1. BU Summer Session Registration Information is Now Available
2. OCC Undergraduate Summer Internship Advising Sessions This Week
3. Canada Announces New Prices for Temporary Resident (Visitor's) Visas
4. Free ESL Classes Available
5. New Articles on the ISSS Website
6. The Scholar Ship Diversity Grants for Latin American and Caribbean Students
7. Income Tax Information: Who's Using CINTAX ?
8. Income Tax Information: Common Mistakes When Reporting Income
9. Income Tax Information: For F-1 and J-1s in the U.S. for More than Five Years Who are Residents for Tax Purposes

1. BU Summer Session Registration Information is Now Available

Registration information for Summer Session 2007 is now available at http://summer.binghamton.edu Students must clear all outstanding financial obligations before they can register or add classes. You can view and/or pay your outstanding financial obligations at http://busi.binghamton.edu To view your outstanding debts, select Outstanding Debts and to pay via the Web, select Make Web Payment.

The Summer Session Course Schedule can be viewed at: http://summer.binghamton.edu/searchcourses.php

2. OCC Undergraduate Summer Internship Advising Sessions This Week

Attention undergraduates: have you acquired some professional experience in the field of your choice? How marketable are you?

Use your time this summer to build your professional network, enhance your resume and gain valuable professional experience! Come to an OCC advising session to learn how to obtain a credit-bearing internship this summer:

Monday, March 12 at 5:00pm in University Union Room 133
Wednesday, March 14 at 5:00pm in University Union Room 133
Thursday, March 15 at 5:00pm in University Union Room 133

APPLICATION DUE : MAY 4, 2007 (FRIDAY)

All OCC internships are for credit only. International students in F-1 or J-1 status are reminded to check with the ISSS regarding approval for all off-campus internships.

For further information on the internships, or if you cannot attend any of the advising sessions please contact OCC at 607-777-4273 or http://occ.binghamton.edu

3. Canada Announces New Prices for Temporary Resident (Visitor's) Visas

The government of Canada recently announced new prices to apply for a Canadian “Temporary Resident” (Visitor's) Visa. The new price (in US dollars) for a single entry Temporary Resident Visa is $65.00. The new price (in US dollars) for a multiple entry Temporary Resident Visa is $130.00. This is a reduction of $5.00 in the previously posted costs. It's not often that an application fee goes down! ISSS is updating both their web and paper Canadian visa information to reflect these new costs.

If you are planning a trip to Canada during the upcoming Spring Break at the end of March, be sure to note these new costs.

4. Free ESL Classes Available

The Office of International Student and Scholar Services offers free ESL classes to the Binghamton University community through the generosity of a donor. These classes are intended for spouses of international students, research scholars and their spouses, faculty spouses, and anyone connected with Binghamton University who is not a registered student.

These classes are non-credit bearing. No course grades are given. Enrollment is on-going so participants may join at any time up until the end of the semester. Three class levels are offered during the day, twice per week.

The classes focus on listening and speaking skills but practice is given for reading, writing and grammar. Small classes allow for individualized attention and much English practice. Lesson plans reflect the language needs of students and participation is expected (plus it's fun!).

If you or someone you know is interested in attending these classes, contact Amelia Shafer, International Student Advisor, at ashafer@binghamton.edu

5. New Articles on the ISSS Website

Two new articles are posted to the ISSS website in the “publications” section. They are “Coping with Homesickness “ and “Applying for Graduate School.” We hope our readers will find them helpful. To view them, as well as other publications, go to: http://isss.binghamton.edu/pubs/index.html

6. The Scholar Ship Diversity Grants for Latin American and Caribbean Students

Through the Institute of International Education, The Scholar Ship is awarding fifty $10,000 for the September inaugural voyage of The Scholar Ship and twenty-five $10,000 scholarships for the January 2008 voyage exclusively to students from the Latin America and Caribbean regions. Educational Advising/Information Centers located throughout the region have been asked to nominate or refer student candidates from their respective areas. Undergraduate and Postgraduate candidates are welcome.

Scholarships will be awarded to students with a demonstrated record of academic achievement and community leadership. Interested students meeting this criteria may complete a Letter of Interest and essay, describing how their participation onboard The Scholar Ship will be of benefit to them and prepare them for their future career. Each award will be contingent on the student's admittance to The Scholar Ship program.  

Deadlines for Grant Applications (Letter of Interest):
Voyage                    Deadline
September 2007       30 April 2007
January 2008            1 August 2007

About The Scholar Ship:
The Scholar Ship is a semester-long academic program aboard a dedicated passenger ship that traverses the globe as an oceangoing campus. Students and staff from around the world come together to form a transnational learning community designed to develop their intercultural competence and leadership skills. The Scholar Ship is an international education initiative developed in collaboration with seven international universities and a host of multinational organizations. The program's Consortium of Academic Stewards collaborates on the quality oversight and accreditation of all academic offerings and standards. Academic programs offered by The Scholar Ship meet the same quality standards as those on the campuses of the Consortium's member institutions: Al Akhawayn University (Morocco), Cardiff University (UK), Fudan University (China), Macquarie University (Australia), Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico), University of California, Berkeley (USA), and University of Ghana (Ghana).

