UCR aerial view

Contact Us

Chelsea Usher
Chelsea Usher, '12

Director of Parent and Student Engagement

Chelsea Usher is a 2012 UC Riverside alumna who graduated with a BA in English and Classical Studies. 

Contact the Highlander Family Network

Email Us

Email Chelsea Usher


 
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The Highlander Family Network will keep you up to date on all things Highlander! Make sure you sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss anything!

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Connect with a Regional Ambassador

Founded in 2023, the Highlander Family Regional Networks bring the Highlander community to you! With a goal to build programming to fit the needs of our families and to foster the Highlander spirit from afar, our Regional Ambassadors are there for you! From away games in your city to family lunches to blue and gold bowling nights, Highlander Family Regional Network events bring Highlanders together.

Sign up to get more information on your region!

 HFN Regional Sign Up 

Regional Ambassadors

Plan a Visit

You’re an important part of your student’s UC Riverside experience, and the Highlander Family Network is here to make sure you have all the support you need to visit your student. Whether you’re looking find discounted hotel accommodations, alumni-owned eateries, or something interesting to do while in town, we’ve got you covered. While here, you can also sign up for a campus tour if you’re interested!

  • Hotels
    Local Hotels

    Hyatt Place 
    3500 Market Street Riverside CA 92501
    951-321-3500
    Booking Code: 10017
    Parking Reduced to $14
    Complimentary hot breakfast included with your stay.

    Booking Link
     
    Courtyard by Marriott
    1510 University Ave Riverside CA 92507
    951-276-1200
    Complimentary WiFi included with your stay.

    Booking Link
     
     
    Riverside Downtown Marriott (by the Convention Center)
    3400 Market Street Riverside CA 92501
    951-784-8000
    Parking: $12
    Complimentary WiFi included with your stay.

    Booking Link 
     
     
    Ayres Hotel & Spa 
    TownGate Promenade, 12631 Memorial Way, Moreno Valley CA 92553
    951-571-4141 ext. 0 Ask for “UCR rate”
    Call the number above, and at extension 0, ask for the UCR rate.
    Parking, a hot breakfast, and WiFi are included with your stay.

    Booking Link

     

    Hampton Inn Riverside Downtown
    3505 Market Street Riverside CA 92501
    951-788-5000
    Parking: $23
    Complimentary hot breakfast and WiFi included with your stay.

    Booking Link

     

    Holiday Inn Express & Suites
    12960 Day Street Moreno Valley CA 92507 
    951-455-3644
    Complimentary hot breakfast, parking, access to the 24-hour fitness and business center, and WiFi included with your stay.

    Booking Link

  • Restaurants

    Restaurants
     

    The Rustik Fork
    1355 E. Alessandro Blvd. Suite 101 Riverside, CA 92508 

    Website

     

    Goodwin’s Organic Food & Drinks 
    Alumni Owned
    191 W Big Springs Road Riverside, CA 92507 

    Website


    The Halal Guys 
    Alumni Owned
    1201 University Ave #102 Riverside, CA 92507 

    Website
     

    Retro Taco 
    Alumni Owned
    3744 Main Street Riverside, CA 92501 

    Website
     

    The Barn  
    3595 Canyon Crest Drive Riverside, CA 92507 

    Website
     

    Duane’s Prime Steaks & Seafood  
     3649 Mission Inn Ave Riverside, CA 92501 

    Website

  • Tourist Destinations

    While you’re in town, make sure you check out a few of our local destinations!

     

    • UC Riverside Botanic Gardens
1 Botanic Gardens Dr, Riverside CA 92507
    • Mount Rubidoux Park
4706 Mt Rubidoux Dr, Riverside CA 92501
    • Fox Performing Arts Center
3801 Mission Inn Ave, Riverside CA 92501
    • The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum 
3581 Mission Inn Ave, Riverside CA 92501
    • Mission Inn Museum
3696 Main Street, Riverside CA 92501
  • Pharmacies

    Pharmacies


     CVS
    491 E Alessandro Blvd
    Riverside CA 92507
    951-780-1835
     
    Rite Aid 
    5225 Canyon Crest Dr #8
    Riverside CA 92507
    951-686-2203

    Walgreens 
    1745 University Ave
    Riverside CA 92507 
    951-684-5661


    Kaiser Permanente
    10800 Magnolia Ave
    Riverside CA 92505
    951-353-2000

  • Emergency Needs

    Urgent Care Centers


    American Family Care Urgent Care Riverside
    191 Alessandro Blvd #9A
    Riverside CA 92507
    951-780-3300
     
    Raincross Urgent Care
    4646 Brockton Ave
    Riverside CA 92507
    951-774-2860
     
    Riverside Urgent Care
    18876 Van Buren Blvd #100
    Riverside CA 92508
    951-429-6002

