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New UW Parents & Families

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.

Download the Guide (PDF) View online

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.

Family Information Form

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.

Family Checklist

Fill out the Family Information Form so we can reach you directly with Parent Insider, Family Weekend details, and seasonal updates.

Now that your student is enrolled, a federal law called FERPA means the UW communicates directly with them about grades, accounts, and records. Your student can authorize your access, and that step comes from them. Learn about access and authorizations

If you help pay tuition, your Husky grants you access through the Information Release Authorization in the UW Student Database. They can add up to five family members, and the authorization renews each academic year. Winter 2027 tuition and residence hall charges are due Jan. 22. See how to set up tuition access

Continuing students register for winter quarter during Registration Period I, Nov. 5–22, 2026. Your student plans their schedule with their adviser. If they have questions about courses, point them to their adviser directly. See the 2026–27 academic calendar

Autumn final exams run Dec. 12–18, 2026, and grades post to MyUW on Dec. 23. Ask your student for their exam schedule before you book flights home. Winter quarter begins Jan. 4, 2027. See Dawg Dates & Deadlines

First Quarter: What Families Ask Right Now

These are the questions we hear most in the first weeks of autumn quarter.

First-Quarter FAQ

Yes. Midterms and the first stretch of rainy weather land at the same time, and many students feel it. Listen first, then point your student to Let’s Talk, free drop-in consultations with Counseling Center staff, or the Husky Health Center. Our Talk With Your Husky prompts can help you start the conversation.

Student Fiscal Services handles tuition statements and payments. Your student needs to authorize your access first through the Information Release Authorization.

Send them to hfsinfo@uw.edu. Housing & Food Services is the office that owns the answer and would rather hear from your family directly.

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.

See the Calendar

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.

Family Weekend

FERPA & Access Forms

What parents can and cannot see, and how your student authorizes you.

Forms & Authorizations

Tuition & Bills

How families get authorized to view statements and pay tuition. Student Fiscal Services contact information inside.

Paying for Tuition

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.

Visit UW OFSL

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.

Get Parent Insider

Talk With Your Husky

Conversation prompts for the moments that come up in the first year, from midterms to winter break.

See prompts

Wintertime in Seattle

Planning a December or January visit? Our seasonal guide covers campus, getting around, and places to stay.

Winter guide

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.

Common Questions

The More Specific Asks: We Will Connect You

Reach the PFP Team

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.