A Parent’s Complete Guide to the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) (2026-2027)
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Jump to
- What is the one thing every University of Louisiana Monroe parent needs to know before move-in?
- Quick Facts for University of Louisiana Monroe Families
- A Note on Warhawks Identity and Financial Aid
- Getting to Monroe
- What do parents need to know about University of Louisiana Monroe move-in day 2026?
- The Residence Halls: Where Your Student Might Live
- How much does University of Louisiana Monroe cost? Tuition, financial aid, and scholarships for 2026-27
- Monroe and Northeast Louisiana: What Parents Need to Know
- When is University of Louisiana Monroe Family Weekend 2026 and how do parents plan for it?
- How can parents support their University of Louisiana Monroe student’s mental health?
- Who do University of Louisiana Monroe parents contact? Essential numbers and websites for families
- UL Monroe’s Academic Strengths
- Getting Your Student’s Stuff Home Between Semesters
- You Are a UL Monroe Warhawks Family Now
- What is University of Louisiana Monroe’s graduation rate?
- Academic Calendar
- What to Pack for University of Louisiana Monroe
What is the one thing every University of Louisiana Monroe parent needs to know before move-in?
The University of Louisiana Monroe was established in 1931 in Monroe, Louisiana, as the Ouachita Parish Junior College, created to provide higher education access to the communities of northeast Louisiana along the Ouachita River.
In the 95 years since, ULM has grown from a two-year junior college into a comprehensive doctoral-granting university of approximately 8,500 students, offering programs from pharmacy and health sciences through business, education, and the arts in a campus on the Ouachita River in Monroe.
Monroe is a city of approximately 46,000 people (with a metropolitan area of approximately 175,000 including West Monroe across the Ouachita River) whose economic history is rooted in the natural gas industry of north Louisiana, the agricultural economy of the Ouachita River valley, and the commercial and service economy of the regional hub for northeast Louisiana. Monroe is the birthplace of Delta Air Lines: C.E. Woolman founded the airline in Monroe in 1929 as a crop-dusting operation that became Delta Air Service and eventually the international carrier headquartered in Atlanta. The Delta Air Lines Museum in Atlanta holds the story, but the origin of the airline is in Monroe.
The Louisiana Hayride, the radio program broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium beginning in 1948, launched or featured the careers of Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, and Johnny Cash and created the roadhouse musical culture of north Louisiana and the Arkansas-Mississippi-Louisiana tri-state corridor that is part of the cultural geography of northeast Louisiana’s identity. The proximity to the Mississippi Delta music landscape, the north Louisiana honky-tonk and rockabilly tradition, and the Ouachita River corridor’s role in the development of country music and early rock and roll are part of the cultural heritage of the ULM setting.
Quick Facts for University of Louisiana Monroe Families
| Family Weekend | ULM has not yet published its 2026 Family Weekend date. |
| Location | Monroe, LA 71209 |
| Enrollment | ~8,500 students |
| Type | Public Doctoral University, Sun Belt Conference |
| In-State Tuition (2026-27) | ~$7,500/year (verify at ulm.edu) |
| Out-of-State Tuition (2026-27) | ~$18,000/year (verify at ulm.edu) |
| Room and Board | ~$9,000-$11,000/year (verify at ulm.edu) |
| Total Cost (in-state) | ~$19,500-$21,500/year (verify at ulm.edu) |
| Total Cost (out-of-state) | ~$30,000-$32,000/year (verify at ulm.edu) |
| Graduation Rate | ~45% (6-year) |
| Median Earnings (10 years post-grad) | ~$38,000 (verify at ulm.edu) |
| Nearest Airport | MLU (Monroe Regional, on campus edge) or SHV (Shreveport, 100 miles west) |
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A Note on Warhawks Identity and Financial Aid
UL Monroe’s athletic teams are the Warhawks, competing in the Sun Belt Conference at the Division I level, with football at the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) level. The colors are maroon and gold.
The Warhawks football program plays at Malone Stadium (a 30,427-seat on-campus facility), and the basketball program at Fant-Ewing Coliseum provides the primary indoor athletics venue. The Warhawks compete against UL Lafayette, Louisiana Tech, Southeastern Louisiana, McNeese, and the other Louisiana universities in the Sun Belt Conference schedule.
Financial aid at ULM is need-based and merit-based through federal, Louisiana state, and institutional programs. Louisiana residents should verify eligibility for the TOPS (Taylor Opportunity Program for Students) scholarship, which provides substantial tuition assistance for qualifying Louisiana students. Contact ulm.edu/financial-aid for current scholarship and aid programs.
Getting to Monroe
Monroe Regional Airport (MLU) is on the edge of the ULM campus, served by American from the Dallas/Fort Worth hub. The campus-adjacent location makes MLU among the most convenient airports at any Louisiana public university for direct drop-off and pickup.
