• Prepare Your Student
  • Parking and Transportation
  • Textbooks and Course Materials
  • Meal Plans
• Today’s Parent Tips
  
  • Financial Aid Review
  • Goodbye, Goodbuy!
  • RIT Housing and Residence Life
• Ask Your Student About

Parking and Transportation
If your student will be bringing a car to campus, they will need to register their car with Parking and Transportation and purchase a parking permit. There are transportation options for students without cars, including the RIT shuttle, the weekend shopping bus, and the Public Market Bus.

Textbooks and Course Materials
RIT has partnered with online bookstore company, Akademos, as our provider of course materials. Purchasing textbooks and other course materials can be done completely online and materials will be shipped directly to students. It is recommended that students ship books to their home two weeks prior to coming to campus, otherwise, ship books to their campus mailing address. 

Meal Plans
First-year students living in RIT housing are required to have a meal plan. There are two meal plan options for students living in the residence halls; both include all-you-care-to-eat meals at Gracie's and Dining Dollars. Students living in the RIT Inn have additional dining plan options and can choose to have Gracie's meals or Dining Dollars only. Be sure to also check out the wide variety of RIT Dining locations available on campus!

Financial Aid Review
We encourage students to review their financial aid statuses in the Financial Aid and Scholarships section of eServices as soon as possible and prior to arriving on campus. Remember that students can grant you guest access to this information. In order to maximize your time on campus during Welcome Days, you should submit needed documents this summer. Documents for many financial aid requirements may be uploaded securely on the Financial Aid website; documents that cannot be uploaded can be dropped off in the Financial Aid office during Welcome Days.

If you or your student have questions, please reach out to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at 585-475-2186 or ritaid@rit.edu

Goodbye, Goodbuy!
Goodbye, Goodbuy! is a student-run initiative that provides both new and returning students the opportunity to furnish dorms and apartments at affordable prices. Last spring during move-out week, Goodbye, Goodbuy! collected goods left behind from students, which will be on sale during Orientation week. Inventory includes items such as: furniture, clothing, fans, lamps, fridges, televisions, and speakers, as well as items that students might have forgotten to bring to campus (hangers, school supplies, and kitchenware). This year’s sale will be on Aug. 20-21 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and on Aug. 22-24 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Gene Polisseni Center.

RIT Housing and Residence Life
As most of you prepare your student to move into the residence halls or RIT Inn, you have likely heard of RIT's two offices related to on-campus living: RIT Housing and Residence Life. While these departments work closely together, they have separate areas of focus:

• RIT Housing handles housing assignments and roommate selection. The team also assists with incidents like key losses, lockouts, and billing questions. 
• The Center for Residence Life is made up of professional staff and student Resident Advisors (RAs) who build a vibrant, safe, and inclusive community. Your student will most closely work with their RA, who will host activities, help students navigate roommate conflicts, and connect students with the broader RIT community. Your student will meet their RA during Orientation. 
• Maintenance requests are handled through RIT Housing (issues with furniture or laundry machines) and Facilities Management Services (common areas such as bathrooms and elevators). Remind your student to request maintenance as soon as they see something wrong in their room or a common space. 

You will see staff from RIT Housing and Residence Life on Welcome Days handing out keys, helping carry belongings to your student's room, and welcoming your family to the RIT community.