Family Orientation Newsletter June 9, 2026

In This Message

Resources and Requirements-Health, Wellness, & Safety
- Immunizations and Health History Forms
- Student Health Insurance Coverage
- Tuition Refund Insurance
- Campus Safety
Navigating the Transition
- Family and Emergency Contact Information
- Health Resources
- Health Tips
- College 101: Laundry, Roommates, and Life Outside the Classroom
Let’s Talk About It

Students walk past the entrance of the August Center, with orange directional graphics and signage on the glass doors.

Resources and Requirements-
Health, Wellness, & Safety

Immunizations and Health History Forms

New York State law requires all college students to provide proof of immunization and health history information. These essential forms must be submitted to the Student Health Center via the RIT Wellness Portal before your student arrives on campus. We strongly encourage your student to complete this as soon as possible to allow adequate time for review and processing.

Your student can log into the RIT Wellness Portal using their RIT username and password.

Learn more about immunization requirements and health history forms >

Student Health Insurance Coverage

All RIT students are expected to have health insurance. Health insurance coverage ensures that your student will receive the appropriate medical care in the event of an injury or illness that requires prescription medication, a referral to a specialist, or even hospitalization. Health insurance may be obtained through the university or through family or individual policies.

If your student will use a family plan, review Third Party Insurance Coverage details to understand what is covered in Rochester. Many plans have limited out-of-network benefits, so we recommend confirming coverage before arrival.
If your student is not on a family plan, RIT offers a comprehensive student health insurance plan with a broad U.S. network and out-of-network benefits. Details for 2026-27 will be available in late June.

Learn more about health insurance requirements on the Student Health Center website and by watching the How does student health insurance work? Series of Queries video.

Tuition Refund Insurance

RIT offers access to tuition refund insurance through GradGuard. This optional coverage can help protect tuition costs if your student needs to withdraw from classes due to an unexpected illness or accident.

Learn more about tuition refund insurance >

Campus Safety

While RIT is seen as a very safe campus, students need to remain aware of safety concerns and available resources. Please talk to your student about how to stay safe on campus: not to walk alone at night; not to carry valuables; lock their residence hall door; keep an eye on belongings when out; and pay attention to their surroundings. Encourage them to download the Tiger Safe app, which allows students access to an emergency button, Public Safety phone numbers, escort services, lock services, and more.

A phone screen shows the RIT Tiger Safe App

Navigating the Transition

Family and Emergency Contact Info

Please have your student review and update their parent and emergency contact information at www.rit.edu/studentcontact. This information is important should RIT ever have to reach out to parents in case of an emergency.

To better understand when RIT might call you, watch the When will RIT call me about my student? Series of Queries video.

Health Resources

RIT offers a variety of services and resources to help our students be their healthiest selves. It is important to understand the scope of care RIT provides in order to ensure that all students find the care they need on or off campus.

The Student Health Center provides primary and urgent care services for all students. For chronic health needs and conditions that are beyond the Student Health Center’s scope of practice, students should work with a primary care provider from home or a specialist in the Rochester community.

A photograph showing the entrance to the Student Health Center.

The providers in Counseling and Psychological Services understand the complexities of student life and support students’ mental health needs through a personalized care model in an open, safe, and confidential environment. Students who are regularly seeing a mental health professional or need long-term or specialized treatment should continue treatment with their provider or connect with our Case Management team to explore off-campus options.

A photograph showing the entrance to Counseling and Psychological Services.

Case Management is available to assist students in connecting to resources on and off campus, as well as helping students navigate complex personal problems such as insurance, hospitalizations, financial issues, and housing/food insecurity.

"Your student should take advantage of health and wellness resources whenever they can! Remind them that there’s no shame in asking for help."
-Stelle

Health Tips

Get your student in the habit of scheduling their own doctor and dentist appointments, as parent's can't book health visits at RIT, and help them think about what to pack so they have basic health essentials if they need them.

View the wellness packing list >

“[I told my student] ‘You'll have to do the stuff that I do now. Pick up your prescriptions, make your doctor's appointments, buy your books.’ And he really stepped up.”

College 101: Laundry, Roommates, and Life Outside the Classroom

With so much to think about this summer, it will be easy to forget to talk to your student about the everyday skills they will need at college. Join current students and RIT staff for tips on how to prepare your student for real-life tasks such as laundry, living with a roommate, getting a campus job, and more.

Plan to participate in one of two sessions:

Tuesday, June 30 | 7 p.m. | Register to attend >
Thursday, July 9 | 7 p.m. | Register to attend >

Let's Talk About It

What questions do you have for your doctor before heading to college?

This summer is a good time to let your student take the lead in making their own doctor appointments and going themselves. You can support them by helping them think of questions to ask.

How do you plan to practice self-care while at RIT?

Whether it’s exercise, maintaining a hobby, or relaxing, it’s important that students are mindful about their wellness and self-care practices.

Sincerely,

Chelsea Petree, Ph.D.
Director, Parent and Family Programs
Rochester Institute of Technology
parents@rit.edu