Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, each year you and your student together will need to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), Linfield Application for Financial Aid and any other documents the Office of Financial Aid requests.

Learn more about student finances.

Linfield takes every precaution to keep your student safe. Campus safety officers patrol the entire campus 24 hours a day, making building checks and being available for any disturbances or concerns. If your student has a concern or needs a campus escort, he or she may contact Linfield Public Safety directly at 503-883-SAFE (7233).

As a parent, talk to your student about making smart choices about personal safety and recommend reporting any suspicious behavior immediately.

The campus is patrolled 24 hours a day by Linfield Public Safety. The campus safety staff can be contacted by telephone. There are also blue light emergency phones located throughout campus that connect directly to campus safety. Students are provided with a key to personal rooms and student identification cards will open all residence hall doors for Linfield students between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily. Only students living in a hall will have daily 24-hour access.

Linfield policy requires students to carry identification cards at all times when on campus.

Linfield provides a variety of safety guidelines for students, including advice to lock your doors, report strangers on campus and getting acquainted with dormmates as soon as possible. Linfield Public Safety has additional safety tips to help your student.

As a parent, remind your student that their help is necessary to keep the campus safe.

Linfield University takes every precaution to keep its students safe. View recent campus safety statistics.

Learn more about campus safety.

Students living on-campus eat most meals in the central dining facility, Dillin Hall. However, your student may buy snacks and drinks at other locations around campus, including Starbucks and the Wildcat Express.

All students in residence halls or fraternity housing (who are non-suburb eligible) are required to be on a meal plan. For the first semester that a student attends Linfield (including transfer students) and living in a residence hall, he/she starts with the unlimited meal plan. For the second semester and thereafter, a different option may be chosen. Meal plan changes may only be made during the first two weeks of fall and spring semesters and during the first two days of January Term. Various meal plan options are available to view online.

For more information about meal plans, please visit Linfield Dining Services.

Your student will have access to a faculty advisor and peer advisor, in addition to the Office of Academic Advising, to support class selection. A faculty advisor serves as a student's primary point of contact for creating an educational plan and choosing a major. Students are required to meet with their faculty advisors before registration every semester. Faculty advisors also serve as mentors, guiding students in understanding the cultural and intellectual life of the college. Your student is welcome to change advisors upon completion of the first semester. Once a major has been chosen, the advisor must be in that department.

For detailed information on GPA calculation at Linfield, visit the "Calculating a GPA" page in the academic advising pages.

Linfield students have access to a variety of learning aids, including the Writing Center, subject tutors, a Learning Skills class, and group study sessions. However, your student might need your support before asking for help. More information is available on the learning support pages.

Our philosophy is to foster the student's ownership of their own education. This includes teaching students about how to evaluate their academic goals/progress and communicate them effectively. It is our hope students and parents speak directly about the student's academic progress. Students also have the right, under the law, to keep private (even from parents) information about their academic progress – students may even protect their information such that the institution cannot acknowledge attendance at the college. Students may choose to authorize the institution to release specific information; please talk to your student about this option.

For more information on academic advising, visit academic advising.

The Wildcat Events Board (WEB) is an organization created by the Associated Students of Linfield University (ASLU) to coordinate social, cultural and educational activities for the student body. WEB plans concerts, movies, Saturday night entertainment, trips to performing arts events, outdoor recreation. Students are also encouraged to join other organizations on campus – intramural sports teams, the yearbook staff, Greek organizations or Habitat for Humanity, to name just a few. Encourage your student to get involved!

For more information about getting involved, please visit the ASLU clubs and activities pages.

The Linfield University counselors offer short-term individual and group counseling and workshops for currently enrolled students. Counselors are also available on a "consulting" basis to speak with individuals or groups concerned about a third party, for example, students concerned about a friend who seems depressed or a professor who has noticed declining grades in a student in her class and suspects the cause might be a mental health issue, including drug or alcohol misuse. Counselors may receive information from parents, although they may not provide you with health information about your student without your student's written consent.

Visit the counseling pages on the Student Health, Wellness and Counseling Center site for more information on physical and emotional wellness.

Linfield has a number of computer labs that can be used by anyone with a Linfield ID card. In addition, several departments offer specialized computer labs for their students, and "email only" computers are situated throughout the campus. Many buildings have wireless internet access available, and the Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) can provide a limited amount of technical support for students. For more information, visit Linfield's ITS website.

A personal computer is not necessary although many students find owning one helpful. The computers in the on-campus labs meet the needs of a large number of students, especially during the first year. Having a printer is convenient though not necessary – all on-campus labs have printers available. Ethernet connections in student residence hall rooms make a modem unnecessary.

Minimum requirements for Macs and PCs are necessary to connect to Linfield's system, and students who will be bringing computers will need to configure their computers for access to Linfield's network. More information is available at the ITS pages.

The bookstore offers educational discounts and an on-campus warranty for any Mac computer purchased through them. Ethernet cables and software will also be available for purchase. Please refer to the Linfield Bookstore for more information regarding ordering or shipping computers.

Visit the ITS pages for more information about technology on the Linfield campus.

Students complete the online housing application by June 1. This must be completed even if the student is eligible and plans to live off-campus. Housing and roommate assignments will be emailed to the student by July 14. 

The information students provide in their housing application helps us assign their housing placement and roommate match, so please encourage your student to answer openly. They may want to room with someone from your hometown, but we ask them to consider living with someone they don’t already know. Meeting new people is an important aspect of college life. If your student chooses to live with a friend, they must both request each other as roommates in their housing applications.

Please call Linfield Housing at 503-883-2354 or send an email to askstudentaffairs@linfield.edu if you have any questions or need assistance.

Helping your child pack is a good way to get involved with their college experience. Each room is equipped with a bed, desk, desk chair, dresser for each student. Review our recommended packing list.

Learn more about residence life.

Linfield provides limited airport shuttle service from campus at various times throughout the year (view the schedule). To reserve a place on one of the following shuttles, your student may sign up in the Campus Information Center (CIC) on the 1st floor of Riley. Any questions can be asked at the CIC or by phone at extension 2610.

Contact us by email or by phone at 503-883-5775, and we'll find an answer for you.