UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State parents and families wishing to support their student and get connected with the University need look no further than the Penn State Parents Program.
“Parents and families are important to student success,” said Cyndy Hill, director of the Parents Program. “Students rely on their families so much, and my office is here to help families better support their students.”
The Parents Program — a unit of Student Affairs — serves parents and families as a central University resource by providing involvement opportunities, information on the Penn State student experience and regular communication.
“We are a first point of contact for parents and family members,” Hill said. “Because Penn State is such a large and complex institution and sometimes parents don’t know where to call, we can help family members navigate the University and find resources and support for their students.”
How to connect with the Parents Program
Many questions are answered on the Parents Program website and in the 2022-23 Parents and Families Guide. Mandarin and Spanish translations of the guide are located here.
Parents and families can contact the office directly with specific questions.
- Phone: 814-863-1313
- Email: parents@psu.edu
Parents and families can connect with the program on social media to receive timely information about the University.
Parents and families can sign up for the Parent and Family Experience Portal.
Hill said the best way a parent can support their student is by signing up for the Parents Program email newsletter, which can be done through the Parent and Family Experience Portal. The newsletter provides Penn State families with news and information from the University that is important for students and their families to know.
Parents and families looking to get more involved at the University can join the Parent Council, volunteer as a Parent Ambassador and support the Parents Fund. More information about these and other opportunities can be found here.
Other University Resources
Families can connect to a lot of resources and information online. For example, families can find answers to questions about on-campus housing and contracts; dining choices and meal plans; commons desk packages, mail and deliveries; and every residential community on the LiveOn website. Health and wellness resources, including information about scheduling healthcare appointments, immunizations, health insurance, and mental health resources, can be found on the Student Affairs Website.
However, no matter what area of the University parents or families need information about, they can start with the Parents Program and the staff in the office will find an answer to the question or connect them with the right resources.
“Our office is really connected to the University. We have resources and are very aware of what is happening across Penn State. I can pick up the phone and call somebody in almost every single office on campus and get an answer to a question,” Hill said. “Our network to support parents is more than just our office.”