Parents & Families E-Newsletter, July 2026

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WakeParents & Families

E-newsletter from the Office of Family Engagement


The Quad might look quiet now, but in just a few weeks it will be bustling.

July is a busy month, with several important processes we like to make sure families are aware of so you don’t miss anything:

Family Weekend event registration opens Wednesday, July 15 at 10 a.m. at familyweekend.wfu.edu

The Student Health Insurance enrollment and waiver forms opened on July 3:

  • All students enrolled in at least one on-campus credit will automatically have student health insurance charges applied to their account, and are required to either enroll in or waive the Student Health Insurance by September 15, with the exception of international students, who are automatically enrolled.
  • Failing to waive by the deadline will result in automatic enrollment in the plan and responsibility for payment of the premium applied to their student account ($1,605), regardless of any existing coverage they may have.
  • Students studying abroad for the fall 2026 semester who will have U.S.-based coverage under a parent’s/spouse’s/employer’s plan during their time abroad, and who wish to waive the student insurance for the fall semester only, should select “Domestic Student Studying Abroad Fall 2026” as the insurance company name on the waiver form. If students will have valid coverage in NC when they return in the spring, and wish to waive for both the fall and spring semesters, please do not select the Studying Abroad option, and instead submit the current insurance carrier information on the waiver.
  • Please note that either a waiver or enrollment form must be completed annually by all students; this is not a task solely for newly-enrolled students.

Tuition is due August 1. See payment methods.

Optional tuition insurance must be purchased by August 23. Wake Forest does not benefit financially from this program. If your family could not absorb the loss of a semester’s tuition in the event your student has an unforeseen sickness or injury, please consider this program.

Parking registration varies by class year:

  • First-year student vehicle registration will begin Tuesday, August 4 at 9:00 a.m. EST.
  • Second-year student vehicle registration will begin Wednesday, August 5 at 9:00 a.m. EST.
  • Third and fourth year resident student vehicle registration will begin Monday, August 3 at 9:00 a.m. EST.
  • Commuting student (e.g., off campus seniors) vehicle registration begins Friday, August 7 at 10:00 a.m. EST.

Mark your calendars and take action as needed. August will be here before we know it.

Go Deacs!


Betsy Chapman, Ph.D. (’92, MA ’94)
Executive Director of Family Communications

Upcoming Dates & Deadlines*

July 15 at 10 a.m.
Family Weekend event registration opens

August 1
Fall semester tuition due

August 3-7
Parking registration (varies by class)

August 13
Move-In for ’30 students and transfer students accepted to Wilderness to Wake and Marching Band Pre-Orientations only

August 14
Move-In for ’30 students and transfer students accepted to all other Pre-Orientation programs

August 18
Move-In for ’30 students and transfer students who are not doing Pre-Orientation programs

August 18-19
Family Orientation activities for P’30 families (schedule to be released later in July)

August 21-22
Continuing Student Move-In (i.e., sophomores, juniors, and seniors)

August 23
Last day to purchase optional tuition insurance

August 24*
First Day of Classes

* See the Academic Services calendar, which lists these and other key academic dates.

See Residence Life and Housing’s opening and closing dates for our residential communities.

Incoming Families of the Class of 2030

Immunization requirement reminder — action needed

  • As of July 2, our records show that approximately 600 incoming first-year students still have incomplete immunization documentation.
  • Many students assume they completed this process correctly, but an item may be missing a signature, a vaccine series might be incomplete, or a document may not have uploaded successfully.
  • Because an incomplete health file results in an automatic account hold — which strictly prevents your student from moving into their residence hall, participating in Pre-Orientation activities, or attending classes — we need your partnership to ensure your student is fully cleared.
  • Please have your ’30 student follow the instructions in this message to verify their immunization compliance status.

From Residence Life and Housing:

  • This year, we are rolling out a new check-in process. We no longer have “suggested move-in windows;” we have specific check-in appointments (selected by students). For full details about your student’s move-in experience, please review our Move-in Guide.
    • Many students have not yet scheduled their check-in appointment; please check with your student and have them do so as soon as possible. Our team will randomly assign appointments on July 27 to any student who has not yet scheduled.

Pre-Wall Street Zoom info session August 4

  • Parents and students of the Class of 2030 are invited to attend an information session on August 4th at 5 p.m. via Zoom to learn more about the Pre-Wall Street Career track. The track is open to first year students interested in exploring a career in the financial industry.
  • The Pre-Wall Street Career Track provides early and focused professional preparation for qualified Wake Forest students intending to pursue careers in Investment Banking, Asset Management, Sales & Trading, and Private Equity on a global basis.
  • Register for the session
  • The session will be recorded and provided upon request for families who cannot attend. For questions or to request the recording, contact Program Director, Marty Malloy at malloym@wfu.edu.

