The Buff OneCard is the official identification card for CU-Boulder students, faculty and staff.

You will need this ID card to access campus facilities and services that have restricted access. For example, it allows you to use the recreation center, check out library books, and use dining services in the residence halls. Combined with a current RTD validation sticker, it allows you to ride local, regional and express buses for no additional fee. It also offers a variety of optional services such as Buff Gold and ATM access which require that the student open an account at the University of Colorado Federal Credit Union.

Students who have confirmed their intent to attend CU-Boulder and have paid the $200 enrollment deposit, are eligible to get a Buff OneCard. Faculty and staff are eligible to get a card on their first day of employment. To get a Buff OneCard, go to the Campus Card Office, Hallett 66 and bring a photo ID to prove your identity. Your first card is free. Lost or stolen cards can be replaced for $20, and damaged cards can be replaced for $5.

Read more about the Buff OneCard at www.buffonecard.com.

Where can I go to talk to someone about my problems?

Counseling Services is the place to go to discuss life challenges. Counseling services staff includes counselors, psychologists, and other professionals committed to offering quality programs and services. Counseling and psychological services are free, confidential, and available to all CU-Boulder students, staff, and faculty. Read about their programs at www.colorado.edu/sacs/counseling/.

Career Services provides a centralized, comprehensive career center for students at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Career Services counselors inspire and teach students to become active participants in their own career development through programs that help them plan their careers, find internships, and secure post-graduate employment. Read about their programs at www.colorado.edu/careerservices/.

The CU Book Store is located on the lower level of the University Memorial Center (UMC). You can shop in person or online for books and supplies, computers, and much more. See cubooks.colorado.edu/.

International Student and Scholar Services is the office that bears the overall institutional responsibility for foreign students once they are admitted to the University of Colorado at Boulder. International students and scholars with questions concerning their legal status or other issues pertinent to their stay at CU Boulder can go to the office of International Student and Scholar Services, within the Office of International Education in ENVD 1B01, email an advisor, or call (303) 492-8057. They’ll do what they can to answer questions and help with a smooth transition into American university life. Read more at www.colorado.edu/oie/fsss.

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Resource Center is the best resource for gay, bisexual, lesbian, transgender, and queer individuals on the CU-Boulder campus. To learn more about the GLBT Resource Center, go to www.colorado.edu/GLBTRC/, call 303-492-1377, or visit the center in Willard 227.

Wardenburg Health Center, located on campus, provides a wide range of fee-for-service medical, mental health, and sports medicine services. In addition, the health center provides free services such as the musculoskeletal injury screening clinic, HIV testing, and support groups for those with bi-polar illness. Also available at no cost through Wardenburg are the health education, personal safety and peer education programs such as Sexual Health Program, CU Rape and Gender Program (COURAGE), Interactive Theater, Student Wellness Program, smoking cessation, chair massage and relaxation techniques. For more information, go to www.colorado.edu/healthcenter or call 303-492-5101. The Apothecary, a full-service pharmacy located inside Wardenburg, is contracted with a wide variety of insurance plans. Contact them directly at 303-492-8553.

The University of Colorado at Boulder has a mandatory policy statement that requires all students taking one or more credit hours to be covered by a health insurance plan. Students may elect coverage under their own insurance, through an employer or their parents, or the university will provide an insurance plan designed to meet most students' needs.

All students taking one credit hours or more are automatically enrolled and billed by the university for the Golden Buffalo Student Gold Health Insurance Plan unless you select or waive the health insurance by the appropriate deadline. For health plan information online go to www.colorado.edu/studenthealthplans.

Read all about the residence halls on campus on the Department of Housing web site at housing.colorado.edu/.

The university requires freshmen to live in a university residence hall for two academic year semesters, provided that space is available, and places a priority on reserving residence hall space for them. For this reason, space for continuing students and new transfer students is limited.

Staff in the Off-Campus Housing Office are here to help the over 18,000 University of Colorado at Boulder students who live off campus find good housing. Off-Campus Student Services (OCSS) has a computerized database of houses, apartments, and roommate listings. Full-fee paying students may access this database for free by logging on to www.colorado.edu/OCSS/. Others may access this database for a small fee. Non-students should contact the OCSS office to register and pay for this service.

OCSS also hosts an annual housing fair which brings major apartment complexes and property management companies to the University Memorial Center (UMC) Ballroom, and gives students an opportunity to meet with these companies and find out about housing options.

Yes, however, space is limited for students to park on campus and parking permits can be expensive. Numerous transportation options exist for students without cars that are free with your student ID and RTD sticker. For more information about bringing a car and parking on campus, go to the Parking and Transit Services website at www.colorado.edu/pts.

The mandatory student fee package includes an administrative fee for a bus pass. This pass allows students to ride local, express and regional buses for no additional charge. Students can also ride to Denver International Airport and several ski areas using their student bus pass. Therefore, it is not necessary for students to bring cars to campus. Students who feel that they "must" have a car, are encouraged to check out information on parking on campus by going to the Parking and Transit Services web site at www.colorado.edu/pts and then clicking on "Students."

The University of Colorado Student Union (UCSU) is the student government for all CU-Boulder students. UCSU is among the most influential student governments in the nation and has an operating budget of more than $23 million. Similar to the structure of the U.S. government, UCSU has executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Executives are elected each year in the spring, and they appoint a staff of commissioners, student administrators, and administrative assistants. The legislative branch consists of an 18-member Legislative Council, including nine representatives elected at large and nine college and school representatives chosen by the student governments in each college and school. The judicial branch has seven Appellate Court judges who rule on questions concerning the UCSU constitution. Read about UCSU at www-ucsu.colorado.edu.

You can get started by visiting the Study Abroad Programs web site at www.colorado.edu/OIE/StudyAbroad/ or by going to the Study Abroad Programs office in the basement of the Environmental Design building 1B-45, where advisors are available on a walk-in basis to assist you.

As an undergraduate at an American institution, you have thousands of study abroad programs from which to choose. CU-Boulder offers over 140 programs that are geared to match the academic and cultural needs of students at CU.

You can find information on computing, internet access, computer labs, phones, and long distance services on the information technology services site.

Approximately 85 percent of CU-Boulder undergraduates bring computers to campus. We want students to take advantage of our exceptional information technology (IT) environment at CU-Boulder, which includes one fast network (100 mg) access port per resident in all rooms, so we recommend that every student have a personal computer if this is financially feasible. You can find computer recommendations on the ITS web site at www.colorado.edu/its/recommendations.

Because computer ownership may present a financial burden for some students, there are computer laboratories thoughout campus available to all students. Several of the residence halls also have their own computer labs that are open to residents. Students who intend to purchase a computer and wish to have its cost included in their financial aid calculations are strongly encouraged to consult the Office of Financial Aid before their purchase. Students who are eligible for the campus Student Computer Lending Program will be contacted by the program's administrator. For more information, contact the Office of Financial Aid at 303-492-5091.