Parents and Families

University of Michigan family photo

College is a major transition - for students, as well as for parents and families. However, plenty of information is available to make the transition as easy as possible.

The U-M Parents website is a detailed resource that provides information specifically designed to support parents and families. It contains information about academics, student life, health, safety, and financial, other many other topics. Student Life's Parents & Families website works in partnership with the U-M Parents website to provide an up-to-date quarterly newsletter, Family Matters, an information-packed newsletter designed for current Wolverines' parents and loved ones.

Parents and incoming students who don't know their way around campus will benefit from visiting Campus Information Centers (CIC). CIC offers maps and directions around campus, a building search, an acronym decoder, and plenty of other tools and resources for helping you find your way on campus. They are open 19 hours every day and are ready to answer any type of question you may have!

Our Family Matters Newsletter provides current information about campus life and offers resources that can help support you in your supporting role for your Wolverine. In addition, subscribers will receive occasional messages sharing the University's response to unexpected or emergency situations.

To receive Family Matters via email, submit your contact information using our new, streamlined online subscription form. It takes less than a minute to complete and takes effect immediately. To learn more about Family Matters, view the subscription options.

Student health and travel abroad insurance plans are also available through University Health Service (UHS).

If you are just interested in happenings around campus, check out the University Record, which puts out a daily newsletter containing University news.

Lastly, take a look around the Student Life website. You'll find information about all of the resources the University offers its students. If it's relevant for your student, it's relevant for you as a parent.

Tuition Refund Insurance Available for Winter 2022 Term

The cost of tuition can be substantial, and students may need to withdraw from a term due to an injury, illness, or flare-up of a chronic condition. The U-M Tuition Insurance Plan is a voluntary insurance available to all Ann Arbor students, including in-state and out-of-state undergraduate, graduate and professional students. The tuition insurance significantly extends the university’s withdrawal policy and can help to pay back loans, grants, and scholarships, and can help students continue their education at a later time.

The Winter 2022 coverage purchase deadline is Monday, Jan. 10, 2022. Additional details are available on the University Health Service website.

Dining Updates: Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 terms

Dining halls will remain open and continue their regular hours of operation through Dec. 15. Starting Dec. 15, dining halls will have adjusted meal times. On Dec. 19 and 20, meals will only be served at Bursley, Mosher Jordan, and South Quad dining halls. The last meal served is dinner on Dec. 20. Visit the MDining website for the latest menus and hours of operation. For students returning to campus for Winter term, Dining Halls reopen on Sunday, Jan. 2, with dinner service.

Photo inside Michigan Dining's East Quad residential dining facility

Housing Updates: Move-Out, Winter Break Housing, and Move-In

Once your student turns in their final assignments, they are almost ready to venture off campus to their winter break destination. Before they close their campus door for the final time this term, they will want to ensure they have checked off all the items on Housing’s checklist for preparing their room for winter break.

For students who are living in our residence halls or apartments, we have compiled important information on fall term move-out and winter 2022 move-in, as well as a convenient winter break housing option if your student plans to remain in Ann Arbor. You and your student can find more information on the Housing FAQs webpage and Housing’s undergraduate move-in and move-out webpage.

Winter 2022 Term: COVID-19 Prevention

Congratulations to your Wolverine on their completed or soon-to-be completed Fall term! If your student will be returning to Ann Arbor for the Winter 2022 term, they can expect many of the same COVID-19 protections and community expectations to support another productive and healthy academic term. Indoor masking, weekly testing for the small fraction of the community who have vaccine exemptions, and daily use of ResponsiBLUE are among the mitigation strategies that will continue.

In this article, we compiled the top seven things you and your student need to know for the winter 2022 term.

Helping Your Student Navigate Travel Options

As this academic term comes to a close, your student may be experiencing higher levels of stress as they prepare for their final examinations and put the finishing touches on their course projects. For some students, efforts to finish the term strong may have left time for little else, including planning their plane, train, and/or bus transportation needs.

If this may sound like your student, the Family Matters editorial team is here to help. Discover convenient, easy-to-book transportation options to help your student reach their final destination or next travel hub, as well as reminders around COVID-19 and travel.

COVID-19 and Travel During the Academic Break

This week, many students will complete their Fall term finals and depart our Ann Arbor campus for their winter break destination, whether that is their permanent residence or elsewhere.

While U-M is a highly vaccinated community—with 98 percent of our students fully vaccinated—breakthrough infections can occur. We offer reminders around COVID-19 and travel that can help your student protect themselves, as well as others, during their winter break travels.

What’s New? Stay Up-to-date…

As we move into a period of particularly frequent travel for our students and more activities happening indoors due to colder weather, we are committed to providing you and your student with up-to-date information on current campus life and opportunities that will make an education at U-M a safe, positive experience. These regular updates recently included COVID-19 booster shot recommendations, testing resources, an update on the Omicron variant, and important tips for staying healthy during the remainder of the fall term and upcoming winter break travel.

If you miss any of these updates, you can view President Mark S. Schlissel’s most recent message at any time during the week. You also can stay informed on a daily basis by visiting the Campus Maize and Blueprint page.

Our Time With Your Student

Dear Wolverine Families,

Finals season is upon us, and your student is entering the home stretch of the fall term. I am sure you are looking forward to your student returning home soon. When my daughters were in college, I couldn’t wait for winter break to roll around and bring them back home for some quality time together. In a way, all the parents, families, and loved ones of U-M students are in the home stretch right now, too—waiting to be reunited again for the end of 2021 and the start of 2022.

The intensity of studying can give them a big appetite, so we were pleased to bring back the special late night breakfast this year. Food is one of many ways to care for your student’s well-being during finals; addressing mental health concerns is another. If you are concerned about a student at any time throughout the year, there are many ways to help them help themselves through the Well-Being website.