group of friends together on Green Street at night

UIUC Safety Resources

At UIUC, we take your safety seriously. You deserve to study, socialize, work, and play in an environment where you feel secure. As part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s emphasis on student safety, we offer several different resources to give you peace of mind as well as concrete, usable tools to keep you safe.

closeup of an Illini Alert on a phone

Illini Alert

In case of emergency, it’s important to stay informed. As a student here, you’ll automatically receive Illini Alert messages to your @illinois.edu email address with real-time updates if there’s an incident happening on or near campus that you should know about. You can also sign up to be contacted by text or at an alternative email address. (Parents, you can sign up for texts, too!) UIUC is intent on transparency and keeping you informed of any public safety issues, which is why we were recently recognized as the top Clery compliance program in the country.

University Police

UIUC has its own police department, which is available 24/7 and focused on preventing crime and providing a safe environment where students can thrive. University Police collaborate with the university community as well as the cities of Urbana and Champaign in order to best serve the public. In fact, with four police departments located within about a mile’s radius of campus, we have one of the most densely patrolled areas in the region. We’re also an accredited Tier II ILEAP agency, which means our policing policies are highly efficient and adhere to the best current practices in law enforcement.

Emergency Phones

UIUC campus has dozens of emergency phones available for students to use on and around campus at any point if they feel unsafe. These phones connect directly to the University Police Department and are monitored 24/7, including holidays. A complete map of emergency phones is available so you’ll know exactly where to go if you need to make an emergency call. 

Student Patrol members with a CUPD officer

SafeWalks/SafeRides

One of the best ways to stay safe is traveling with others, especially at night. SafeWalks is a free service provided by trained Student Patrol members so you don’t have to walk alone. SafeRides is a free service provided by the local public bus district to provide safe transportation to people who would otherwise have to travel alone. Hours and contact information are available online, or you can use a campus emergency phone to contact SafeWalks.

COAST

COAST—short for the Community Outreach and Support Team—is a campus organization that offers educational safety programming for students, faculty, and staff, as well as social work services for mental health crises and therapy K9 resources. Whether you’re interested in receiving a safety presentation, crisis help, or a stress-reducing visit from a trained therapy dog, reach out to C.O.A.S.T. and see how they can help you stay safe.

Avoiding Scams

Scams might not be the first thing you think of when “campus safety” comes to mind, but keeping your information safe is just as important as staying physically safe. UIUC has a list of advice on how to avoid scams, as well as a record of reported scams that have recently affected students or other campus members so you’ll know what to look for.

friends having fun together at a Homecoming celebration concert

Other Ways to Stay Safe

We want every student to have access to the best possible UIUC safety information so every member of campus can feel as confident and safe as possible on and off campus. Check out our list of safety tips to make sure you have all the information you need to feel secure and to know what resources are available to you. Your safety is extremely important to the UIUC community, and we’re committed to keeping you safe and informed.

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7 comments

  • My name is Abdurashid from Uzbekistan. I am 19 years old. At my age 18 i have worked in Dubai as a waiter for a year. And in 2021 september i decided to move Russia to work and study. But i can not study there cause of sanctions. If your university helps me fincially to move your country, i will give it back once i hired some jobs. Remember I can not pay anything now, because i have not money. I work and send to my family, if i desire to study at Illiniois please help.

  • That’s great piece of information that assures not only students, not also parents who send their children from far off locations, especially international students who first expose to different culture away from home. Many thanks for this . Such newsletter by University is a great step that exhibits ‘care’ . Appreciated a lot 🙏🙏

  • As a parent of rising college freshman I have become a huge fan of this admissions blog. In past months, through these blogs we have learned quite a lot about the community, education, opportunity, and life on campus. Very thankful to have access to timely and relevant content about UIUC.

  • Thank you for the kind words! We’re so glad our blog has been a helpful resource for you and your family.

  • Thanks for reaching out, Abdurashid. All students are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships when they apply to UIUC. Unfortunately, need-based financial aid isn’t available to international undergraduates, although a few limited scholarships and loans exist through our International Student and Scholar Services: https://isss.illinois.edu/resources/finaid.html. If you have additional questions about financial aid, you can contact our Office of Student Financial Aid at 217-333-0100. We hope this helps.

  • Thank you for sharing this information with prospective students and families. This is very helpful.