The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is home to one of the largest international student population of any public university in the United States. With more than 12,000 international students and scholars coming from 100 plus countries, our international population brings valuable cultural and linguistic diversity to campus. We are pleased to have your student, family member, or friend join the university community.
It is our hope that your student will utilize our office as a resource throughout their time at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. We are a team of professionals dedicated to providing programs, services, and advising to all international students, faculty, staff, and scholars on campus. If your student comes to us with a question or need that we cannot help with directly, we will be sure to refer your student to someone who can help.
FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) guarantees students access to their educational records and prohibits dissemination of educational records without the student’s consent. All student data maintained by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is part of that educational record, including but not limited to biographical, application, and matriculation data. Other than public information classified as “directory information,” there is to be no release of the educational record to any party without the express written consent of the student. If your student has chosen to suppress his/her directory information, there is even less information to share. In such cases, all staff are instructed to say, “There is no information available for any student by that name.” The university must comply with these federal regulations or be subject to penalties which could include loss of federal funding. It is possible for your student to sign a written consent form that allows access to their record.
The best advice is to talk to your student. Remain involved and ask questions about their classes, their schedule, and their degree requirements. The student’s college dean is available to assist with general questions pertaining to undergraduate academics, and you should not hesitate to contact the Office of the Dean of Students if you have an emergency or other concerns.
Programs for Parents and Families
Families play an important role in supporting students, and we encourage you to find ways to stay informed and engaged.
New Student and Family Experiences
The Parent and Family Programs in the Office of New Student and Family Experiences offers dedicated family resources to help you stay involved:
- Illinois Family Connections Portal: A new communications portal that provides important family communications and keeps you up to date on University of Illinois information. To sign up to be a part of Illinois Family Connections, please visit the sign-in portal to register.
- Parent and Family Weekends: Special campus events during the fall and springÂ
- More info: New Student and Family Experiences website.
Moms and Dads Associations
The University of Illinois also has a Moms Association and Dads Association. All parents are automatically members and there are no membership fees. Families are invited to connect with these parent associations and support them as they like.
Frequently Asked Questions
My student has questions about the immunization records. Who should they contact?
Students should contact the McKinley Health Center at 217-333-2700.
How and when do students get their grades?
At the end of each semester, students may view their grades via Student Self-Service web app. Only your student is able to access this information unless they have signed the written consent form. For more information on grades visit the Office of the Registrar website.
Who gets the tuition bill?
The university views your student as an adult and is required by federal law to protect their privacy. Therefore, only Students (and Authorized Payers) can retrieve their student account billing information online.
Once a month, the university e-mails students and Authorized Payers, reminding them to view their student account for recent activity and to pay any amount due by the due date. The student account is available online for students and Authorized Payers to view and print, and includes all student account transactions such as: payments received, and charges and credits for tuition, fees, and housing. The university does not mail paper billing statements. The tuition and fees charges are assessed soon after students arrive on campus and have to be paid in a fairly short period of time. Deciding who will write the first big check is important.
If you have questions about billing or payments, visit the University Bursar website or call 1-217-333-2180 between 8 a.m.- 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, Central Time.
How do you pay a tuition bill?
Students can pay tuition online via the University Bursar’s Pay My Bill website at https://paymybill.uillinois.edu/. Students will also find information about deadlines for tuition payment, payment plans, and wiring money. It is important that students pay their tuition on time, to avoid late fees.
For more information about tuition refunds once the semester has started, please visit the Office of the Registrar’s Refunds page.
Are students required to have health insurance?
The University of Illinois Board of Trustees requires all students to have health insurance in order to offset the potential costs of health care. In order to successfully opt out of the Student Health Insurance plan, students must provide proof of being actively enrolled in a comparable plan. Comparable plans must be a U.S.-based plan with a U.S. phone number; must be compliant with the Affordable Care Act (ACA); must have coverage that is effective on or before the first day of the semester and extends through the remainder of the academic year; and must provide access to in-network emergent and non-emergent care within a 50-mile radius of the campus.