Welcome to Bread Loaf School of English

Welcome, new and returning students, to the Bread Loaf community!

The following information will help walk you through the enrollment process and prepare you for the coming summer session. Please make sure you read through the entire page; it contains vital information and items you will need to complete.

In addition, all students are responsible for knowing and understanding all Middlebury and Bread Loaf policies, which are articulated in the Bread Loaf Student Handbook and in the Middlebury Handbook.

Checklist

Please use this checklist to help ensure you have completed important tasks by their deadlines. You should also review all of the information on this onboarding page to prepare for the Bread Loaf session.

A Note on Middlebury Systems and Platforms

At Bread Loaf, you will use several different systems to access information or submit materials. There are two sets of credentials you’ll need to use to login to these various platforms.

Your student enrollment portal houses your admissions and enrollment letters as well as a variety of forms, including the housing form, photo submission form, waiver form, and pre-arrival form. You can also pay your deposit through your enrollment portal. The enrollment portal is located within the same system you used to submit your application and/or re-enrollment form; your login credentials are ones you established when you first submitted those forms. The username is an email address. If you would like to change your username to a different email address, please contact your campus coordinator.

BannerWeb is where you’ll register for classes, input your emergency contact information, find your grades, and print unofficial transcripts. You’ll use your Middlebury network account credentials to access BannerWeb. 

Your Middlebury account credentials also govern access to your middlebury.edu email accounts, the Canvas course management system, Zoom, library databases and resources, and more.

Deposit Information

Please pay your nonrefundable deposit of $400 by the date listed on your enrollment letter. 

By e-check or credit card
Log in to your student enrollment portal (your unique login credentials were provided within your application or re-enrollment acknowledgment email). Click on the link within your portal to pay your deposit. Please note that there is a surcharge applied for credit card payments.

By mail
Checks and money orders can be made payable to Middlebury College and mailed to your campus coordinator at the address below. Please include the student’s name and ID number on the check or money order. 

Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English
75 Franklin Street
Middlebury, VT 05753

Please note: Payment of deposits may be deferred if and only if you are awaiting a financial aid decision:

  • Deposits must be paid within two weeks of receiving aid decisions.
  • Deposits may not be deferred because of outstanding loan or special scholarship applications.
  • Deposits are waived only if students have applied for certain fellowships.

Financial Aid

Financial Aid will be awarded to students in two main blocks, depending on the completion of your Bread Loaf enrollment.

  • To receive an aid decision by February 16, 2024: new students will need to complete their Bread Loaf program and aid applications by January 26, 2024; returning students will need to submit their re-enrollment forms and aid applications by February 9, 2024.
  • To receive an aid decision by April 19, 2024: new students will need to complete their Bread Loaf program and aid applications by March 15, 2024; returning students will need to submit their re-enrollment forms and aid applications by March 29, 2024.
  • Anyone who is enrolled after March 30, 2024 will receive a decision on a rolling basis.

Bread Loaf will review and award special fellowships and scholarships across two periods following the February 16 and April 19 aid awarding dates. For best access to financial aid and special funding, apply early.

Students receiving financial aid refunds may opt to have funds deposited directly to their U.S. bank accounts. To register for direct deposit, students should enter their banking information within the Nelnet billing system, under Nelnet Student Refunds. Please submit this information by the start of classes at your campus. Otherwise, refunds are distributed via checks.

Enrollment Information Forms

For students studying at the Vermont, Oxford, or California campus, please submit the enrollment information form located within your student enrollment portal by the date listed within your enrollment letter.

International Students 

Visa Support

  • In-person study: International students studying at BLSE must have a visa status that allows for full-time study. Students cannot use the B1/B2 Visitor visa status for study at BLSE.
    • Vermont: International students who intend to enroll at BLSE in Vermont and who have made their tuition deposit will receive an email from ISSS in March with information about starting the visa application process to obtain a visa that allows for full-time study or to confirm that their existing visa status in the U.S. is sufficient.
    • Monterey: International students who are outside the U.S. must contact ISSS to determine whether Middlebury can provide visa support for the program. If ISSS is unable to provide visa support, a student will need to inquire to BLSE to determine if there are alternative options to consider for enrollment in summer 2024.
    • It is best to confirm your visa eligibility with ISSS directly, by emailing isss@middlebury.edu. When sending an email, please use the subject line: “Visa Eligibility Inquiry: BLSE Monterey.” 
  • Online/Remote study: 
    • International students who are outside the U.S. and who will engage in remote study for the summer are not eligible for visa support from Middlebury. 
    • Students in the U.S. and in a status that allows remote study might be eligible to engage in online coursework. Please consult with your international student advisor and ISSS for guidance.
  • Students in the U.S.: International students in the U.S. may participate in the in-person or online/remote programs if their visa status allows for full-time study for the BLSE program. 
    • If you’re unsure about your status, check with the school or employer who has sponsored your visa, or with an immigration attorney.
    • You can also reach out to Middlebury’s International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) at isss@middlebury.edu or 802-443-5858 for assistance. 
    • If you are currently in the U.S, please contact ISSS as soon as possible to verify whether you will require visa support from Middlebury to attend BLSE.