  • Public Transportation

    Public Transportation

    RTA Routes Serving UCR
    As of January 2024, there are currently five routes with direct stops at UCR:

    Route Number
    1 - Corona through Riverside to UCR
    16 - Riverside Downtown to Moreno Valley Mall with stop at UCR
    51 - Crest Cruiser with regular loops through Canyon Crest
    56 - Hunter Park to UCR loop with stops around UCR campus
    204 - CommuterLink Express      Montclair Transcenter to UCR

    For families coming in from San Bernadino, Riverside, and Orange, you can take the CommuterLink Express to get to the Lemon & University Station or Riverside’s Downtown Metrolink Station. From there, you can find the route that works best for you.

    RTA schedule.

  • On Campus Parking

    In order to simplify your time on campus, Transportation Services has mapped out the best places for visitors to park. Take a look at their website to make sure the lot you’re headed to is the most appropriate place to park.


    Visitor Parking

     

Heading Home for the Holidays

Heading Home photo

Find methods of transportation to and from Riverside.

  • Airport Transportation Options

    Ontario (ONT)

    • Use your RTA U-Pass to ride free – take Route 204 from UCR @ Bannockburn to Ontario Mills for 5 stops (50 minutes), from there, hop onto Route 61 for 9 stops to get to Ontario International Airport (10 minutes).
    • Ride share (Uber/Lyft, etc)
    • Taxi ($$ from UCR to ONT)

    Los Angeles International (LAX)

    • Use your RTA U-Pass to ride free – take Route 1 to Downtown Riverside, take the Metrolink’s Riverside Line OR 91/Perris Valley Line to LA Union Station, and then hop onto the LAX FlyAway Bus to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
    • Ride share (take advantage of our campus partnership with Lyft)
    • Taxi ($$ from UCR to LAX)
    •  Metrolink:
    • Students receive a 25% discount with a valid Student ID
    • Find schedules on Metrolink's website
    • Review the Metrolink Regional Rail Map (2023) -it allows for travel from Riverside to Lancaster, Ventura, San Bernadino, Perris, San Diego, and everywhere in between.
    • The closest station to UC Riverside’s campus is Downtown Amtrak/Metrolink Station
  • Airport Shuttle

    Airport Shuttle:

    • Airport shuttles such as Primetime Shuttles offer another option for a shared ride to either ONT (~$50) or LAX (~$130).

     

  • Amtrak

     Amtrak:

    • Find schedules on Amtrak's website
    • The closest station to UC Riverside’s campus is Downtown Amtrak/Metrolink Station
    • Hop on the Route 1 bus from Bannockburn between the station and campus, or use a taxi to/from the Amtrak station.
    • Amtrak offers students 15% off the best-available rail fares for travel on California Amtrak routes. Read the terms and conditions, then place your reservation.
  • Greyhound Bus

    Greyhound Bus:


Safety Tips for Rideshares

Safety Tips for Rideshares


Printable Version

Frequently Asked Questions

Having a college student can sometimes be overwhelming – especially in the early stages where you have more questions than answers. All our major offices have FAQ pages, and I recommend checking them out for more answers. Here are the top 3 questions this office has received from families over the last year.

  • Admissions
    Admissions

    How do I connect with the admissions office?
    Admissions regularly hosts virtual eventswebinars, and chats. Please visit admissions.ucr.edu/visit to register for an upcoming event or to view their archives.
    How much does it cost to attend UC Riverside?
    The cost of attending UCR is extremely competitive compared with other University of California campuses and private schools. Living in Riverside is also considerably less expensive than living in nearby Los Angeles, Orange County, or San Diego.
    What is the SLR, is it different from SIR?
    Every student admitted to UC Riverside must submit the Statement of Legal Residence (SLR) online. The SIR is your Statement of Intent to Register, and yes, it is different. If you have been offered admission at UC Riverside, you can submit your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) on My.UCR.EDU. You must review and agree to the Provisions of Admission before submitting your SIR.
    When do classes start? When are finals? What are the campus closure dates?
    The registrar has an academic calendar that automatically refreshes based on the time of year. You can find more information about classes, holidays, campus closures, and finals by looking at the academic calendar.
    These don’t answer your questions for Admissions? Review their FAQs today.


    Admissions

  • Financial Aid

    Financial Aid


    What is the FAFSA school code?
    Federal School Code: 001316
    I have completed the FAFSA, when can my student expect an offer of financial aid?
    You can get an estimate of aid via MyUCR once we get your FAFSA. Beginning in March, new student awards become available. Once the award is ready, you will be notified via MyUCR through “Alerts” and “Spotlights”. However, if your application is selected for verification of reported information, you will be notified on MyUCR of any additional documents or information needed to complete your financial aid application. If additional documents are required, they must be submitted to the UCR Financial Aid Office by May 1 in order to maintain on-time financial aid consideration.
    How does my student accept their Financial Aid in R’Web?

