Parents and Support People

As your student begins to write their own story at Oakton College, parents and families are also embarking on a new chapter. Learn what's in store and how you can help them succeed.

Oakton’s President Dr. Joianne Smith shares a welcome message below with parents and family members of new Oakton students. 

Next steps in your student's journey

Parents and families can begin by familiarizing themselves with FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). If your student wishes to disclose information to you throughout the semester, submit the Student Information Release Authorization and photo ID to the Enrollment Center. This would allow you to speak with Student Affairs professionals regarding protected information such as grades and attendance.

If your student plans to use FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), do this early. You can find information on Oakton’s tuition here. Students can also:

If they are coming directly from high school, have them send their high school transcripts.

If they have some college, have them send all other college transcripts. Bring copies of the unofficial transcript to your Advising appointment to aid in class selection.

If applicable, guide your student to gather/send all other college credit information to Oakton. For example, GED transcript, JST transcript, Seal of Biliteracy and AP scores (depending on the score).

Help your student determine if they will need to take a Placement Test.

Support your student to Register for classes and meet with Advising.

If your student plans to use accommodations, set up an intake appointment with the Access and Disability Resource Center before the semester starts.

Your student can check what textbooks they’ll need, once published for the semester, at the Oakton Bookstore.

Visit the Academic Calendar and note important dates.

More resources for Parents and Support People

Presented by the Office of Student Financial Assistance, learn more about Oakton’s financial aid process along with additional information on how to pay for college.

Presented by the Counseling Services area, this video provides perspective and advice for those who serve as a support system for a new college student.

Presented by the Office of Advising, Transitions, and Student Success, this video presents an overview of your student’s onboarding steps at Oakton and outlines the departmental efforts available to support your student. Learn more about New Student Orientation here.

Luis Toro
"A community college is so small compared to a big university—there’s more of a sense that you can leave a mark here and do more. People know you in a substantial way. That’s a key aspect of going to college: that sense of community that makes you actually feel that you can succeed." 

Luis Toro

Student

Explore Luis' journey from high school to Oakton

You can always find our New Student Resources online. Oakton welcomes Undocumented and DACA students, and we have resources available.