News Briefs

Financial
seminar offered in February

Benefits-eligible
Rice employees are invited to learn how to gain and maintain
financial security by attending “Financial Strategies
for Successful Retirement” from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Feb.
9, 16 and 23.

The seminar will
be held in the second floor conference room at Rice Student
Center.
The seminar costs $65, which will be reimbursed by Rice’s
Human Resources Department once the course is completed.

For more information,
visit <www.ruf.rice.edu/%7Ehumres/Services/Benefits/financialclass.htm>.

To register or
for more information, visit <www.najafifinancial.com>
and click on “Seminar Registration” or call ING
Financial Partners at 713-807-7002.

Envision Grant
deadline is Feb. 12

The Coffeehouse,
the Undergraduate Research Symposium and the Interfaith
Thanksgiving Dinner all have something in common: They were
all started by students with innovative ideas and Envision
Grants.

Both undergraduate
and graduate students are invited to make their vision a
reality through the Envision Grant. Applications are being
accepted through 5 p.m. Feb. 12.

The entire process
is intended to educate students through exposure to the
critical process of grant writing and, for accepted proposals,
through the pursuit of intellectual, creative and service-based
experiences during their time at Rice.

For more information
and to apply, visit <www.rice.edu/leadership>
or contact Natalia Ksiezyk at <leading@rice.edu>.

Students sell
bricks for Habitat for Humanity trip

A group of students
headed to Honduras to work for Habitat for Humanity over
spring break is hosting fund-raising events to offset the
costs of the trip.

The group will
be selling bricks to be displayed in the Community Involvement
Center (CIC). Each brick costs $5 and can be purchased outside
Sammy’s in Rice Memorial Center from 11:30 a.m. to
1 p.m.

The group will
also be hosting a raffle Feb. 6 in the CIC. Tickets are
$1 and are available at the CIC as well. In addition to
other prizes, the students will be raffling off weekend
accommodations at two Houston hotels.

Carlos Garcia,
center administrator for the Center for Nanoscale Science
and Technology, will be the staff facilitator for the group.
International volunteer service can be a life-changing experience
for many students, he said.

“Many students
return feeling as though they learned more in a week than
they ever could in a yearlong college course,” Garcia
said. “Financial support, no matter what amount, can
help to ensure that all of the students selected to participate
in this project will have the opportunity to attend.”

Don’t
overlook the Earned Income Credit

Although many
Rice employees take advantage of the Earned Income Credit
each year, many more may not even be aware that they qualify
for this tax benefit.

The Earned Income
Credit (EIC) is a special tax benefit for people who work
full- or part-time. Those who qualify will owe less in taxes
and may get cash back. Even those who don’t owe income
tax can get the credit. But to get it, they must file a
federal tax return.

Who can get the
EIC?

• Workers
who were raising children in their homes and who earned
less than $33,692 ($34,692 for married workers) in 2003
can receive an EIC up to $4,204.

• Workers
who were raising only one child and who earned less than
$29,666 ($30,666 for married workers) can receive an EIC
up to $2,547.

• Workers
between ages 25 and 64, who were not raising children in
their homes and who earned less than $11,230 ($12,230 for
married workers) in 2003 can receive an EIC up to $382.

How do workers
get the EIC?

• Workers
raising a “qualifiing child” in 2003 must file
either Form 1040 or 1040A and must fill out and attach Schedule
EIC. Workers with children cannot get the EIC if they file
Form 1040EZ or do not attach Schedule EIC. Married workers
must file a joint return to get the EIC.

• Workers
who were not raising a “qualifying child” in their
homes in 2003 can file any tax form — including the
1040EZ. These workers write “EIC” (or the dollar
amount of their credit) on the Earned Income Credit line
on the tax form. They do not file Schedule EIC.

Workers raising
children can get part of their EIC in their paychecks throughout
the year and part in a check from the IRS after they file
their tax returns. Through the EIC Advance Payment option
a worker can get up to $58 extra in each biweekly paycheck.
To get EIC Advance Payments, eligible workers can submit
a Form W-5 to the Payroll Office, second floor of Allen
Center. The W-5 form is available in the Payroll Office.
This form can be submitted at any time, but it expires every
Dec. 31. The form must be resubmitted to the Payroll Office
each year in order for it to stay in effect.

Finally, many
families that earned more than $10,500 may qualify for the
Child Tax Credit refund — up to $1,000 for each dependent
child under age 17 — in addition to the EIC for which
they may qualify.

To find out more
information about these programs and whether you qualify,
contact your tax preparer or contact the IRS at <www.irs.ustreas.gov>
or by calling the IRS at 800-829-1040. This is a 24-hour
line, but be patient — it’s often busy. When you
call, also ask about VITA, a program of the IRS that helps
people fill out their tax forms for free.

To request more
information — but not tax advice — call Human
Resources’ Celeste Boudreaux, 713-348-6323, or Carla
Hernandez, 713-348-4760.