Welcome, P’30! (parents and families of the Class of 2030)
  • Once your students register for class, we strongly recommend they rent/buy all their textbooks and course materials from the University Bookstore:
    • By entering their Student ID, students will ensure they receive the correct edition (if students are sourcing materials on their own, they may not get the correct edition, as academic textbooks often have multiple editions to choose from).
    • Students can choose from new, used, rental, or digital options.
    • Purchasing from the Bookstore also ensures your student will have course materials on day one of class, which is critical to engaging with the course material early (and not falling behind). Students ordering through other vendors/getting items mailed to campus could experience wait times, as there are always a lot of packages that must be processed by our mail room the first week of school.
  • Be sure your student has a laptop by move-in. WakeWare is our official program and includes a four-year on-campus warranty. You can purchase WakeWare laptops through the University Bookstore. If your Deac wants to bring a laptop from home, please ensure it meets the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) requirements.
  • Please review our Move-In Guide thoroughly in preparation for move-in.
  • See the Family Checklist to ensure you are taking care of all required parent/family tasks.
  • Miss any of our Tuesday messages to new families? Read them here.

Campus Life

Fraternity and Sorority Engagement

  • The Office of Fraternity & Sorority Engagement is excited to announce that registration for Fall 2026 Interfraternity Council (IFC) Formal Recruitment is now open to sophomores, juniors, seniors, and transfer students with at least 12 credits. To participate, students must:
    • Submit a recruitment application
    • Complete the required hazing prevention modules through It Matters
    • Attend the mandatory IFC Fall Kickoff on August 31
    • Formal recruitment provides eligible students with the opportunity to learn more about Wake Forest's IFC fraternities, connect with current members, and explore fraternity membership. For additional information, important dates, and eligibility requirements, please visit the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Engagement website.

Counseling

  • The University Counseling Center continues to be a support to students who desire to talk to a professional about a multitude of things throughout the summer months. We offer same-day scheduling for virtual or in-person appointments during office hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We also offer an after-hours counselor-on-call after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and 24 hours a day on weekends and university holidays/closures.
    • Due to licensure restrictions, we are only able to offer therapy services to students who are in the state of North Carolina. For students located outside of North Carolina, we offer case management and referral support to assist with finding providers in other areas.
    • Incoming students are unable to schedule an appointment until they are on campus and will need to call the UCC themselves to schedule a same-day appointment for their first visit.

Housing and Dining

Personal and Career Development

  • Move-in is just one month away — the clock is ticking on career preparation. For some industries, fall recruiting has already begun. Encourage your student to take these essential steps now:
  • Visit opcd.wfu.edu/parents for class-specific timelines and coaching resources. Don’t wait until the semester gets busy—start today.

Executive Education

  • Your student chose Wake Forest for a reason. Now it’s your turn. Learn right alongside them this fall. Wake Forest Executive Education offers short, professional development programs designed for working professionals; from one-day leadership workshops to flexible virtual certificates in AI, leadership, and more. No long-term commitment required. Explore our Fall Programs.

Transportation and Parking

  • How can my student get around campus and the community? Wake Forest is a compact, walkable, and bikeable campus with a robust shuttle system and car-sharing service. The vast majority of first-year students do not bring a car with them to campus. Check out the many transportation options available to students on the Transportation: Guide to Getting Around website.
  • Parking registration for Fall 2026 will be held August 3-7, depending on the student’s class year. NOTE: dates for registration vary based on the student’s year; students will be sent an email at the WFU address with their registration date. Anyone enrolled in any class or program at Wake Forest, including study-abroad programs who wish to park a vehicle in a university parking lot at any time of day or night, including after 4:00 p.m. on weekdays, on weekends, and during academic breaks, must register that vehicle with WFU.
  • All parking permits are now virtual. Students will no longer be required to have a physical permit. For more information, please visit our License Plate Recognition website.

Events and Athletics

Athletics

See the Events Calendar.

Financial Matters

Student Financial Services (SFS)

  • Fall 2026 tuition statements are now available, and the payment deadline is August 1st. To ensure you can view and pay these fees, please verify that your student has set you up as an authorized payer in Workday. Directions for configuring a third-party user can be found here.
    • It is important to review the “Permissions” step with your student to guarantee access to the necessary account details, as Workday will not email your login credentials if these permissions are left blank.
  • Students must complete the process to enroll in or waive the Student Blue Health Insurance by September 15th. For further details and guidelines, please review the Student Health Insurance Program website.
  • Safeguard your educational investment against unforeseen circumstances by enrolling in the optional GradGuard tuition insurance plan. This coverage helps reduce financial loss if a student needs to withdraw due to medical issues, accidents, mental health conditions, or the death or job loss of a payer. To learn how this program offers up to a 100% tuition refund during the semester, visit the Tuition Insurance website. Enrollment for GradGuard is open until August 23rd.

Student Financial Aid

  • Students whose financial aid eligibility includes a federal student loan should accept or decline their offered loan in the Student Financial Aid Portal.
  • Students receiving Wake Forest Need-Based Scholarship funds who are unable to waive Student Health Insurance may complete the Health Insurance Funding Request in the Your Documents section of their Student Financial Aid Portal. If the Health Insurance Funding Request is not available in a student’s portal, the student receiving need-based scholarship assistance may request Student Health Insurance Funding by emailing finaid@wfu.edu.

Resources for Families

We want to make sure all families are aware of the many resources available online to help you:

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Wake Forest University
The Office of Family Engagement
1834 Wake Forest Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27109
1.800.752.8568