Author: Samantha Greenberg

March 1	FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) priority filing deadline
March 1	Immunization record deadline
March 7 - 13	Spring Break

Is your student considering attending Siblings Weekend? If so, we want to provide you with some additional information about the weekend, who is invited to attend, and how to register!

Siblings Weekend at a glance
Siblings Weekend is designed to provide siblings time to connect on campus Saturday, April 23 and Sunday, April 24. The weekend will be full of exciting activities that allow siblings to experience life at Mason while having fun with his or her Mason sibling. Some event highlights include:

• Recreation and sibling competitions
• Dinner and trivia
• Glow in the dark games and fun in the Hub
• The Good Dinosaur movie night
• Sunday brunch at Ike’s with the Patriot

Who can attend?
Siblings ages 6 – 18 are invited to attend Siblings Weekend. The cost for siblings ages 6-11 is $20, and for siblings ages 12-18 it is $30. Mason students attend for free. The registration fee includes entrance to all activities, give-a-ways, a Siblings Weekend t-shirt, and a full day of activities on both Saturday and Sunday.

While Siblings Weekend is designed to provide siblings time to connect on campus, all family members will be invited to join us for brunch at Ike’s with the Patriot on Sunday, April 24. Family members over the age of 10 will be charged $10 to attend brunch, while family members until the age of 10 are free.

How to register
In order to register, your student must complete the online registration, pay the registration fee, and submit a permission of participation waiver. For more information about the schedule of events, registration, and frequently asked questions, visit masonfamilyevents.gmu.edu.

We can’t wait to welcome siblings in April! 

Kristen Wright
Graduate Assistant, Family Programs
Orientation and Family Programs and Services

Parking Services wants to make sure that you and your student have all the important information you need as you begin making travel plans for spring break. There are a number of options that will work well for your student regardless of whether they are driving, flying, taking the bus, or riding the train.

Transportation Options for Spring Break
The following are great and affordable transportation options for your student to travel back home for Spring Break. Encourage your student to book his or her seat early as tickets sell out.

Buses from Mason to Regional Cities and Dulles Airport
Mason offers affordable transportation to regional cities and Dulles Airport during Spring Break. Buses will leave from Research Hall at the Fairfax Campus on March 4/5 and return on March 13. Cities include Richmond, Virginia Beach, Charlottesville, New York City, and many more. For a full list of destinations, dates and to buy tickets, please visit http://shuttle.gmu.edu.

Ridesharing with Zimride 
Ridesharing is a great and affordable way to travel home for breaks. Zimride is the University’s free rideshare network for students, staff and faculty. Your student can sign up with his or her Mason NetID to find others in the area to carpool with and save money on gas.

UBER – Code: MasonIdea
Uber is a taxi service that provides on-demand rides. The application is available for android and iphone. Uber is offering up to two free rides worth $20 each to new customers. Your student can simply download the app, request a ride, and use the code “MasonIdea” to get $20 off your ride. This is a great option for a connection or to travel to the airport.

Other Transportation Connections
Burke Centre VRE and AMTRAK: Mason’s Burke Centre VRE shuttle travels to the station and your student can take a connecting AMTRAK or VRE train from there.
UNION Station in DC: Your student can board Amtrak and Marc trains, buses like Bolt Bus, Megabus, Greyhound, and Peter Pan, and get a rental car from Union Station in Washington DC.

Other Alternative Transportation at Mason
18% of the University’s carbon footprint comes from commuting. That means, every student has the power to help lower that number. Below are a few transportation tips to share with your college student for a green and affordable commute to campus:

Burke Centre VRE Shuttle: Mason has five different shuttle routes to on-campus and off-campus locations, including to the Burke Centre VRE station. Free garage parking is available at the VRE station. The shuttle runs on Mon – Fri and is timed to the train’s schedule so you never have to wait for more than 3 minutes. Visit the above link for more info.

Bike to Mason Day: Mason was recently renamed a Bicycle Friendly University. Students are changing bike culture across the nation. Bike to Mason Day celebrates existing cyclists and invites all to try biking to campus. The event takes place during Earth Week in April and participants are greeted with a breakfast, complimentary bike repair and goodies. Students can register their bike at http://bike.gmu.edu to receive a free U-lock, bike lights, and maps.

Mason Transportation Updates
Detours and lane closures on the northwest part of the Fairfax Campus. Mason is growing and broke ground this past summer on a new building that will house the College of Health and Human Services. Multiple phases of road closures and detours will take place through the end of the spring semester on the northwest part of the Fairfax Campus as Patriot Circle is rebuilt to the south of its current location between George Mason Boulevard and Aquia Creek Lane. Keep up with the latest construction and other impacts here.

You and your student can also keep up with parking and transportation news on social media:

Twitter: @MasonShuttles and @MasonParking
Facebook: MasonParkingTransportation

If you have any questions, please email us at transpo@gmu.edu or call 703.993.2828.

Josh Cantor
Director
Parking and Transportation

If your student is considering a move off campus, starting the process can be a daunting task! Sublets, leases, security deposits…where should a Mason student begin?

Off-Campus Student Programs and Services wants to make this transition easier and has multiple resources to help. Before students start looking they should set a reasonable budget and determine what is most important to them in a property. Is it cost? Location? Access to public transportation? Pet-friendly? Encourage you student to use our budgeting spreadsheet and think about what are non-negotiable things in their future home. Students can also find a pre-recorded webinar with other useful off-campus housing tips and tricks on our website as well.

After determining serach criteria, encourage your student to visit the official Mason Off-Campus Housing Locator at och.gmu.edu. This website allows students to search for apartments, condos, townhouses, and sublets with ease, giving added security because the locator is only open to Mason students, staff, and faculty. Students will need to register with their Mason log-in information. Once registered, students can look for housing, roommates, and furniture using an advanced search filter.

Finally, students can meet with property managers at our Off-Campus Housing Fair on Thursday, February 25, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Dewberry Hall on the ground floor of the Johnson Center. Properties can answer questions and give an in-depth look at what their apartment complexes offer. Roommate matching and transportation information will also be available at this event. We always tell students that it is never too early to start researching housing options for next year!

If you or your student has any questions regarding housing, please contact Off-Campus Student Programs and Services at offcamp1@gmu.edu or visit offcampus.gmu.edu.

Emilie Dubert
Associate Director
Off Campus Student Programs and Services