Parents' FAQs
1. How much is this going to cost me?
Each student is accessed certain fees during each term they enroll including those for infrastructure maintenance, registration, and legal affairs. Tuition is determined by the school or college the student is enrolled in, their level in the program (lower level= freshmen and sophomore, upper level=junior and senior) and their state of residence. Full-time tuition covers 12-18 credit hours in the fall and winter and 6-9 credit hours during the spring or summer. Actual tuition and fee charges are available at the Registrar’s web site.
New freshmen and transfer students are guaranteed space (though they are not required to live) in residence halls, providing they meet the housing deadlines. A housing packet is automatically sent to newly admitted undergraduates who have paid their enrollment fee.
Many students return to the residence halls for their sophomore, junior and even senior years because of the amenities, conveniences and friendships. Students can elect one of several meal plans. For more information about on-campus housing and meals please visit the UHousing website.
For information about off-campus housing, please visit the UHousing website's Off-Campus Housing section .
Financial aid provides assistance with monies to help a student pay for their educational expenses. There are four types of aid: grants, loans, scholarships, and work study. For more information, financial aid calculators, and FAQs please visit the web site of the U-M Office of Financial Aid.
- Buy used books from the bookstore or from other students.
- Stock up on school supplies during the summer when stores are having back-to-school sales.
- Use and refill a water bottle or travel coffee mug rather than buying from a vending machine or vendor. (Be sure to wash a reused bottle regularly.)
- Use your student ID to get discounts at local merchants.
- Take advantage of free entertainment offered around campus.
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2. What can my student do with a degree in Kinesiology?
We're glad you asked, and invite you to visit our Careers section.
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3. How does the University protect my student’s privacy?
FERPA is the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act. It protects the privacy rights of your student’s educational records including grade reports, transcripts, disciplinary files and others. Educational records are defined as “those records that are directly related to a student and are maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a party acting for the agency or institution.” Under FERPA, once a student turns eighteen or attends a postsecondary institution only the student and university officials acting within the scope of their job duties have access to a student’s record.
This means that the university cannot share a student’s educational record with parents. Only the student can give permission for the parent to have access by signing a waiver, however, the University of Michigan does not have a single waiver form. Each office that handles student records develops in its own policies and procedures for handling their records.
When working with an advisor, FERPA guidelines state that educational records are protected. This means that your student’s conversations with his/her academic advisor are also protected. Without a release, advisors cannot share information including if your student is having academic difficulties and/or what they have discussed with us regarding those difficulties. We cannot discuss your student’s course schedule or course selection. If your student needs to miss class, an exam, or has a situation that requires a discussion with a faculty member or an advisor, they will need to have that conversation themselves. There are some instances when it may make sense for a parent to be involved in the advising process and in those cases the student must sign a release form in Kinesiology and state exactly what the academic advisor can discuss with their parent.
FERPA resources:
Registrar’s Office
M Parent
General Counsel's Office
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4. What kind of support does the University and Kinesiology provide my son/daughter?
Once a student is admitted into the second level of the Athletic Training or Sport Management program, or declares Physical Education or Movement Science as their major, they will begin working with faculty advisors in addition to their academic advisors. Faculty advisors provide academic advising, internship support, and graduate school planning assistance in conjunction with OSS. Faculty advising provides an opportunity for students to learn from the experiences of faculty members in their field.
CAPS provides free confidential counseling services to currently enrolled University of Michigan students to help them to resolve problems and be successful. Some services include individual and group counseling, referrals, and crisis intervention. For more information on CAPS services and information regarding common concerns, please visit the CAPS website.
- Tutoring
The Science Learning Center assists students taking courses in the natural sciences including astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics, and geological sciences. The Center offers walk-in consultations with graduate student instructors, reference materials, instructional software and study groups.
The Math Lab offers walk-in tutoring hours for students taking math courses through Math 217 (Linear Algebra). This Lab can also assist students with group homework assignments.
Sweetland Writing Center offers writing workshops during which U of M writing instructors meet individually with students to help them with writing, organization, and editing skills. The Center also has peer tutors, who have completed a Peer Tutor Program, and can work with students individually to brainstorm and revise their work.
- Campus Safety and Transportation
The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is a full service police agency that operates in the campus area; in addition, the residence halls have housing security personnel who work closely with DPS. To help students travel safely at night free university buses run throughout campus until at least midnight. Free or low-cost cabs are also available to students.
Student parking permits are available to junior, senior and graduate students only. Freshmen and sophomore students are not eligible for parking permits; however, they may park at one of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) Park & Ride lots or seek private parking off campus (this is extremely limited as well). Students must be registered for classes to purchase permits.
Freshmen and sophomore students with exceptional needs who require the use of their vehicle may appeal the parking eligibility policy by completing a U-M Student Parking Appeal form. If you cannot print the form from our web site, it is also available in their office or may be ordered by phone (734) 647-3615. All appeals will be answered promptly.
SSD assists students with overcoming disability related educational and facility or activity barriers and raises awareness of disability issues at the university. All of their services are free of charge. Students wishing to use SSD services must first register with their office. Additional information and resources are available on the SSD web site.
MESA provides services and programs to promote “racial/ethnic development, cross campus competency, and personal empowerment” in students of color at U of M. They also strive to promote an inclusive campus community. For information on their programs and outreach please visit their web site.
