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Parents and Families

Parents & 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.

A COVID Update

​Dear Parents and Families,

As the fall semester begins, 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. 

Earlier today, your student received this emailed update, which includes information about the safety measures in place to slow the spread of the virus, tracking mechanisms and metrics, your student’s experiences in the classrooms and residence halls, and other campus updates. 

Our top priority is ensuring the health and safety of your student and our broader University of Michigan community. While living with the realities of COVID-19 has become more prevalent, we continue to strengthen our approach to keeping our community safe.

To stay up to date throughout the week, you may also view the Campus Maize and Blueprint site.  

"Welcome to Michigan" events

Each fall, our campus community hosts a collaboration of events and activities to both welcome our new students to U-M, their home-away-from-home, and help them make a successful transition to the university community. 

We designed these events and activities—collectively known as our “Welcome to Michigan” program—with your student in mind: we expose our newest Wolverines to our traditions and values, and introduce them to campus resources and spaces. Most importantly, these on-campus events offer students an opportunity to build social connections within their communities.

Blue circular logo with text "Welcome Home"

Is your student covered? Domestic Student Health Insurance Plan now available

The University of Michigan encourages all students to have health insurance for life’s unexpected events. If your student needs insurance coverage, the U-M Domestic Student Health Insurance Plan (DSHIP) through Blue Care Network of Michigan (BCN) has generous benefits at a very reasonable cost. Insurance cost for an individual student for the 2021-22 insurance plan year (coverage dates 8/24/21 – 8/23/22) is $1,929. Deadline for annual purchase is Sept. 30, 2021. Read on for highlights of the program.

Health Insurance

What’s New? Stay Up-to-date...

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, 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 include updates on the fall—a more traditional in-person and residential fall semester for the Ann Arbor campus—as well as vaccines, protocols, and upcoming events.  

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.

Campus Blueprint

A COVID Update

Dear Parents and Families,

As the fall semester approaches, 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. Earlier today, your student received this emailed update, which includes information about the new mask requirement inside campus buildings or on campus transit, regardless of vaccination status. 

Exceptions will include students inside their own residence halls, including common areas, and while eating and drinking. We’ll continue to assess conditions as they evolve and revisit this policy once the semester begins. 

Our top priority is ensuring the health and safety of your student and our broader University of Michigan community. The increasing number of regional COVID-19 cases, a greater risk of transmission due to the more infectious delta variant, and our inability to vaccinate the young children of students and employees and those who are immunocompromised have necessitated that we continue to strengthen our approach to keeping our community safe.

To stay up to date throughout the week, you may also view the Campus Maize and Blueprint site. 

COVID-19 vaccination requirements, face covering policy updates

Our top priority is ensuring the health and safety of our University of Michigan community. The emergence of the more highly infectious delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, the possibility of breakthrough infections, and our inability to vaccinate the young children of students and employees and those who are immunocompromised have necessitated that we strengthen our approach to keeping our community safe. 

We have summarized the recent policy changes and resources available for your student.

Vaccine

Dining updates: Fall 2021

Michigan Dining is planning to have all dining halls open for dine-in and will be featuring carry out service at 5 dining halls during Fall 2021, with hours still being finalized and will be published on their website by late summer. In addition, staff are continuing our work with University and Michigan Medicine experts and partners in Housing to determine safety measures that will be in place.

MDining

Housing: Fall updates

This fall, your student’s Housing experiences will more closely resemble those of a traditional semester. Read on for the most up-to-date public health guidelines for Fall 2021. We also will continue to be informed and implement safe practices as recommended by the CDC and public health guidance.

Housing

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