Parent & Guardian Information
We are excited to welcome you and your student to the Husker family!
Through New Student Enrollment, you'll learn how your family can collaborate with the university to support your student.
We're here to help your student connect with peers, get enrolled in courses and start their transition as a Husker. We're here for you, too!
Students participate in two distinct NSE processes:
- Orientation
- Academic advising/course enrollment
Students do not need to complete Orientation before being advised and enrolled. Similarly, they do not have to be advised/enrolled before their Orientation date.
Orientation reservations open May 2, 2023 for Summer/Fall 2023 admitted students who have paid the enrollment deposit.
NSE Details
Orientation Reservation
Your student's Orientation reservation is their official way of indicating to us that they'd like to move forward with new-student processes. The system opens May 2, 2023 for first-year students admitted for Summer/Fall 2023.
To access the Orientation reservation in MyRED via the "Admissions" tab, the $250 enrollment deposit must be paid. Your student can pay the enrollment deposit in the "Admissions" tab in MyRED. Please direct deposit-related questions to admissions@unl.edu.
In-Person Orientation
Orientation is free for students. Your student's Orientation reservation will default to In-Person Orientation. Because the In-Person Orientation provides opportunities to experience campus, connect with peers and actively prepare for college, students who live within 300 miles of campus are required to attend In-Person Orientation. Although students who live outside of 300 miles or those who have extenuating circumstances may choose Online Orientation, In-Person Orientation is highly recommended for all first-year students.
We will host In-Person Orientation on 24 dates between May 30 and July 7. Your student's Orientation reservation will not display dates that have reached their maximum capacity.
2023 Orientation dates: May 30, May 31, June 1, June 2, June 3 (Saturday), June 6, June 7, June 8, June 9, June 10 (Saturday), June 13, June 14, June 15, June 16, June 20, June 21, June 23 (Power Up Weekend participants only), June 28, June 29, June 30, July 5, July 6, July 7.
In-Person Orientation begins at 8 a.m. and ends around 3:30 p.m. The exact end time depends on optional end-of-day opportunities and the status of your student's pre-advising tasks. Your student should complete all pre-advising tasks before Orientation; any outstanding items will need to be finished at the end of the Orientation day.
Your student can choose to add parents or guests to their In-Person reservation for a fee of $15 per guest. Your student can pay the fee via credit card on the registration form, or they can choose to have the fee deferred to their first student bill.
The student and parent/family programs run simultaneously. Students and their parents/guests will spend a portion of the day together. You can find a sample schedule below.
En español
Ofrecemos servicios en español a lo largo del día de orientación para padres y familiares/invitados.
Todas las partes del programa para padres/familiares/invitados, menos la sesión de la facultad, se presentan directamente en español o con la ayuda de intérpretes. Las sesiones en español explican cómo pagar la cuenta estudiantil, los detalles logísticos de la vida estudiantil (el horario, el aparcamiento, la tecnología, etcétera), y los tipos de apoyo que hay en el campus (los recursos académicos, los servicios para carreras profesionales, el centro de salud, etcétera). También se ofrece el almuerzo con personal que habla en español y un recorrido del campus en español.
Si usted quiere participar en el programa en español, su estudiante lo debe indicar en su registro de orientación o su estudiante puede llamar a la oficina al 402-472-4646. Para los padres e invitados, el precio es de $15 por padre o invitado. El pago se puede hacer online cuando el estudiante se apunte, o puede aplazar el pago a su cuenta estudiantil consolidada para que lo cubra la ayuda financiera en septiembre. No hay costo adicional por servicios en español.
Travel and Lodging
If you’ll be traveling to Lincoln, you can find deals for our partner hotels. Residence halls are not available as lodging for Orientation attendees, except for students attending Power Up Weekend.
The Lincoln Airport (LNK) is closest to campus (5 miles; 10 minutes by car). It is a small airport with service via United Airlines. Taxis, car rentals and ride-share apps (Uber, Lyft) are available at LNK.
Omaha's Eppley Airfield (OMA) (65 miles; 60 minutes by car) is larger than LNK and has service from multiple airlines. Omalink is a licensed airport shuttle company that transports passengers from Omaha to Lincoln and surrounding areas. One-way shuttles from OMA to campus are about $85 to $90
Sample Schedule
This schedule is intended to give you a general idea of what to expect. It is subject to change as circumstances evolve.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| Students and parents/guests together | |
| 8–8:35 a.m. |
Check-in, Essentials, and Info Fair
|
| 8:35–8:50 a.m. | Welcome Session |
| 8:50–10 a.m. |
Information Sessions
|
| 10:10–10:50 |
College Sessions
|
| Students and parents/guests split at 10:50 a.m. | |
| 10:55–11:50 a.m. (Students) | Get-to-know-you activities & Lunch in Selleck Dining Center (with students) |
| 12–2:30 p.m. (Students) |
Life of a Husker
|
| 10:55 a.m.–12 p.m. (Parents/Guests) |
"Life of a Husker: for Parents/Guests"
|
| 12–1 p.m. (Parents/Guests) | Lunch in Selleck Dining Center |
| 1:15–2:35 p.m. (Parents/Guests) |
Conference-style info sessions. Topics include student involvement, Greek life, health and well-being, mental health support, multicultural opportunities, etc. |
| Students and parents/guests together for remainder of day. | |
| 2:35–2:50 p.m. | Closing Session |
| 2:50–3:30 p.m. |
If applicable, special program sessions. Programs include Honors, William H. Thompson, Nebraska College Preparatory Academy (NCPA), Learning Communities and more. |
| 2:50–4 p.m. |
Required End-of-Day Tasks
Optional End-of-Day Opportunities
|
Student Online Orientation
Because In-Person Orientation is a required program, only students who live more than 300 miles from campus or those who have extenuating circumstances are eligible for Online Orientation. If your student selects Online Orientation, their eligibility is subject to review. They will indicate on their Orientation reservation why they've selected Online Orientation.