The U-M Career Center offers services for career planning, assessments, counseling, job search preparation, resume/cover letter writing, and interviewing. The Career Center has workshops and events throughout the year including several large job fairs. In addition, the Career Center provides on-campus recruiting program for internships and full-time positions. Students can explore career options, discuss decisions, receive career assessment test results, build job search strategies, prepare for interviews, or prepare for continuing education in one-to-one sessions. Please call 734 764-7460 to schedule an appointment. Most services are free of charge. Event and other information can be found on their web site.
The Office of Student Activities and Leadership maintains an active list of hundreds of student organizations at U of M. This office encourages and assists students in benefiting from involvement with co-curricular activities on campus. They provide leadership resources and programs for student organizations. To see what student organizations already exist or to learn how to gain leadership training please visit the Office of Student Activities and Leadership web site.
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5. What are some keys to first-year student success?
Student success is dependent on many good habits. To help support your student, you can encourage the following:
Develop good academic habits
- Study the syllabi and know the academic requirements. During the first class period the professor will give students a syllabus and many are available on C-Tools. The syllabus is a binding agreement for the course. It will describe requirements and list exam and assignment dates. It is important that students study this carefully and be aware of what will be required of them
- Find the ideal study place. Students should find a place that is comfortable, well lit and quiet so they can access easily to study. Once a student finds that place, they should study there as often as possible and begin to develop their study routine.
- Learn to think differently. College level coursework is no longer about memorizing facts and figures, but instead is about critical thinking. To be successful, students will need to learn to think outside-the-box and to apply what they’re learning in the classroom.
- Visit with faculty during office hours. Students should take the time to get to know their professors. Professors have the biggest impact on what is learned in the classroom. Students get to know them as people and teachers. Students should ask questions, clarify information, review returned assignments and tests. Students should ask for their advice.
- Get to know academic advisors and campus academic resources. U of M offers many resources to help students succeed academically. Students should take advantage of all these outlets. Students should ask questions and check in with their academic advisor.
Develop good personal habits
- Stay healthy by eating right and exercising regularly. Although the temptation is there to eat loads of fast food, remember that Dining Services offers healthy choices. Students have access to several recreation facilities and can join intramural teams for their favorite sports.
- Get plenty of sleep. It is easy as a college student to stay up all night studying or talking with friends, but to stay healthy you will need your rest.
- Be careful with money. College costs themselves can be expensive. Remember to develop a budget and keep track of resources and expenses. Take advantage of free or inexpensive activities on campus, buy used books from the bookstore or other students, pack snacks and water or coffee in your backpack rather than hitting the vending machines. Don’t fall prey to credit card solicitors.
- Students may have to deal with homesickness.
Develop good organizational and time management habits
- Use a planner. Every freshman gets a M-Planner at orientation. Use this to keep organized and on top of tasks. Students can develop a system that works for them to organize classes, activities, and study time.
- Organize all important papers; keep track of your life. Students can buy a file box and store all of the correspondence they get from the university. It is a great way to keep track of financial aid paperwork, papers and information they get from advisors and others.
- Schedule study time. It is easy for students to get overwhelmed by all there is to do on campus. They need to make sure to plan time to study. The usual rule is that a student should plan to study 3 hours for every hour they are in class each week and more during exam week.
Develop good personal relationships
- Get to know their roommate. It is hard to live with someone new, but if students get to know their roommate’s values it gets easier. One idea is to develop a roommate contract in the beginning and agree on how to handle hot button issues such as study time, food, personal possessions, cleaning, and guests in the room.
- Meet different people. U of M embraces diversity. During this time, it is the perfect opportunity for students to meet many new and different people. If students learn about others, they will learn more about themselves.
- Stay on campus as much as possible to connect with new people. Many freshmen make the mistake of traveling home too often. If students are always gone on the weekends, it will be harder for them to get involved, meet knew people, and develop a strong roommate relationship. Hopefully they can find a balance between spending time at school with new friends and at home with family and old friends.
- Get involved on campus. College life can be very exciting. U of M offers hundreds of student groups and several cultural and sport related activities each day. It is a fantastic time for students to experience something new. Getting involved will help students feel more connected to the university and help them meet new people.
Develop good transferable skills
- Explore interests and learn something new. The U of M curriculum is extensive.
- Learn to write and speak well in public. Communication skills are important regardless of your student’s future plans. The earlier a student develops these skills the easier college coursework will be and the better they will be able to sell themselves as a person to future employers.
- Learn new computer skills to prepare assignments. Society relies heavily on technology and having strong computer skills can only help a student to be stronger academically.
- Learn critical thinking skills. Students should learn to think outside the box and transfer classroom information and skills to the real world.
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6. How do Students Choose a Major?
A student may know which Kinesiology program they wish to study when entering the University of Michigan. However, many students do not know their intended field of study within Kinesiology and begin as an undecided student. The curriculum is set up so that several first and second year classes are required for all four majors. For instance, all students take an introductory movement science and sport management course. These courses often assist students in decisions about majors. Staff in the Office of Student Services (OSS) work closely with students around major and career decisions, as well as planning a schedule to provide easier transition into a major. OSS also plans several career programs throughout the year in which guest speakers share career paths and advice with students. The U-M Career Center offers career assessments (at a small charge) which can help students, discover how interests, skills, and values relate to career decision making.
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7. What is the Kinesiology Culture?
Kinesiology is a small unit within a big university. The culture is extremely student oriented and hands-on. Courses are mostly taught by professors and most classes average approximately 30-40 students. Most Kinesiology classrooms and faculty offices, as well as OSS offices are located in the same building. Students have convenient access to faculty, staff, and services. Kinesiology students really get to know each other through sharing classes, being involved in Kinesiology student groups, and just hanging out in Kinesiology.
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If your question doesn't appear here, please contact the Office of Student Services.
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