September Benebytes
Did you know that Rice University is a qualified employer under the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program? After a three-year pause, student loan payments are restarting in October.
The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments (or 10 years of payments) under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer.
Begin taking action now to be ready for your loan repayment.
PSLF Help Tool
To be considered for PSLF, you only need to submit a PSLF form. The easiest way to do this is by using the PSLF Help Tool. PSLF Help Tool allows you to:
- Prepare and sign your PSLF form, and request certification and signature from your employer—all electronically.
- Generate your PSLF form for manual signature and submission to the PSLF servicer (if electronic submission isn’t possible).
Fidelity is here to help.
If you're concerned about how this will impact your budget, Fidelity has you covered and can help get your loan(s) on track. Their automated solution can help you identify your next best steps, including:
- Consolidating your loans.
- Identifying whether you qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, which is available for some working in nonprofit jobs.
- Enrolling in the PSLF program, if applicable.
September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month
By starting the conversation, providing support, and directing help to those who need it, we can help prevent suicides and save lives. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. You are not alone.
How to Help Someone You Know
If you know someone who is at immediate risk of suicide, call 911 right away. It can be difficult when someone you know expresses thoughts about suicide, but you can show support by doing the following:
- Talk. Your willingness to express your concern for the person in crisis can be the first step in getting that person help.
- Listen. Being an active listener is another way of reminding a person in crisis that they are not alone.
- Remain Present. Your physical and emotional presence in the person’s life makes a difference. If you are worried about their safety, get help from a mental health professional immediately.
- Call or text 988. Last year, 988 was activated as a new three-digit dialing code. When someone dials 988, they will be connected to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This confidential support line is available 24 hours a day to provide free help to people in suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress.
What To Do If You Are Struggling
If you are struggling or in crisis, remember that there is hope and there are steps you can take to seek help and support.
Call or text 988. 988 serves as a universal entry point so that no matter where you live in the United States, you can reach a trained crisis counselor who can help.
Use your Employee Assistance Program or call (800) 346-3549. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide support, referrals, and information for emergency services.
If you are enrolled in Rice's medical plans, use Teladoc for mental health care. Psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist care is available within 72 hours of the initial need. Ongoing care is available from the same provider if desired. Also available to dependent adolescents from age 13+.
Additional Resources
For additional resources, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 988 page.
The section below is for benefits-eligible employees:
Benefits Survey Closes Friday, September 22
Rice is in the process of evaluating our benefits for the 2024-2025 plan year. In addition to benefits benchmarking data, we would appreciate your feedback on our current benefits and areas for improvement.
You are a valued member of our community - it is very important to understand your point-of-view! Please take a few minutes to respond. Your input will be used to shape our future benefits. We will also share the aggregated responses with everyone after the survey has closed on Friday, September 22.
Eligible employees were emailed individualized links for the survey. Please search your inbox for an email from owlsurveys@rice.edu.
New Hire Benefits Information Sessions
Rice University offers a wide range of benefits to all benefits-eligible employees. However, it can sometimes be hard to maneuver and understand all the options available. The Benefits Team now has new hire sessions every other Tuesday and Thursday to answer any questions or concerns you may have. Please reference the link below to view the dates and times for these sessions and encourage your new employees to register.
To register for this month's sessions, click here.
Thank you,
Your Benefits Team