Tax Information
All students who are not U.S. citizens or U.S. legal permanent residents (i.e., green card holders) will receive a request for information from Middlebury’s Tax Office via email prior to the start of your program. You must provide the requested information in a timely manner.

Please note that you might have a tax obligation on any financial aid that exceeds tuition. If so, you will be obligated to pay the tax liability that will appear on your Middlebury bill.

Important Tax Information for Scholarship Recipients

If you are a Nonresident Alien for Tax Purposes, you should assume you will be taxed on payments made to you or on your behalf by the college or institute. Rates are based on your country’s tax treaty, your visa status and the type of income you receive. Another important element is your signature on tax documents within the FNIS system. Treaty benefits do not apply if you fail to complete and sign the needed informational documents.

Be sure to enter and update your information in the FNIS system if you are a non-resident alien or international student, faculty or visitor. If you have not received an email introducing you to FNIS, please contact the Tax Office. If you fail to enter visa status in FNIS, the Tax Office will assume you are traveling on a waiver. This may result in a higher tax withholding on any payments.

For questions about why we charge you for taxes, and how we determine the amounts, please contact the tax office at middleburytaxoffice@middlebury.edu.

Accessibility Accommodations 

Middlebury is committed to making reasonable accommodations for qualified students as required by law. Students with disabilities who wish to request housing or academic accommodations may contact the Disability Resource Center by submitting an Accommodation Request Form for Bread Loaf’s U.S. campuses or Oxford campus. Both the Accessibility Policy for students and the ARF are available from SAS in a variety of accessible formats upon request.

Pets are not allowed in any campus buildings. Please contact the Disability Resource Center at ada@middlebury.edu well in advance of the session if you would like to apply to bring an assistance animals or emotional support animal to campus.

Providing reasonable accommodations requires timely notification. If accommodations are not requested in a timely manner, it may be impossible for Middlebury to provide them in the earlier portions of the summer program.

Activate Your Middlebury Network Account 

All students receive a Middlebury account that allows access to library resources, Middlebury email accounts, BannerWeb, and Vermont and California wifi and on-campus computer access. Campus-wide emergency notifications and training links will be sent to your Middlebury email account, so be certain to check that account regularly or have your email forwarded to your regular email account. Additionally, we will communicate primarily through your middlebury.edu email accounts during the summer session.

For New Students

Middlebury College uses BannerWeb, a secure program for students to register for courses and view their academic records and financial information. For new students, BannerWeb should be accessible within a day or two of receiving your enrollment email from your campus coordinator. You will receive an email with instructions on how to activate your account.

For Returning Students

Off-campus password change options are:

1. Change (when the existing password is known): http://go.middlebury.edu/change/

2. Reset (when the existing password is unknown):  http://go.middlebury.edu/reset/

The complete range of self-service password options are outlined here: http://go.middlebury.edu/password/

For All Students: Configure Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Middlebury accounts are required to be protected by Multi-factor Authentication (MFA), a security technology that keeps accounts safe from potential compromise by requiring the use of more than just a username and password to prove your identity during login. The first time you login to an MFA-protected service, such as BannerWeb, you will be prompted to complete MFA setup if you have not already done so.  All you need to know about Multi Factor Authentication includes information about MFA setup options.   If you prefer, you can initiate setup yourself by visiting http://go.middlebury.edu/mfasetup/ and following these steps http://go.middlebury.edu/mfaguide/.

We strongly suggest that you configure MFA using the Microsoft Authenticator app to facilitate international travel. A text message to a phone number may fail when you are out of cellular service range or traveling internationally.

Your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) settings can be changed at any time by visiting and authenticating at http://go.middlebury.edu/mfasetup/.

If you need a password or MFA reset ITS must first verify your identity to proceed. Please call ITS Helpdesk (802) 443-2200 or connect via Zoom; career Helpdesk staff can assist you from 8:15 am - 7:30 pm ET, Monday - Friday.

Register for Classes

Online course registration will take place from February 26 to March 8, 2024. Find course schedules, degree requirements, and detailed instructions on our course registration page.

Before registering, MA degree candidates should review their progress towards degree requirements.

Returning students at the Vermont and Oxford campuses who would like to take an additional unit of credit (including through a DRW project) beyond the standard two units must submit an email request to their campus coordinator by February 2, explaining their reasons for taking an overload. Requests will be vetted by the dean or director and will be approved only for students with outstanding academic records. Students will be notified of these decisions by February 9. Those who enroll after February 2 should submit requests within a week of re-enrollment.

