Parent & Family Resources

Parent & Family Resources

Boston University is a large, urban, research institution in the heart of Boston but it is also a residential campus comprised of many small, close-knit communities, including an extensive support network for your student. We encourage you to become familiar with the myriad of resources available to your BU student. We also want to remind you that if you are having trouble navigating this large institution, please contact Parent & Family Programs at parents@bu.edu or 617-358-1187. We are here to guide you and answer your questions.

Information for First Generation Families

If your student is the first member of your family to go to college, you undoubtedly have questions about the resources available to not only your student but to you. Please become familiar with the Newbury Center as their team will be a wonderful support network for your family.

Understanding BU Acronyms

At Boston University we love our acronyms and we know that it is hard for incoming family members to understand our lingo which is why we’ve created our own BU Glossary.

Understanding Higher Ed Lingo

We also understand that in higher education we use some words that are confusing. For example: what is a Matriculation Ceremony?, what is a syllabus?, and what are Convenience Points? If you’ve found yourself asking these questions and others, please visit our own guide to Higher Education Lingo.