The deadline to apply to New Start 2025 is May 15, and you must have completed your UA application in order to submit a New Start application. Once admitted to New Start, students should begin checking their UA email for communications from the New Start team.

Students living in the dorm will move in on Saturday, June 7, and will receive more information about this before the move-in day.

Students will move out on Friday, July 18 and must check out of the building by 5:00pm. Please make travel arrangements accordingly.

Please note that we cannot guarantee rooms for all students. First priority will be given to folks who live outside of Pima County, students in the foster system, and students who are homeless/at risk of experiencing homelessness. After assigning rooms to these students, we will begin confirming spaces for local students in the order that they applied to New Start and expressed interest in housing. Most years we do need to start a wait list. We will let you know when you have a confirmed spot or if you are on this wait list.

Because financial aid cannot be dispersed until students are enrolled in their classes, students should plan on getting their financial aid released during the second week of the program. Expenses such as meal plans, books, and school supplies can be placed on a student’s Bursar's account if students are relying on financial aid for these purposes. Once financial aid is applied those charges may be covered, and any remaining funds will be dispersed to your student's account. If you place more charges on your Bursar's account than the financial aid received, the Bursar's office will issue a statement that will need to be paid at that time.

Please also note that if selected for federal verification, the Federal Pell Grant cannot be disbursed until the "Verify My FAFSA" process is completed for the 2024-2025 FAFSA.

Please note: Because of the ways in which fees are billed, some students may receive a refund of funds that are intended to pay for New Start fees. If you receive a refund but were not expecting one, please verify with program staff whether it needs to be used for fees before spending it on other items. Most students will not receive a refund.

All New Start Summer Program participants who wish to receive financial aid for the New Start Summer Program are required to complete BOTH the 2024-2025 and the 2025-2026 FAFSAs. As an incoming freshman, you must complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA for summer financial assistance AND the 2025-2026 FAFSA for financial aid during the academic year. Applying for financial aid is FREE using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Our school code for The University of Arizona is 001083. The FAFSA is available from the financial aid office at any university or college, your high school counselor's office or online. In order to ensure that you receive your financial aid in a timely manner, please complete both the 2024-2025 AND 2025-2026 forms by May 1, 2025 at the latest. UA's priority deadline is April 1. 

It is also important to complete the "Verify My FAFSA" process if selected for Federal Verification. Please watch your UA email and UAccess Student Center to learn if you will need to complete this step.

Yes, individuals wishing to use their qualified tuition reduction (QTR) to help pay for the cost of New Start may do so! Per university financial aid policies, QTR will be used instead of and not in addition to the New Start Tuition Scholarship for Arizona residents. Arizona residents with completed FAFSAs receive a scholarship that covers 68% of tuition, while QTR for dependents is a 75% reduction in tuition. This means dependents using QTR will pay approximately $125 - $150 less than those students using the New Start Tuition Scholarship.

If a student using QTR still has financial need they can apply for the New Start Friends and Alumni Scholarship to cover up to the remaining direct cost of the program.

Because of all steps allowing us to keep New Start affordable, tuition and fees will not be finalized until just a few days before New Start begins. Financial aid does not typically post until the program has already started; however, tuition and fees are not typically due until the middle of the program.

All program fees not covered by financial aid will be due to the Bursar's Office. You do not need to send any money to our office. You can access your Bursar's account through the UAccess Student Center with your UA NetID and password.

If students have submitted their online application and wish to cancel, they must do so using the online cancellation form. 

The cancellation form must be completed by June 1, 2025 in order to avoid being charged the New Start cancellation fee. Students canceling after June 1 or who do not show up for the program will still be assessed this fee as outlined in the contract. 

If you cancel your New Start application, you are responsible for rescheduling your New Student Orientation by contacting the Next Steps Center at (520) 621-5293 or at admissions@arizona.edu.

That depends on a number of factors: whether students are Arizona residents, whether they place into 6 or 7 units, whether they live in the dorm, and whether they qualify for a summer Pell Grant. Arizona residents will received reduced fees for the program and dorm. Arizona residents who complete the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 FAFSAs in a timely manner are eligible for New Start financial aid. Students who qualify for a summer Pell Grant, regardless of residency, have all direct costs of the program covered. Please note that New Start does not cover indirect costs: meals, transportation/parking, and any textbooks required for your classes (our instructors make every effort to keep book costs as low as possible!)

Please visit our page on Fees & Financial Support for more details on New Start costs.

Our campus partners will offer a family and advocate presentation during the New Start Welcome on Sunday, June 8. You are more than welcome to join your student for the kickoff event and learn more about university resources there.

