You might be thinking: I can find all of this on the UW website.
And you’re not wrong. Most of it is out there — scattered across Admissions, Housing & Food Services, Financial Aid, New Student & Transfer Programs, and a dozen other offices. If you’re determined and patient, you can piece it together.
But here’s what families tell us every year: it’s not the information that’s hard to find. It’s knowing what changed since the last time you looked.
The UW Changes Every Year. Every. Year.
For 2026–27 alone, we’ve counted over 30 changes across four major areas — and that’s just what’s been announced so far.
Housing: New software system. Revised fee structures. Updated agreement terms. Relocated Living Learning Communities. New application priority timelines.
Financial Aid: Updated federal aid rules. New visibility into aid offers across campuses. Revised timelines for when offers appear. Changes to borrowing and grant eligibility.
Orientation: A redesigned three-part hybrid process. New registration deadlines. Updated content and scheduling for family sessions.
Admissions: Record application numbers. New visit formats. Shifted communication timelines.
We’re not listing the details here on purpose — because the details change, and that’s the whole point. By the time you read a summary, some of it may already be outdated. What doesn’t change is that things change, and that Parent & Family Programs exists to help you keep up.
But I Already Went Through This With My Older Student
We hear this a lot — and we love that you’ve been through the Husky experience before. But your experience, as valuable as it is, is anchored to a specific year, a specific student, and a specific set of policies that may no longer apply.
The family who went through orientation last year didn’t encounter the new housing software. They didn’t navigate this year’s federal aid rules. They didn’t see the Living Learning Communities in their new locations. Every year is a new year — and every student’s path through the UW is different.
That’s why Family Orientation isn’t a repeat of what happened last summer. It’s built fresh each year to cover what’s current, what’s changed, and what your family needs to know right now.
Consider the Source
Here’s something we say gently but directly: every Husky is unique, and so is every family.
Once your student commits, you’ll start meeting other parents — in Facebook groups, at send-offs, in the dorm lobby on move-in day. Some of them will have strong opinions about how things work, what to pack, which residence hall is the best, or how to handle a particular situation.
Their experience is real. But it’s theirs. It may not reflect your student’s major, financial situation, identity, or path. A tip that worked perfectly for one family might not apply — or might even be wrong — for yours.
Equitable access to information means giving the right information to the right family at the right time. Not one family’s experience passed along as everyone’s playbook.
When in doubt, come to us. That’s what we’re here for.
What Family Orientation Actually Is
Family Orientation is a one-hour Zoom session designed specifically for you — not your student. It’s where campus partners from Admissions, Financial Aid, Housing, and New Student & Transfer Programs walk you through what’s current, what’s changed, and what to expect between now and move-in.
You’re welcome to attend any session on any date. All sessions run 5:30–6:30 p.m. PT.
Summer/Autumn 2026: July 9 | July 16 | July 23 | July 30 | August 6 | August 13 | August 20
What PFP Is — And Why It Matters
Parent & Family Programs is your connection point to the UW from the moment your student says yes through graduation day. We’re not here to replace what you already know. We’re here to make sure what you know is still accurate — and to fill in the gaps you didn’t know were there.
We help families stay connected to the UW and provide equitable access to resources and information in support of their student’s success. That means seasonal visiting guides, a year-round newsletter, Family Weekend in the fall, commencement support in June, Family Orientation every summer, and a team that’s always one email away.
We define “family” in the broadest sense — anyone who has helped guide, care for, and love a UW student is part of the UW family.
Connect with us:
Subscribe to the Parent Insider newsletter | Fill out the Family Information Form | Visit uw.edu/parents
uwparent@uw.edu | Instagram: @uw_parents | Facebook: facebook.com/uwfamily