    1. Visit rweb.ucr.edu
    2. Log in to your R'Web account.
    3. Click on the Financial Aid icon in your Authorized Applications window.
    4. Select the Award link.
    5. Choose your Award Year from the drop-down menu.
    6. Select the Accept Award Offer tab.
    7. Accept the financial aid award, decline it or accept a partial amount.
    8. Select the Award Overview tab to review your financial aid package and the status of each award.

    These don’t answer your questions for Financial Services? Review their FAQs today.

    Financial Aid

  • Housing

    Housing


    How can I register my student to live on campus?
    Campus housing is in high demand and does get full quickly. 
    First-Year Students: Submit the contract and first payment for Residence Halls housing by May 10 to receive guaranteed housing for fall. You will select your room and roommates (if applicable) during a process that occurs during summer quarter.
    Transfer Students: Submit a contract and first payment for our Residence Halls, or submit an application for our Campus Apartments or Family Housing, as soon as possible. While space is limited, any incoming transfer students who complete their contract and submit their first payment by May 10 will be given priority to access room selection for available spaces.
    Is on-campus housing guaranteed?
    Available campus housing will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Campus Apartment applications are accepted year-round for non-Freshman university students. The Residence Hall Contract is available for all student levels beginning March 1.
    Are their accommodations for special needs?
    Residence Hall rooms and Campus Apartments can be modified, or are already modified, for physically-, hearing-, and sight-impaired students. Please coordinate your needs by calling Housing Administration office at (951)827-6350.
    These don’t answer your questions for Housing? Review their FAQs today.


    Housing  

     

  • Registrar

    Registrar


    When are fees / tuition due?
    Typically, fee payment deadlines are:
    Fall Quarter – September 15
    Winter Quarter – December 15
    Spring Quarter – March 15
    However, when the 15th falls on a weekend, the deadline varies (e.g., September 14).
    You can see all current deadlines in the Academic Calendar. For information about payment options, please see Student Business Services.
    Are fees refundable?
    No, health insurance is not refundable after the first day of instruction and the student technology course material fee and any additional course material fee associated with a course are not refundable after the end of the add/drop period.
    If I’m paying for my student’s education, why can I get a copy of their records?
    According to FERPA, a student’s records do not belong to the person paying for the student’s education – they belong to the student. Information is only shared with the student’s consent, in a health or safety emergency or pursuant to another FERPA exception. Your child may grant you permission to access their records in many ways. Please see our Disclosure Policies for details.

    These don’t answer your questions for Registrar? Review their FAQs today.

    Registrar 

     

  • Student Life 

    Student Life 


    What is the Family Orientation Program? How do I register for it?
    The Family Orientation program is a program designed to educate families of students about the resources that are available to them and their student. Families will gain insight into the academic and social journey that their student will experience here at UCR. Guest registration can be completed by logging into the Orientation Registration site. If you have already registered for orientation, select “Edit My Registration” on your dashboard to add a guest.
    What is the Spanish Family Orientation Program?
    The Spanish Family program is a one-day abbreviated program for Spanish-speaking families. It contains many of the same resources as the regular Family program but is conducted in Spanish.
    These don’t answer your questions for Student Life? Review their FAQs today.

    Student Life

  • Transportation

    Transportation

    Where can I find visitor parking?
    Visitor parking is available in various lots across the campus. Please visit our Visitor Parking webpage for more information. A map of pay-by-hour parking lots can be found here. You can review the live link that refreshes automatically. Lot Space Availability can be found here. Parking permits are not required on the weekends when parking in the following lots starting at 12:00 PM on Fridays though 6:00 AM Monday morning, in the unreserved spaces:

    • Lot 6 Blue
    • Lot 13 Blue
    • Big Springs Parking Structure 2
    • Gold lots (26, 30, 50)

    Parking permits are required in all other lots on the weekends.

    Does Metrolink offer any student discounts?
    Yes, Metrolink offers students a 25% discount on a regular one-way, round-trip, 7-day pass or monthly pass option. 
    At the time of purchasing a ticket online, select the Student Fare Ticket.  You must be able to present your valid Student ID to the inspector upon request.
    Weekend day passes don’t qualify because they are already discounted at only $10 for unlimited travel on any weekend day.
    Do students get access to Riverside Transit Authority (RTA)?
    The Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) has a new official GoMobile app.   GoMobile is an all-in-one mobile app where you can access your UPASS, plan your trip, view bus arrival times, and get service alerts. If you don’t already have a pass, you can review these steps to get one.
     
    These don’t answer your questions for Transportation? Review their FAQs today.

    Transportation

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