UIUC AdmissionsMaking the jump from high school to college can be a difficult transition. While you’re figuring out where to find your classes, how to work the laundry system, and how to live on your own for maybe the first time ever, we want to make sure you have the resources you need to be successful.
As a student, you have access to many different support resources at UIUC, all of which are here to help you live your best college life. And, lucky for you, we’ve put them all in one place—right here!
Academic Resources
Office of Minority Student Affairs
The Office of Minority Student Affairs offers tutoring services for all UIUC undergrads. They provide tutoring for over 50 classes each semester, with special focus on 100-level classes many first-year students are required to take, like those in chemistry, math, or language.
Students who sign up for tutoring will be matched with another student who has successfully taken that class in the past, earning an A or a B grade. After you sign up, you’ll meet with the tutor for at least one hour every week so you can get the help you need!
OMSA also offers other academic resources outside of tutoring. Students can attend supplemental learning sessions, review sessions, and even drop-in tutoring hours for certain classes.
Tutoring
Outside of OMSA, there are several options for major- or class-specific tutoring sessions. For example, if you find yourself struggling in a chemistry class, visit the Chemistry Learning Center to seek help from teaching assistants who are actively teaching chemistry courses. Can’t solve that math problem? Attend free tutoring through the Math and Statistics Student Support Center. The Grainger College of Engineering and Gies College of Business also have tutoring and advising services to help you out!
Writer’s Workshop
Located in the Main Library, the Writer’s Workshop can assist with all your writing needs. For a quick fix when you’re stuck on a paragraph, come to drop-in hours and chat with a tutor for 15 to 30 minutes. You can also sign up for a 50-minute time slot to get more in-depth feedback or simply submit your work online and get comments back from the Writer’s Workshop staff.
Health & Wellness
Maintaining your physical, mental, and emotional health while at college is super important. You can find a detailed breakdown of mental health resources in a previous blog, but for now, here are some highlights and other ways to maintain your overall wellness.
Counseling Center
The Counseling Center at UIUC provides counseling for students as well as outreach and prevention education opportunities. All expenses are covered through the Health Services Fee, and students can opt for individual or group counseling. The trained staff professionals can also refer students to community therapists and provide special assessments for drug/alcohol use, ADHD, and disordered eating.
McKinley Health Center
The Mckinley Health Center is the place to go for all health-related issues, both physical and mental, while you’re on campus. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 217-333-2700 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., or, in some cases, online through the MyMcKinely Portal.
McKinely also offers a Dial-A-Nurse service, through which students can call a registered nurse 24/7 to receive medical advice on illnesses and injuries. You can reach them by calling 217-333-2700.
Campus Rec
At Campus Recreation, there’s a way for everybody to be active! Swipe your iCard at The Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) or Campus Recreation Center East (CRCE), and you have access to indoor tracks, weightlifting equipment, open gymnasiums, and a variety of indoor sport courts.
If working out alone doesn’t strike your fancy, sign up for group fitness or personal training. Other programs include intramural sports, the Campus Bike Center, and lessons like swimming, ice skating, and food programs.
Disability Resources
The Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services, or DRES, provides accommodations to ensure that every student at UIUC has the resources they need to thrive in their education. From accessible building spaces to testing accommodations and neurodivergent resources, DRES can help all students reach their full potential.
Testing Accommodations
Students seeking academic accommodations can first engage with DRES in an interactive discussion, informed by documentation and a self-report provided by students, to determine what resources will help them thrive in the classroom. DRES access specialists will then write students a letter of accommodation, which students will give to their professors at the start of the semester so they can get the help they need from the very beginning!
Beckwith Residential Support Services at Newman Hall
Beckwith Residential Support Services (BRSS) provides support for students who require assistance with daily living activities due to physical disability. While living in Nugent Hall, students are not only helped with their accommodations but also participate in educational opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills about independent living.
In addition, residents collaborate with the Beckwith administrative team for hiring, training, scheduling, and evaluating Beckwith’s staff. Students do have to apply to live at Beckwith; more information for that process can be found under DRES’s prospective student resources.
Support for Students with Autism
DRES provides resources and support for all students at UIUC with autism spectrum disorder. Their autism support programs have grown substantially, now with over 100 students registered and receiving assistance. DRES support includes facilitating discussions with professors about accommodations, academic coaching, career support, and so much more!
Minority Student Resources
Making sure students from underrepresented communities feel supported and heard is a huge priority for UIUC. We mentioned the academic resources OMSA offers above, but they’re so great, we’ll give them a second shout-out! OMSA is the place to go when you need support academically. They offer tutoring and mentoring programs designed to help ease the transition to being a college student, specifically for first-generation, low-income, and historically underrepresented students.
UIUC also has five different cultural houses on campus, as well as a slew of resource centers. Many of these groups have their own building on campus where students can meet and connect with other people who share some of their identities. For a more detailed look at all of the resources for minority students, you can read our blog on just that topic!
Safety
Feeling safe while you attend college is a must, and your safety is a priority for UIUC. Sign up for Illini-Alerts to receive texts and emails about crime and severe weather events on campus. Use SafeWalks or SafeRides for when you need to get home late at night. And know that the University Police are here to keep students safe, and they’re just a phone call away. Check out the blog we wrote giving you all the details you need to feel safe on campus.
Financial Aid & Money Management
Office of Student Financial Aid
Paying for college can be one of the most stressful parts of the whole experience. Luckily, there’s an entire office dedicated to helping you get your finances in order! The Office of Student Financial Aid can walk you through the ins and outs of paying for your college experience. From calculating costs to filing your FAFSA to seeking scholarships and everything in between, making a financial plan will feel a lot more manageable with help from OSFA.
Student Money Management Center
The Student Money Management Center provides financial education for all students in the University of Illinois System. Their full-time staff offers content like webinars, podcasts, and mentoring on financial topics to empower students to make positive financial decisions while in college. The best part? These services are available to University of Illinois alumni, so you can still get the best financial advice long after you graduate.
Career Planning
The Career Center can help you as you start thinking about the goals you have for life after college. Start by dropping in for resume or cover letter reviews—no appointment necessary! Or, if you have questions about majors, career options, or graduate school, you can schedule a 30-minute appointment with one of the center’s career experts.
Student Assistance Center
The Student Assistance Center is the first line of contact for students seeking assistance from the Office of the Dean. The Assistant Deans at the center are trained to help students navigate different challenges of college life. Whether you need help understanding university policy, are struggling with issues affecting your academic performance, or need help in any way but aren’t sure where to turn, the Student Assistance Center can point you toward the support you need.
More Support Resources
We’ve done our best to lay out the highlight reel, but there are still many support resources at UIUC we haven’t covered, and lots of places you can go to seek them out. Our support webpage has a large list of resources, and so does this page from the Office of the Dean of Students. And remember, if you’re not sure where to turn, reaching out to the Student Assistance Center will set you on the right path.
Although each organization may provide aid for different parts of the student experience, all of the resources listed above have one goal in mind: to support you through whatever challenges come your way while you’re at UIUC. There may be bumps along the way, but we hope to make your journey as smooth as possible.
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