, or live off-campus.
George Mason University welcomes thousands of transfer students every spring, summer, and fall. Students transfer in from community colleges or universities, return from military service, resume their college education after working full-time, and more!
Transfer students may have a variety of questions from transferring credits to getting involved to paying for college. Please refer to the Transfer Resources page or contact our staff at offcamp1@gmu.edu.
At MasonOnline online learners can find important resources.
The Office of Military Services provides Mason students with tailored benefits counselings, admissions support, and opportunities to build community for members of the military, veterans, and their families.
Whether studying as undergraduate or graduate students, parenting and expecting students are valued contributors to the Mason community. Contemporary Student Services coordinates with faculty, staff, and outside organizations to provide information that meets the unique needs of Mason’s student-parent population.
On this website, pregnant and parenting students can find resources for academic support, food and housing security, child care, health care, and more. Faculty and staff are encouraged to review the suggested syllabus statement and FAQs to learn more about student-parent support on campus.
Additionally, some offices on campus have been denoted as “Kid Friendly” areas to bring your children during advising appointments or meetings with staff members. These offices have a Kid Krate filled with games, toys, and art supplies to entertain your child while you get the information you need to be successful. A complete list of offices with Kid Krates can be found on our Initiatives page.
The goal of Contemporary Student Services is to give off-campus students the resources they need to be academically and socially engaged with University Life and assist in the transition to Mason and to off-campus life.
More information on resources can be found on the Off Campus Students Housing Finder and Renters Resources website.
The Off-Campus Student Lounge is located in The Hub. There you’ll find a comfortable place to connect with other students or do homework in a casual environment – complete with coffee, a microwave, refrigerator, and programs!
Programs for Contemporary students that may help you complete your degree at Mason. Please look into them and reach out George Mason Financial Aid Office for any questions:
Eligible individuals may receive up to $3,600 for each child under age 6 and up to $3,000 for each child ages 6 through 17. Eligible families will receive the other half by claiming the child tax credit when filing their 2021 federal income tax return in 2022. Most families can receive the full amount—even families with little to no income.
Most parents should have received the tax credit automatically, but if for some reason they did not and they are eligible, then they should receive the full amount of the credit when they file their income tax return.
Recovery Rebate Credit / Economic Impact Payment
Students who did not receive an Economic Impact Payment under the American Rescue Plan, and on whose behalf as a dependent a payment was not made, could be eligible for a $1,400 per-person Recovery Rebate Credit when they file taxes in 2022. To be eligible for the full amount, a student would typically have to be:
For more information on eligibility, visit the IRS website on Economic Impact Payments.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Students may be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a Federal program that provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of low-income individuals and families so they can purchase healthy food. Eligible students can use SNAP benefits to buy food for their households, including fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, breads, cereals, and other foods such as snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages.
Students can find their local office or State SNAP webpage using the SNAP State Directory of Resources. For more information about student eligibility and other student exemptions, visit the SNAP Students webpage.
Affordable Connectivity Program
Eligible households can receive a benefit of up to $30 off their monthly internet bill (or up to $75 per month if the household resides on qualifying Tribal lands). Students can apply here starting on December 31, 2021. Households are required to contribute more than $10 but less than $50 toward that connected device.
Eligible households must both apply for the program and contact a participating provider to select a service plan. To receive this benefit, a student will need to provide documentation that the student received a Federal Pell Grant for the current award year.
There are three ways for eligible households to apply:
Affordable Connectivity Program Support Center
P.O. Box 7081
London, KY 40742
The student may provide along with their application a screenshot from the student’s StudentAid.gov profile that displays their receipt of the Federal Pell Grant or other records provided by the IHE to serve as that documentation.
Other Federal Assistance
Below, we also include an illustrative list of federal programs that we encourage IHEs to engage in broad outreach around, but for which IHEs are not at this time permitted to use FAFSA data to engage in those communications. For federal programs that, at this time, have not been designated under the Higher Education Act, the Department still encourages institutions of higher education to broadly inform their campus communities about their availability. However, because they are not been designated, the IHEs are not permitted to use FAFSA data in those communications. Below are illustrative examples of federal assistance that some students may quality for.
If students have become unemployed through no fault of their own (as determined under State law), and meet other eligibility requirements of State law, they may be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.
Students can contact their State Unemployment Insurance agency as soon as possible after becoming unemployed.
The American Rescue Plan expanded numerous COVID-19 housing supports for homeowners, renters and landlords who may be struggling to pay their rent or mortgage. We encourage IHEs to inform students about the Homeowners Assistance Fund (HAF) and local Emergency Rental Assistance programs. Links to available resources and applications are available through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Apply for the Contemporary Student Advisory Board!
Applications are ongoing. Contact csimpso@gmu.edu for more information! The next meeting is November 16th from 5pm-6:30pm.
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Tips for Student Parents in College |
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News: Call Them What They Are (2017) |
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