The day of your student's assigned Online Orientation date, they will gain access to the Online Orientation in Canvas, which is the university's learning management system (Think of it like an academic portal.) Your student is not required to access the Orientation on that date, but they are expected to complete it within two weeks of that date. They do not need to complete Online Orientation before being advised and enrolling in courses.
The Orientation consists of four modules that will introduce your student to resources, strategies, and information related to academic success, such as life as a Husker, paying for college, and next steps. It is asynchronous, meaning it is not hosted live and is available on demand. Your student will navigate through the pages sequentially, and they'll complete a short quiz to mark completion of the Orientation.
They have two weeks from their assigned access date to complete all four modules (The whole Orientation only takes about two hours to complete, so two weeks is plenty!) They do not have to complete the Orientation in one sitting; they can leave and re-enter the Orientation. After completion, the Orientation will remain accessible to your student throughout their first semester so that they can refer to it as needed.
We offer a free, publicly available Online Orientation for parents and family members. Please see the "Parent/Family Online Orientation" section on this page for more information.
Academic Advising and Enrollment
In the past, advising, enrollment and Orientation content were all part of our one-day NSE program. By separating Orientation from advising/enrollment, we modified the appointment to become more personalized and nearly tripled the average length of the advising appointment compared to previous years.
After your student completes their required pre-advising tasks, they'll be able to schedule their advising appointment within the "Admissions" tab of MyRED. On the advising appointment reservation, they can select in-person or virtual advising. If they are attending In-Person Orientation, their advising appointment cannot be between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. during Orientation. If your student chooses to complete Online Orientation, their advising appointment can be on their assigned date because Online Orientation is not hosted live.
Pre-advising Tasks
After your student has submitted their Online Orientation reservation, they can access pre-advising tasks, which are the Math Placement Exam (depending on major), Advising Inventory (required for all students) and the Modern Language Placement Exam (depends on major/admit college). The tasks must be completed before your student is able to schedule their academic advising appointment.
Advising Appointment Sign-up
After your student has completed pre-advising tasks, they can sign up for a virtual or in-person academic advising appointment. If possible, we encourage your student to sign up for in-person advising. They cannot access the appointment scheduling system unless the pre-advising tasks are complete. Advising appointments begin May 30, 2023 for Summer/Fall 2023 first-year admits. The primary advising/enrollment window for the Fall semester closes July 19, 2023.
Your student's orientation date (whether online or in person) is not connected to advising/enrollment except that they must have their pre-advising tasks done before orientation. They do not need to complete Orientation before being advised and enrolled. Similarly, they do not need to be advised/enrolled before Orientation.
Your student will follow the advising appointment scheduling instructions to set up their appointment in their MyRED "Admissions" tab.
The Advising Appointment
Your student's appointment will last about 45 to 60 minutes. They will receive the Zoom link (for virtual advising) or office directions (for in-person advising) directly from their admit college via email approximately 1 to 2 business days before their appointment. To ensure a high-quality advising experience, it is important that your student is prepared for the appointment. If your student selected virtual advising, they should be at home or at another private location, if possible, where they can focus on their appointment. They should use a computer, if possible, for the best screen-sharing experience.
If they selected in-person advising, they should plan to arrive to campus at least 20 to 30 minutes before their appointment to ensure they have time to park, walk and find their advising location.
During the appointment, your student and their advisor will get to know each other, discuss degree requirements, review incoming credit (if applicable), identify course options, build your student's course schedule and enroll in first-semester classes.
Parent/Family Online Orientation
Starting June 1, parents and family members can access a comprehensive virtual Orientation through Canvas, the university's learning management system. The parent and family site is public and does not require a login (students who select Online Orientation will complete their Orientation within their Canvas account).
Parents/guardians of students who have paid the enrollment deposit will receive an email on June 1 with Parent/Family Online Orientation access details (as long as the parent/guardian email address was included on the student's Admissions application). Even if you attend In-Person Orientation with your student, you will be able to access the Parent/Family Online Orientation.
The Parent/Family Online Orientation is structured sequentially, meaning there are four modules through which users can navigate page by page to access information about academic success, life as a Husker, paying for college and student next steps. Completing all four modules in one sitting takes up to 1.5 hours (it does not have to be completed in one sitting; it is available on demand). Users can directly access pages of interest by clicking on the "Modules" tab in the course navigation. Although the platform is accessible on smartphones and other devices, using a computer provides the best experience.
After Advising and Orientation
There is an abundance of research that shows a positive correlation between familial involvement and a student's successful transition. Communication is key, both before arrival to Nebraska and afterward. We hope you will talk with your student about ways to manage time, overcome challenges and ask for help when needed.
Check out this comprehensive checklist for all the items your student should complete after NSE.
Parent/Guest MyRED access
Your student's record is protected by federal educational privacy laws. If your student would like to grant you access to information in MyRED, check out the tutorial.
Family Weekend/UNL Parent Newsletter
Visit the UNL Parents Association website to learn about Family Weekend and subscribe to the monthly UNL Parent Newsletter.
Campus Parking
You may want to review the comprehensive UNL parking guide with your student. Your student can access the portal to order their parking permit after they're enrolled in classes.
Campus Jobs
After they're enrolled, your student can access Handshake, the UNL jobs platform, to start looking for on-campus work opportunities, internships and events.