For families whose markets are better served through the Atlanta or Houston hubs, connections through Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV, approximately 100 miles west) or Jackson (JAN, approximately 100 miles east) may provide better direct connectivity through Delta and American.
For families driving, I-20 connects Monroe to Shreveport (100 miles west) and to Jackson, Mississippi (100 miles east). US-165 connects south toward Alexandria and central Louisiana. The approach to Monroe from I-20 across the north Louisiana pine-and-hardwood landscape, with the Ouachita River visible before the city, provides the characteristic entry into northeast Louisiana.
What do parents need to know about University of Louisiana Monroe move-in day 2026?
ULM’s fall move-in runs in mid-to-late August. Check ulm.edu/housing for your student’s building and move-in window.
Monroe in mid-August is hot and humid in the north Louisiana way: temperatures in the low to mid 90s with the substantial humidity of the Ouachita River valley and the north Louisiana interior, afternoon thunderstorms arriving with summer regularity, and the campus in full late-summer heat.
ULM runs organized move-in with residential life staff and building-specific unloading areas.
Practical notes:
- Ship boxes ahead. ULM holds packages.
- After unloading, the Monroe restaurant scene on Louisville Avenue and the downtown Monroe area provides first-night dining options. Warehouse No. 1 Restaurant (on the Monroe riverfront, one of the most celebrated restaurants in north Louisiana, in a historic cotton warehouse overlooking the Ouachita River) is the best first-night Monroe family dinner destination.
The Residence Halls: Where Your Student Might Live
ULM’s residential system provides on-campus housing for approximately 2,000 students, with freshmen required to live on campus.
The Biedenharn Hall, Cypress Lake Hall, and the other freshman-designated residence halls provide traditional room and suite configurations for incoming students.
The Ouachita Hall apartment complex and the upperclass residential communities provide more independent living configurations for continuing students.
The ULM dining program operates through the Bayou Bistro dining hall and other campus dining locations, with meal plan options for on-campus residents.
How much does University of Louisiana Monroe cost? Tuition, financial aid, and scholarships for 2026-27
Louisiana residents should verify TOPS scholarship eligibility. Contact ulm.edu/financial-aid for current need-based and merit-based aid programs.
| Expense | Cost |
|---|---|
| In-State Tuition and Fees | ~$7,500 (verify at ulm.edu) |
| Out-of-State Tuition and Fees | ~$18,000 (verify at ulm.edu) |
| Room and Board | ~$9,000-$11,000 (verify at ulm.edu) |
| Books and Supplies | ~$1,200 (verify at ulm.edu) |
| Personal and Transportation | ~$3,000 (verify at ulm.edu) |
| Estimated Total In-State (before aid) | ~$20,700-$22,700 (verify at ulm.edu) |
| Estimated Total Out-of-State (before aid) | ~$31,200-$33,200 (verify at ulm.edu) |
Louisiana residents should verify TOPS scholarship eligibility. Contact ulm.edu/financial-aid for current need-based and merit-based aid programs.
If there is a gap between aid and costs, SoFi is consistently competitive on private loan rates. Always work with ULM’s financial aid office first.
FAFSA guide for ULM families Full college cost planning guide
Monroe and Northeast Louisiana: What Parents Need to Know
The ULM parent visit provides access to the Ouachita River corridor, the northeast Louisiana cultural landscape, and regional day trip destinations that reflect the specific geography of the Louisiana-Arkansas-Mississippi tri-state corner.
The Biedenharn Museum and Gardens (2006 Riverside Drive, Monroe) is the site of the first bottling of Coca-Cola: Joseph Biedenharn, a Monroe candy merchant, became the first person to bottle Coca-Cola in 1894, anticipating the bottling franchise model that would make the beverage a global product. The Biedenharn Museum documents this origin story and preserves the candy shop and the gardens of the Biedenharn family home. The origin of Coca-Cola bottling in Monroe is one of the most surprising pieces of American commercial history attached to a small Louisiana city.
The Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo (Ticheli Road, Monroe) is Monroe’s city zoo and botanical garden, providing a family-accessible attraction in the Ouachita River park corridor.
Poverty Point National Monument (135 Poverty Point Road, Pioneer, approximately 35 miles northeast of Monroe) is one of the most significant archaeological sites in North America: a Native American ceremonial mound complex constructed approximately 3,500 years ago, the largest and most complex earthwork construction in pre-Columbian North America outside of the Mississippi mound builder cultures. Poverty Point was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 and is the oldest World Heritage Site in Louisiana. Every ULM family should plan a visit to Poverty Point on the first parent trip to Monroe.
The Ouachita River Trails (Monroe Riverwalk and Kiroli Park, West Monroe) provide riverfront recreation along the Ouachita River, with walking and biking trails in the Monroe and West Monroe corridor accessible to ULM students.
Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge (5814 Cypress Drive, Monroe) is a freshwater marsh and bottomland hardwood forest refuge on Black Bayou Lake adjacent to the Monroe metropolitan area, with birding, fishing, and wildlife observation in the northeast Louisiana wetland landscape.
For parent visit dining: Warehouse No. 1 Restaurant (riverfront Monroe, consistently the top restaurant in the city, in a historic cotton warehouse), Waterfront Grill (West Monroe, accessible across the Ouachita River), and the Louisville Avenue restaurant corridor for accessible Monroe dining with local character.
When is University of Louisiana Monroe Family Weekend 2026 and how do parents plan for it?
ULM has not yet published its 2026 Family Weekend date.
Check the official ULM family day page for the announcement. Most schools post fall dates by late spring or early summer, so check back. If you may travel, booking a refundable hotel now protects you, since rooms near campus sell out fast once the date is set.
Comparing schools? See our 2026 parents weekend and family weekend dates for every college in one place.
ULM refunds tuition on a declining schedule after the semester starts, so timing a withdrawal matters.
The cutoffs are pinned to specific clock times, not just dates, so a resignation filed even a few hours late can drop a family from a 100% to a 90% or 50% refund tier; this schedule applies only to an official resignation to zero hours, since reducing a course load (without dropping to zero) after late registration gets no refund at all.
Refund schedule: 100% refund through a specific date and time in the first week of the term, 90% for the next several days, 50% through roughly two weeks in, then no refund. Summer term withdrawals get a 100% refund through the posted final payment deadline, with none after.. Confirmed via the official ULM refund policy page. Policies and dates change every term, so verify directly before making a decision.
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Most colleges do not refund 100% of tuition once the semester starts.
GradGuard Tuition Insurance can reimburse tuition, housing, and fees if a covered illness, injury, mental health condition, or other covered reason forces a withdrawal during the term. Plans must be purchased before the semester begins.
Freshmen may bring a car to University of Louisiana at Monroe with a paid residential permit.
No freshman-specific restriction. Resident lots are reserved 24/7 for residents of that specific hall only, so a car is tied to whichever dorm a student lives in, not campus-wide parking.
Freshman permit cost: $100 for fall semester or year, $60 spring-only, $30 summer-only. Confirmed via the official University of Louisiana at Monroe parking page. Policies can change year to year, so verify before move-in.
ULM’s Homecoming and the Sun Belt Conference athletics schedule provide the primary athletics events for families. The Warhawks football program at Malone Stadium and the basketball program at Fant-Ewing Coliseum provide the primary home athletics experiences. Check ulm.edu/athletics for current Family Weekend and home game schedules.
Hotel strategy: Monroe has hotel inventory along the US-165 and Pecanland Mall corridors and near the I-20 interchange. Book Homecoming and major athletics weekends in advance, as the limited Monroe hotel inventory can fill quickly for major university events.
How can parents support their University of Louisiana Monroe student’s mental health?
ULM’s Counseling Center provides individual therapy, group therapy, crisis support, and psychiatric referrals.
The northeast Louisiana setting, with its rural regional character and the specific economic challenges of the Monroe metropolitan area, creates a community context that the counseling center’s programming reflects: students from urban backgrounds may experience a significant adjustment to Monroe’s smaller-city scale, and students from rural north Louisiana backgrounds may experience the social complexity of a university community differently than they expected.
ULM mental health and health resources:
- Counseling Center: contact via ulm.edu/counseling
- Student Health Center: contact via ulm.edu/health
- Crisis line: 988 (call or text, 24/7)
- Emergency: 911
Who do University of Louisiana Monroe parents contact? Essential numbers and websites for families
Verify all phone numbers and URLs at ulm.edu before using, as contact information is subject to change.
- Student Affairs / Parent Resources: contact via ulm.edu/student-affairs
- Admission: contact via ulm.edu/admissions
- Financial Aid: contact via ulm.edu/financial-aid
- Housing: contact via ulm.edu/housing
- Counseling Center: contact via ulm.edu/counseling
- Student Health Center: contact via ulm.edu/health
- University Police (non-emergency): contact via ulm.edu/police
- Registrar: contact via ulm.edu/registrar
- Emergency: 911
UL Monroe’s Academic Strengths
The College of Pharmacy is ULM’s most nationally recognized professional school, with a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program that is one of the most established pharmacy programs in Louisiana.
The College of Pharmacy provides professional training for the significant pharmacy workforce needs of north Louisiana and the broader region, and the program’s connections to the Monroe healthcare system and the regional hospital and clinic network provide clinical training opportunities directly in the ULM campus community.