Yes, many students choose to work over the summer!

We do ask that students be mindful of the fast-paced nature of this program and make an informed decision about the workload they can reasonably fit into their schedule while maintaining their overall wellness. Before seeking employment, we ask that students first look at the daily schedule, then seek work for no more than 20 hours per week in order to leave time for tutoring, studying, and other optional New Start programs. Students can learn more about on-campus employment opportunities by visiting Student Engagement and Career Development's jobs page, Handshake.

By submitting your application for New Start, you agree to attend the June 12 University Welcome session, which will be hosted in person. If you have already signed up for another Orientation date, your date will be changed to the June 12 session at no charge.

If you cancel your New Start application and change your orientation date, please know that there will be a change fee assessed by the Orientation team. You would be responsible for rescheduling with New Student Orientation by contacting the Next Steps Center at (520) 621-5293 or at admissions@arizona.edu.

The University Welcome is a separate event from the June 8th New Start kickoff. Both events are mandatory.

Students attending the New Start Summer Program should pay their enrollment fee as soon as possible and sign up for the June 12 University Welcome. If that date is not showing as an option, students should select any available date. After this, Orientation staff will change your date to the June 12 orientation session. You will not be charged the orientation change fee. Because New Start students need to attend this session in order to avoid duplicating their course schedule for the Fall, attending earlier or later sessions will not be permitted.

The University Welcome is a separate event from the June 8th New Start kickoff. Both events are mandatory.

Program dates are from June 7 to July 18. While attending New Start, we ask that students make the commitment to attend class each and every day. Because a normal semester is 16 weeks and New Start is only six, students will be working at an accelerated pace. For this reason, there are no excused absences in New Start. If you are planning a vacation that will cause you to be absent, we recommend that you do not enroll in this program.

Students may miss only two full days of class, though they should be mindful of their instructors' individual policies regarding attendance points, exams, or content missed. If students miss more than two days, they may be asked to leave New Start and fail their enrolled courses. Students who are removed from the program for attendance reasons will not get fees refunded and will have to pay back any financial aid.

Arizona Assurance eligibility is determined by multiple factors, including the information you submit when completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Arizona Assurance award is intended for the academic year starting in Fall 2025. However, if you have qualified for Arizona Assurance it is likely that you will still receive financial assistance to attend New Start during the summer in the form of the Federal Pell Grant. In order to be sure, you must complete both the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 FASFA forms.

For more more information about Arizona Assurance, please visit their website.

Mail works differently during the summer than it does the academic year. Please do not send mail to the dorm directly. To send mail via US Postal Service, use the following address:

Thrive Center

ATTN: NEW START + [Student's Name]

1435 E. 4th St.

PO Box 210056A

Suite 102

Tucson, AZ 85719

Please do not send mail prior to move-in or send large packages (for example, large boxes of personal belongings). Mail may take up to 2-3 days longer to reach your student, as it has to be routed through campus mail first.

The University of Arizona is committed to equal learning opportunity for students with disabilities and recognizes that accommodations or modifications are necessary to ensure access to campus courses, services, activities, and facilities. The Disability Resource Center (DRC) is a service office on campus that determines and provides or arranges reasonable accommodation. DRC also offers competitive adaptive athletic opportunities, physical support, and disability-related programs. If you plan on registering and requesting disability-related accommodations, you will need to contact the DRC directly. Please visit their website at http://drc.arizona.edu and forward the appropriate documentation and requests for information to:

Disability Resource Center
1224 E. Lowell Street
Tucson, AZ 85721

You can also reach the DRC by calling (520) 621-3268 or emailing uadrc@arizona.edu.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) limits the amount of information we can share about students. In the event of an emergency, our program will make every effort to reach your emergency contact as soon as possible at the number you provided in your New Start interest form and contract. If the student is under 18 for any portion of New Start, please make sure that you have completed and submitted a "Consent to Treat a Minor Form" to Campus Health. In situations involving drugs or alcohol in the residence hall, a student's emergency contact will be notified, and the student may be asked to leave the residence hall.

To learn more about New Student Orientation, please visit the Next Step Center’s website or New Student Orientation’s website at http://orientation.arizona.edu.

You don't! We will take care of enrolling you in your courses. Please do not enroll in any summer coursework and do not modify your enrollments once you are registered for your New Start courses. If you have questions about your assigned courses, you can reply to the message announcing your course assignment. There will also be an opportunity to speak with our academic coordinating team on New Start Welcome Day, June 8.