Emergency Information

For students studying in-person this summer, enter your emergency contact information, cell phone number, missing person contact, and evacuation plan into BannerWeb:

Click on the Personal Information tab
Select the Personal Information link
Select Update Emergency Contacts
Click New Contact to add a new contact or select a name to update an existing contact.
Click Submit Changes when you are finished entering or updating your information

In case of an emergency situation where you are not capable of communication, Human Resources and Public Safety would have access to this emergency contact information in Banner to determine who should be contacted on your behalf. This information will be kept confidential and will only be accessed if needed.

Please add Middlebury Public Safety (802) 443-5911 into your cell phone to use in the case of medical emergencies.

Evacuation Plan

All students studying in-person are required to submit a personal evacuation plan online in BannerWeb. In the unlikely event of an emergency, the plan describes where you would go if the college had to be evacuated. 

Missing Person Contact

Students may designate a confidential contact in the event they become a missing person. This contact can be anyone, and does not need to be the same as the student’s emergency contact(s). BannerWeb maintains the contact person’s information in a confidential area, separate from the student’s emergency contact information. The information will be accessible only to authorized campus officials and may not be disclosed, except to law enforcement personnel in furtherance of a missing person’s investigation.

If a student is missing, authorized campus officials and law enforcement officers will have access to this designated contact and will communicate with the person no later than 24 hours from the initial report.

SafeColleges Training

You will receive an email from Safe Colleges with a link to mandatory online training you are required to complete. The training must be completed before classes for your program begin. You will not be allowed to attend class until you have completed this training. Please contact your campus coordinator if you do not receive the email before the start of your program.

View Emergency Preparedness Video

For those studying in-person, before arriving on campus, please view the six-minute training video on the emergency preparedness.

Pay Your Bill

Billing notifications are sent directly via email from Student Financial Services in April; bills must be paid by June 1. Instructions for payment are included within billing emails. Please see the SFS billing information website for more details.

Photos

The Bread Loaf office maintains student photos to assist internally with identification. We ask that students studying in-person submit a clear-resolution, passport-style digital photo by May 1 through the Photo Submission Form in your student enrollment portal.

New Students Only

Bread Loaf faculty write evaluations of each student’s class performance at the end of each term. Bread Loaf retains these evaluations in order to compose letters of recommendation and to assess the preparedness of students seeking approval for special academic pursuits, such as independent work or course overloads. Federal law dictates that students have access to any comments written about them in letters of recommendation or similar documents, unless the student waives that right. 

New students must elect to either waive their rights to review such materials in their Bread Loaf files or decline to waive their rights. Bread Loaf informs faculty members of the students who have chosen not to waive their rights; faculty are therefore aware of which student evaluations will not remain confidential. If you are a new student, please complete the Waiver Form in your student enrollment portal by June 1. 

Seniors Only

Seniors should expect to receive an email from their campus coordinators to confirm that graduation requirements have been met and that all official transcripts are on file. Seniors should plan to attend a senior meeting to determine class presidents and commencement details on the first Friday of the session in Vermont and during the first week of the session in California and Oxford.

Student Jobs 

Part-time summer job opportunities are available to students at the Vermont campus only. Students may receive financial aid and/or loans and work in a student position. Student positions are now posted.

If you are interested in any of these positions, please email Dianne Baroz. Applicants for all positions except dining staff should include a brief description of qualifications. Most jobs offer up to 20 hours of work per week and pay at $14 per hour, with checks distributed every two weeks. Dining staff, except seniors, are required to work through the commencement picnic.

Contests 

Bread Loaf runs two contests (with cash prizes) each summer for the best original poetry and the best original short fiction from a student enrolled at any of our campuses: 

  • Robert Haiduke Poetry Contest: Enter one to two poems with a maximum of 40 lines per poem.
  • Fiction Prize: Enter no more than 10 double-spaced pages. 

Please note that by entering the contest, you give permission for your work to be printed and distributed (and, of course, celebrated).

Deadlines and Submission

At all campuses, the deadline for submission for the Fiction contest is July 1, and the deadline for entries in the Poetry contest is July 15. Email submissions to Karen Browne at kbrowne@middlebury.edu.

Planning for Your Arrival

Students who need to arrive late or depart early because of work commitments must get prior approval from their campus coordinators; students are otherwise expected to attend all classes. If you are approved to miss a class, please contact your professor once you arrive on campus to make arrangements for completing missed work. In all cases, please notify your campus coordinator if you will be missing any class during the session.

In May, we will post important campus-specific information for the Vermont and California campuses. 

Oxford BLSE Pre-Arrival Information - March 2024