For more information and to access the Letter of Interest form , please visit:
www.iienetwork.org/?p=TheScholarShipGrants

For more information on The Scholar Ship, please visit: www.thescholarship.com

Or contact Giselda Beaudin, Office of International Programs, 607-777-2336, gbeaudin@binghamton.edu

7. Income Tax Information: Who's Using CINTAX ?

Nearly 500 current BU international students and BU international alumni are using CINTAX for the filing of their federal tax returns. This is the second year that CINTAX is available for BU student use, thanks to a license purchased by International Students and Scholar Services.

What do you think of CINTAX ? Let us know by sending your comments to isss@binghamton.edu

8. Income Tax Information: Common Mistakes When Reporting Income

There are some common mistakes that international students frequently make on income tax forms. Here are a few of them.

Mistake 1: Attempting to e-file (electronically file) the federal income tax return.

Non residents for tax purposes (F and J students who have been in that status in the United States for five or fewer years, 2002 or later) and J scholars/faculty who have been in that status in the United States for two or fewer years, 2005 or later) are non-residents for tax purposes and must file non-resident income tax forms. Currently, the federal non-resident forms, 8843, 1040NR and 1040NR EZ, cannot be filed electronically. If you have used an e-filer for your federal income tax returns, and you are a non-resident, you have filed the wrong forms and will need to file an amended income tax return. If you use CINTAX, this mistake will not be made.

Mistake 2: Confusing wages with scholarships/fellowships.

All wages are reported on form W-2, and should be indicated on line 3 of form 1040NR EZ. All scholarships are generally reported on a form 1042-S, and if coded as a scholarship (code 15 on the 1042-S) is indicated on line 5 of form 1040NR EZ. If you think you have a scholarship, but the earnings were reported on a form W-2, it is NOT a scholarship, and must be reported on line 3 of form 1040NR EZ. If you use CINTAX, this mistake will not be made.

Mistake 3: Putting the wrong amount on line 11 of form 1040NR EZ.

Only state or local income tax withheld can be reported on line 11 of form 1040NR EZ. DO NOT list federal income tax withheld on this line, only state and local tax (found on box 17 and box 19 of form W-2 and also on form 1042-S). Students from India eligible to claim the India Tax Treaty must put only the standard deduction amount on line 11. If you use CINTAX, this mistake will not be made.

Mistake 4: Including your tuition scholarship on line 5 of form 1040NR EZ

Graduate students who have received a tuition scholarship from Binghamton University should NOT enter the amount of the scholarship on line 5 of form 1040NR EZ. These tuition scholarships do not fit the IRS definition of "taxable scholarship." If you use CINTAX, this mistake will not be made.

Mistake 5: Excluding the wrong amount on line 9 of form 1040NR EZ

You can only exclude an amount on line 9 if you also had a taxable scholarship/fellowship amount on line 5. Exclusions are limited to the amount you spent on fees and books during the period you had a scholarship/fellowship. There are no exclusions for wages reported on form W-2. If you use CINTAX , this mistake will not be made.

9. Income Tax Information: For F-1 and J-1s in the U.S. for More than Five Years Who are Residents for Tax Purposes

Until now, all of ISSS-BU's income tax articles have focused on F-1 and J-1 students who are non- residents for tax purposes; those who have been in F or J status for five years or less. This information is for those F-1 and J-1 students who entered the U.S. in 2001 or earlier, and therefore file as residents for tax purposes.

Need assistance with your resident tax forms? There are a number of paid preparers in the local community who can assist you including H & R Block and Jackson Hewett. You can also purchase income tax software such as Turbo Tax or Tax Cut. Free assistance with resident tax forms is offered through the VITA volunteer program at the Broome County Public Library, 185 Court Street in downtown Binghamton. The hours are:  (walk-in or by appointment) Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10am to 2pm and Wednesdays, 10am to 6pm. Call 607-778-6400 to confirm these times. The library is closed on Sundays. The volunteers at the Broome County Library are NOT trained to assist with non-resident tax matters.

There is also free e-filing for resident tax payers, available through both the IRS and NYS tax. Visit: http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/efile/article/0,,id=118986,00.html and http://www.tax.state.ny.us/elf/individual.htm

If you have been in F-1 or J-1 status for more than five years, you need to file form 1040, or its shorter versions; 1040A or 1040EZ. Residents with income should also file New York State tax form IT-150 and IT-2. Residents for tax purposes must report all world-wide income, including bank interest. However, residents for tax purposes can also list spouses and children as dependents, and therefore claim a greater number of exemptions and deductions.

In addition to the personal exemption of $3300, residents for tax purposes can also claim the standard deduction, which for a single person is $5150 for tax year 2006! Residents may also claim certain tax credits, if they meet the eligibility requirements. These credits include child care, earned income, and education credits. Graduate students who are eligible to file as residents for tax purposes may be especially interested in the lifelong learning education credit.

For more information on education credits, obtain IRS publication 970 "Tax Benefits for Higher Education." It can be found on the World Wide Web at the IRS Forms and Publications site; click on http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/formspubs/lists/0,,id=97819,00.html scroll down the screen, and once you see the forms list in the box, keep scrolling until you reach Publication 970.

Remember that these benefits are only available to F-1 and J-1 students who have been in the U.S. in those statuses for MORE than five years.

ISSS-BU is a listserv owned and managed by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services, Division of Student Affairs, at the State University of New York at Binghamton. It is the publisher of ISSS-BU News . Permission is granted to freely distribute the information posted to this list as long as its contents remain unchanged.