Help Your Parents Help You
CU-Boulder Student with Parent
The Parent Program
Getting through your college career might not be as easy for your parents as it is for you. This section contains frequently asked questions, contact information, and other resources. It is designed to help provide answers to some of the more common concerns your parents might have.
Make sure you share this information with your parents—and help make their transition as smooth as it can be.
The University of Colorado Parent Program is comprised of three organizations: the Office of Parent Relations (OPR), the CU Parents Association (CUPA), and the Parent Fund. The mission of the CU Parent Program is to partner with parents in order to support and enhance the educational experience of CU students through events, communications, charitable giving, and volunteer opportunities. The Parent Fund is an essential part of the CU Parent Program.
The Office of Parent Relations’ (www.colorado.edu/parentrelations) primary purpose is to administer university programs that meet the needs of CU-Boulder parents. OPR has put a premium on facilitating and enhancing communications to provide parents with meaningful opportunities to stay connected with the university, ultimately promoting student success and presenting a parent perspective.
The CU Parents Association was founded to promote and advance the University of Colorado at Boulder and to support the administration in its ongoing mission of excellence. Free CUPA membership will keep your parents informed about critical campus news—dates to remember, helpful resources to ensure your success, and exciting events on campus and around the country. CUPA members will receive the CU Parent newsletter twice a year and the CU Parent E-Connection, an electronic newsletter, about every two weeks through the school year, as well as access to the OPR Twitter site. Members can consider joining the CUPA Board of Directors. With the support of the Parent Fund, CUPA Board members assist in awarding student scholarships and grants to student organizations.
To become members of CUPA, your parents can send a quick e-mail to parents@colorado.edu with their name, city, state, and e-mail address. Membership is FREE.
Family Weekend
You and your parents, family, and friends are invited to Family Weekend 2009 (October 16–18)! Activities include a welcome lunch with the CU-Boulder chancellor, campus tours, a series of Fall Convocation events featuring outstanding faculty and students, a pre-game brunch/pep rally, a CU Buffs football game, and a 5k run. Register early at www.colorado.edu/familyweekend.
Parent Reading List
- Letting Go: A Parents’ Guide to Understanding the College Years – by Karen Levin Coburn and Madge Lawrence Treeger
- I’ll Miss You Too: An Off-to-College Guide for Parents and Students – by Margo E. Woodacre Bane and Steffany Bane
- The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College – by Harlan Cohen
- How to Survive Your Freshman Year: By Hundreds of College Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors Who Did (Hundreds of Heads Survival Guides) – by Hundreds of Heads, Mark W. Bernstein, and Yadin Kaufmann
- Getting Through College without Going Broke: A crash course on finding money for college and making it last (Students Helping Students) – by Students Helping Students
Student Care Packages
At times parents might want to send their student care packages. Below is a list of popular items to send.
- Magazine subscription
- Homemade cookies and treats
- Cards, including gift certificates for pizza, ice cream, movies, etc.
- Stamps and pre-stamped postcards or envelopes
- Laundry supplies
- Toiletries
- Favorite candy and snacks
- CDs, DVDs, or iTunes downloads
- Money
Frequently Asked Parent Questions
Q: How much is tuition?
A: Tuition rates, as well as additional financial information, can be found at www.colorado.edu/bursar.
Q: Does CU accept credit cards for payment of tuition and fees?
A: Due to the high cost of merchant fees, the university does not accept credit cards for payment of tuition and fees. Other departments on campus may accept credit cards for payment, however.
Q: Do you have academically priced hardware and software?
A: The Buffalo Chip Computer Store in the CU Book Store offers a variety of academic hardware and software at substantial savings. Currently they have contracts with Apple, Dell, and Sony for computer systems. They offer academically priced software from a wide variety of manufacturers including Microsoft and Adobe.
Q: Tell me about textbook availability.
A: The CU Book Store is the store owned and operated by the University of Colorado at Boulder. Thus, they carry the most complete list of required and optional textbooks for courses at CU-Boulder. Both new and used books are available for courses whenever possible. Textbooks can be purchased in the store or at www.cubookstore.com.
Q: Can my student use the health center if we do not have the university insurance?
A: Yes. Your son/daughter may use any service within the facility, but he/she will be responsible for payment. Wardenburg can provide the necessary paperwork to submit claims to your insurance company. The health center also accepts cash, check, and Visa/MasterCard—and it offers the Wardenburg Campus Care Plan for $165/semester, which covers most on-campus health care and often pays for itself after just one visit.
Important Contacts
Below are some common issues students encounter in their first year and suggestions about who they should contact in these situations. If you are a parent of a CU-Boulder student, we encourage you to enable them to make inquiries regarding situations like these on their own:
A roommate issue:
Residence Hall Office
303-492-6871
housing.colorado.edu
Personal adjustments:
Wardenburg Psychological Health and Psychiatry
303-492-5654
www.colorado.edu/healthcenter
Counseling and Psychological Services
303-492-6766
www.colorado.edu/sacs/counseling
Center for Multicultural Affairs
303-492-5667
www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/cma
A cold or flu:
Wardenburg Health Center
303-492-5101
www.colorado.edu/healthcenter
Computer problems:
Information Technology Services
303-735-HELP(4357)
www.colorado.edu/its/students
Help with study skills:
Academic Support Advisory Program
303-492-6673
housing.colorado.edu
Searching for scholarships:
Financial Aid Office
303-492-5091
www.colorado.edu/finaid/scholarships.html
Finding employment:
Student Employment Office
303-492-7349
www.colorado.edu/studentemployment