The College of Health Sciences provides programs in dental hygiene, health information management, kinesiology, and radiologic technology that address the healthcare workforce needs of the northeast Louisiana region. The healthcare education programs reflect ULM’s investment in health sciences as a core component of the university’s mission to serve the medical and public health needs of a region with significant healthcare access challenges.
The College of Business and Social Sciences provides undergraduate and MBA programs in accounting, finance, marketing, management, and criminal justice that reflect the business education needs of the Monroe metropolitan economy and the workforce development mission of a regional university.
The College of Arts, Education, and Sciences provides teacher preparation programs for the Louisiana public school system and programs in the natural sciences, communication, fine arts, and English that serve the liberal arts education mission of a comprehensive Louisiana regional university.
Getting Your Student’s Stuff Home Between Semesters
MLU airport (on campus) provides American connections to DFW, with the campus-adjacent convenience making it the most practical airport for ULM students. SHV (Shreveport, 100 miles west) and JAX (Jackson, 100 miles east) provide more comprehensive connections for families whose home markets need Atlanta or Houston hub access.
The north Louisiana climate means December travel is generally weather-manageable. Storage Scholars specializes in student storage with residence hall pickup and delivery.
Full printable ULM dorm packing list
You Are a UL Monroe Warhawks Family Now
Poverty Point 35 miles northeast where the UNESCO World Heritage Site earthwork complex built 3,500 years ago is the oldest World Heritage Site in Louisiana and the most significant pre-Columbian construction in North America outside of the Mississippi mound builder tradition. Warehouse No.
1 on the Monroe riverfront where the cotton warehouse overlooks the Ouachita River and the north Louisiana agricultural economy that built the city is in the architecture of the building. The Biedenharn Museum on Riverside Drive where the Coca-Cola bottling origin story of 1894 is preserved in the same storefront where Joseph Biedenharn put the beverage in a bottle for the first time and changed how the world drinks soft drinks.
ULM has been the university of northeast Louisiana since 1931, in a city that started Delta Air Lines, in a region whose geography sits at the junction of the Mississippi Delta, the Ozark Plateau, and the Louisiana coastal plain. The Warhawks are in Monroe. Poverty Point is northeast. The Ouachita is running through the campus.
Go Warhawks.
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Last updated: May 2026. Tuition, dates, and policies subject to change. Verify all time-sensitive information at ulm.edu and ulm.edu/housing.
Where to stay near the University of Louisiana Monroe
Hotels near campus fill up fast on move-in and Family Weekend. This live map shows places to stay near the University of Louisiana Monroe. Drag the map or change the dates to fit your trip.
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What is University of Louisiana Monroe’s graduation rate?
University of Louisiana Monroe graduates 32.5% of students in four years; another 21.7 points finish within six. About 72.8% of first-year students return for sophomore year. Each bar is compared to the national average, marked by the vertical line.
16.5 pts below national
9.8 pts below national
8.2 pts below national
Here is how to read these numbers: the four-year and six-year rates show how many students finish on time and eventually, and retention shows how many return after the first year. Wherever your student lands, the habits that keep them on track matter most: a full, well-sequenced course load, an advisor meeting every term, and using campus support early. See why most students don’t graduate in four years and how to choose the right classes in the right order.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, most recent available data. National averages: NCES. Figures are for first-time, full-time bachelor’s-seeking students.
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Academic Calendar
Key dates for the University of Louisiana Monroe 2026-2027 academic year. Semester system. Always verify at the official Registrar page before making travel plans.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Fall 2026 classes begin | August 17, 2026 |
| Fall break | October 8-9, 2026 |
| Thanksgiving break | November 23-27, 2026 |
| Fall finals | December 3-8, 2026 |
| Fall Commencement | December 12, 2026 |
| Spring 2027 classes begin | January 19, 2027 |
| Mardi Gras break | February 8-9, 2027 |
| Spring break | March 26 – April 2, 2027 |
| Spring finals | May 6-11, 2027 |
| Spring Commencement | May 15, 2027 |
Winter break housing: Most University of Louisiana Monroe residence halls close for winter break. Students who need to stay on campus must apply for break housing through Residential Life in November. Check the housing portal for specific closure dates and application deadlines.
What to Pack for University of Louisiana Monroe
Every dorm is different, but these are the items parents of University of Louisiana Monroe students buy most. Ship directly to campus and skip the trunk-stuffing stress.
Twin XL Bedding Set
Sheets, comforter, and pillowcases — buy before you arrive so the bed is ready day one.
Shower Caddy & Flip Flops
Shared bathrooms require these. Get a hanging caddy and waterproof sandals before move-in.
Surge Protector Power Strip
Most dorms allow 6-outlet surge protectors with USB ports. Check your school’s policy first.
Want the full list? See our complete college packing list →
Shipping to campus? Students get 6 months of Amazon Prime for Young Adults free, then half price on the student’s own account. Here is how it works.
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