Welcoming UW Families
UW Parent & Family Programs | New Husky Families | Autumn–Winter 2026–27
Your student is a Husky, and autumn quarter is underway. Instruction began Sept. 30, and the weeks between now and winter break are when most first-year and transfer students find their rhythm. Whether you met us at Family Orientation or you are finding us for the first time, Parent & Family Programs is here for the whole first year.
Consider the source. You will meet other parents with strong opinions about how things work. Their experience is real, but it is theirs. It may not reflect your student’s major, financial situation, identity, or path. When in doubt, come to us.
The 2026 Parent & Family Guide
Forty-eight pages of dates, costs, FERPA, housing, and mental health resources, plus the questions families wish they had asked earlier. Keep it handy through the first year.
Family checklist First-quarter FAQ Key dates Winter break Connect with Us
Get Connected to PFP
Share your contact information so we can reach you directly through your student’s first year and beyond.
Your First-Quarter Family Checklist
Your student is managing classes, housing, and a new routine. Here is the short list of things that are yours to do between now and winter quarter.
First Quarter: What Families Ask Right Now
These are the questions we hear most in the first weeks of autumn quarter.
Right Now: Where Families Are Going
The four pages families are visiting most this quarter.
Dawg Dates & Deadlines
Every key date for families through autumn and winter quarters.
UW Family Weekend
Nov. 6–7, 2026. Two days on campus with your Husky, with tickets for the weekend and the UW Family Tailgate on the Family Weekend page.
FERPA & Access Forms
What parents can and cannot see, and how your student authorizes you.
Tuition & Bills
How families get authorized to view statements and pay tuition. Student Fiscal Services contact information inside.
Dates That Matter for Your Travel Planning
If you are coordinating flights, hotels, or time off, here are the anchor dates for autumn and winter. The full family calendar is on Dawg Dates & Deadlines, drawn from the UW 2026–27 academic calendar.
Nov. 6–7
UW Family Weekend
Nov. 26–27
Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Day
Dec. 19–Jan. 3
Winter break
Jan. 4
Winter quarter begins
Planning for Winter Break
Autumn instruction ends Dec. 11, and final exams run Dec. 12–18. Your student’s last exam sets their travel date, so ask for their exam schedule before you book. Winter break runs Dec. 19 through Jan. 3, and winter quarter instruction begins Monday, Jan. 4, 2027.
If your student lives on campus, ask them to check winter break details from UW Housing & Food Services before booking. Visiting in December or January? The Wintertime in Seattle guide covers what is open and where to stay.
Fraternity & Sorority Families
If your student joined a chapter during autumn recruitment, the UW Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life is the right contact for chapter housing, finances, and family questions.
We Are Here All Year
Families often wish they had found us sooner. PFP stays with you from the first quarter through commencement: seasonal visiting guides, the Parent Insider newsletter, UW Family Weekend, commencement support in June, and a team that is one email away.
Parent Insider
Our monthly newsletter lands the second Thursday of each month with dates, deadlines, and conversation prompts by class year.
Talk With Your Husky
Conversation prompts for the moments that come up in the first year, from midterms to winter break.
Wintertime in Seattle
Planning a December or January visit? Our seasonal guide covers campus, getting around, and places to stay.
One Last Thing: We Read Every Note
Your questions shape these pages
We read every note that comes in with the Family Information Form. The questions we hear most stay right here on our family pages, and the more specific asks go straight to the office that owns the answer.
Questions We Hear Most
- Winter break dates. Finals end Dec. 18 and winter quarter begins Jan. 4. Dawg Dates & Deadlines has the full family calendar.
- Wellness. Health & Safety gathers mental health services, drop-in wellness workshops, LiveWell peer health educators, and the Husky Health Center.
- Greek life. Living & Dining has a Greek life housing section on how chapter facilities work.
The More Specific Asks: We Will Connect You
- Dining accommodations. Allergies and dietary needs run through HFS Nutrition and the HFS dietitian.
- Financial aid across multiple students. The Office of Student Financial Aid can talk through aid when more than one of your students is enrolled.
- 529 plan logistics. Student Fiscal Services handles GET and DreamAhead payments applied to your student’s tuition account.
If your question is not on this list, reply to any PFP email or send us a note through the Family Information Form. We are here.