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MSU has protocols in place to handle student deaths

October 15, 2014
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The Tuesday night death of MSU student Navanjeet Singh Sahi, 21, marks the third student death of the semester.

It’s a topic nobody wants to think about. But many students can’t help but wonder what happens after a student dies in university-related matters, like tuition, loans and housing.

During the process following the death of an MSU student, the first step that the university takes is to notify the parents followed by finalizing administrative procedures.

The initial procedures

The Office of Student Affairs and Services handles the initial procedures following the death of a student.

Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Services Allyn Shaw  said after a death is confirmed, the police notifies the family.

“Each situation is different,” Shaw said. “It really depends on the circumstance.”

Lt. Steve Gonzalez of the East Lansing Police Department  said when notifying the family, the department tries to be sensitive.

“Every effort is made to notify them in person,” he said. “There have been some incidences where the distance has been too big (to be able to travel there).”

In the case that the family is too far away, the police department coordinates with the family’s local police department to notify them.

The student affairs office then reaches out to the family to see what they need. This entails both “logistical support,” like providing them with transportation to East Lansing if they wish, or “emotional support” through the MSU Counseling Center, said MSU spokesman Jason Cody .

Getting notified overseas

Gonzalez said if an international student passes away, the department works with the Office for International Students and Scholars to identify and contact the student’s family.

OISS Associate Director Chris Bargerstock said the person who notifies the family is dictated by the specific case. Oftentimes, the office has to also notify the nearest consulate or the embassy.

“Sometimes the embassy or the consulate might have someone (contact the family) because you might have to have a native speaker — the parents might not know English,” Bargerstock said. “Or sometimes it’s the MSU police, sometimes it’s someone close in our office or you can have a translator, but it’s usually through the embassy or consular notification.”

Bargerstock said some health insurance plans cover transportation costs for someone from the deceased’s family to fly to East Lansing.

The Office of Student Affairs and Services arranges the transportation for the family members and their stay here.

Earlier this semester, Chinese freshman Jiayi Dai was found dead just before fall welcome week . Bargerstock said a ceremony was arranged for Dai and her parents were in attendance, but were very private about the matter.

“The wishes of the family are always the most important,” she said.

A university-wide memorial service

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The university has decided to hold a memorial service toward the end of every academic year commemorating students who passed away. The first one was held on May 15, when the university celebrated the lives of nine deceased students.

“When we had the two really tragic losses earlier in the year, there was a real outcry about compassion and how we deal with that. And that’s kind of when I started thinking about what we need to do,” said Denise Maybank, vice president for Student Affairs and Services, at the service.

The parents of Dominique Nolff, the hospitality business sophomore who died after being shot in February 2014, were present at the memorial service. They expressed their gratitude to the university for facilitating the service.

“(The memorial service) definitely brought some peace to us; put some faces to some names we’ve talked to,” said Nolff’s mother, Melissa Nolff, at the service.

Providing a helping hand

“The loss of any student is traumatic and sad,” Shaw said. “Each case is unique and special; people handle grief differently.”

One of the major resources provided to the family of the deceased and to their friends is counseling through the MSU Counseling Center.

Student Affairs and Services usually informs the parents of the deceased about the services they provide.

“The Counseling Center reaches out to students and staff who are friends or in some other way identified as needing support,” wrote Bonnie Wheeler, national certified counselor at the MSU Counseling Center , in an email.

Since a number of the families affected are not from the area, the counseling center assists them in finding resources in their communities, Wheeler said.

The counseling center also makes sure to meet with all on-campus communities affected by the death of the students, including residence hall governments, greek organizations and clubs.

“Some students have academic difficulties after such an event and we provide support and guide them to resources that can help get through these times,” Wheeler said.

Cody said the recurring rumor that the deceased’s roommate would get an automatic 4.0 GPA is an “urban legend.”

Housing situation

Cody said in the case that the deceased student lives on campus, his or her roommate has the choice of either receiving a new roommate, or paying the difference and upgrading to a single room.

In the case that the student lives off campus, the same procedure is followed.

“As soon as we’re notified, we try and get a hold of (the deceased student’s) family or emergency contact,” said DTN Management Area Director Emilie Wohlscheid, clarifying that the company has to first make sure that the family has already been notified of the incident.

Wohlscheid said if the deceased has a roommate, the company works to help the student find a new roommate or find him or her another apartment that would cater more to his or her financial situation.

If it was only the deceased student living in the apartment, it is offered for lease after it is cleared out.

She said once the belongings are out of the apartment, it usually means that the lease has ended, so the family wouldn’t be obligated to pay rent anymore. Also, if there was a security deposit, it is returned to the deceased student’s beneficiary.

Tuition and loans

Cody reiterated that the procedures following student deaths are mostly determined on a case-by-case basis. Regarding tuition, the money would be partially or fully refunded, depending on the time when the student passes away.

As far as loans go, it depends on the loan provider.

Assistant Director of Financial Aid Cheryl Whitman  said if the student took out federal loans, the loans would be discharged.

“The parent, or someone, would just need to provide them with a death certificate,” Whitman said.

According to the Student Federal Aid website, parent PLUS loans are also forgiven in the case that the student on whose behalf the parents are borrowing the money passes away.

Whitman said she doesn’t believe alternative or private loan providers always offer loan discharge.

According to the Sallie Mae website, paying back the loan is forgiven in cases of student death or permanent disability. Sallie Mae is a corporation which originates, services and collects student loans, especially private education loans.

Another private and federal loan service provider, Navient, has a safeguard feature built into loans that were taken out since 2009, which would waive loan repayment in cases of death.

“For anyone who borrowed prior to that (2009), if they don’t have a safeguard built in, we work with the family to create a new plan and zeroing out the interest,” said Navient Spokesman Patricia Nash Christel.

Whitman said in the case that the student has incoming loans, the Office of Financial Aid tried to either stop the loan from coming in or reversing it. If a student passes away in the fall, for example, any spring loans would be canceled from processing.

“Anytime a student passes, it is a tragic loss to family, friends and the campus community,” Cody said. “MSU will do whatever it can to help ease the pain of that loss.”

Breaking news editor Simon Schuster contributed to this report.

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