Transitions
The summer before your student starts at Iowa will begin a sequence of changes for you and your family. While you may not be the one heading off to college, we know that parents and family members still experience a wide range of emotions as you leave your student in Iowa City. We encourage you to use the summer months to have conversations around expectations while your student is at Iowa. We also hope you will begin to help your student advocate for themselves by keeping up to date with their Orientation dates and requirements. If you have any questions about your student's experience or what you can do to stay connected, feel free to reach out to the Parent & Family Program team.
Conversation Starters
Parents and families should have preparation conversations with their students during the summer months before they move on campus. Some questions to get conversations started could be:
- How often would you like us to reach out to you?
- How would you like move-in to go? How can I be supportive as you settle in?
- What are your expectations around finances or paying the U-Bill?
- When would you like us to visit?
- How can I best support you in moments of conflict? How are you planning to handle them on your own?
Orientation at Iowa
Orientation is a four-part process at Iowa. Domestic students will complete SOAR, Becoming a Hawkeye, On Iowa!, and Success at Iowa. Parents and families are encouraged to participate in Becoming a Hawkeye and On Iowa!.
Fall 2024 Transition Timeline
March 4th: Orientation Reservation System Opens
April 22nd: Student Online, Advising, & Registration (SOAR) opens; students can complete the SOAR Page and any placement tests
May - July: Meet with advisor during your SOAR appointment
June - July: Attend a Becoming a Hawkeye program
August 12th: Success at Iowa begins on ICON (Iowa Courses Online)
August 18th - 25th: On Iowa! Welcome Week
Living on Campus
The process to live-on campus starts early and students will receive communication to their email about next steps. Parents and families are encouraged to use the following timeline to help their student stay on top of any important steps:
Step One: Between January 4th to May 1st, students can complete their application in their Admissions Profile in MyUI.
Step Two: Research LLC options and connect with a possible roomate.
Step Three: Students will receive a date and time to select their room, meal plan, and insurance. In order to select a room, students must be scheduled for an upcoming SOAR date by May 15th.
Step Four: Students will select the date and time that works best for them and you for move-in in August. We encourage you to have the conversation early in July about what date the student should select.
Step Five: Move-in and attend On Iowa! sometime during August 18th - 25th.
Financial Aid
We know that the updated FAFSA process has brought challenges and delays. Based upon the current updates from the Department of Education, the Office of Financial Aid is operating off of this timeline:
- Students and any contributors should complete the FAFSA as soon as possible.
- The Office of Student Financial Aid anticipates receiving information in mid-March. Students will receive an email once their FAFSA has been received by the University of Iowa. This is also dependent on when the student completed their FAFSA.
- The Office of Financial Aid plans to have financial aid offers available in April for those reports they may start receiving in March.
- Students should continue to search for scholarships using the Iowa Scholarship Portal.
- Students should log into MyUI to view their Financial Aid to Do List and other information.
- Parents and families can talk about the services provided by the UI Financial Literacy Services and should make a plan for the student to get assistance with any budgeting, credit, or financial needs.
Information is accurate as of February 15th, 2024; timeline is also dependent on when a student completes their FAFSA.
Advising Timeline
Students who are advised by the Academic Advising Center (AAC) should plan to interact with their advisor early and often in their first semester. Parents and families can use the following timeline to help their student stay on top of upcoming dates and make a plan to prepare for their appointments. Students who are not advised by the AAC should ask their advisor for more information about timeline and requirements as each college is different.
Advising Center Timeline
Fall Success Meetings: These occur during the first two weeks of the fall semester. Students will receive outreach from their Academic Advisor on how to schedule and what to do before they attend.
Academic Planning Meeting: A one-on-one meeting that allows students to bring questions or concerns to their advisor. This happens in the first half of the semester and is the first step to enroll in courses for the following semester.
Registration Authorization Meeting: A one-on-one meeting between the student and their advisor to finalize their course choices for the following semester. Advisors will authorize students to register on their scheduled date and time after this meeting.