The Grainger College of Engineering
Academic Redshirt in Science and Engineering

FAQs

General Questions

Cohorts vary size each year. In the past, our cohorts have been 20-25 students. With recent expansion efforts, we are expecting to welcome ~50 new ARISE students in Fall 2024.

There are five active cohorts matriculating through the program any given year giving us a community of around 130 ARISE Scholars on campus. Learn more about our students here

Students admitted to the ARISE program historically have placed into pre-calculus (MATH 115), Preparatory Chemistry (CHEM 101), and Preparatory Physics (PHYS 100).  It is appropriate to expect 4.5-5 years to graduate compared to the average graduation time of 4.25 years for other engineering students. Placement may vary per individual student.

Yes, ARISE scholars are required to attend Summer Bridge. It is a great way to get your college education started on the right foot. ARISE Summer Bridge will allow you to move in early, get to know the campus, your peers, and develop effective engineering habits before school starts!

ARISE Scholars are expected to make ARISE the primary priority before other non-academic activities.

No. Starting Fall 2024, ARISE is a direct-admissions only program. The only way to be a part of the program is by receiving an admission to The Grainger College of Engineering on the condition the student participates in the ARISE program.

Engineering Questions

Yes! ARISE students are directly enrolled in The Grainger College of Engineering as Engineering Undeclared majors. ARISE students will select their major in their second year. 

No, ARISE and the Engineering Undeclared (EU) program are different, even though the students in both programs are Engineering Undeclared majors. Here is the comparison: 

A three column chart, with each column labeled 'Features', 'EU', and "ARISE" respectively. The first feature is 'Enrolled in Grainger college of Engineering' and there are check marks under both EU and ARISE. The second feature is 'Access to restricted Engineering majors' with a check mark under ARISE but NOT EU. The third feature is 'Access to some major-restricted engineering courses' with check marks under both EU and ARISE. The fourth feature is 'declare major as early as 2cnd semester' with a check mark under EU but NOT ARISE. There is a note that mentions that both programs must declare majors by the start of the 5th semester. The fifth feature is 'dedicated academic advising team' with check marks under both EU and ARISE. The sixth feature is 'Open to internal transfers' with a check mark under EU but NOT ARISE. There is a note that says neither program is open to external transfers. The seventh feature is 'ENG 100 & ENG 101 required' with check marks under both EU and ARISE. The eighth feature is 'mentoring course required' with a check mark under ARISE but NOT EU. The ninth and final feature is 'expected 4 year graduation timeline' with a check mark under EU but NOT ARISE. This is followed by a note saying that ARISE students on average take about 4 and a half to five years to graduate.

ARISE students are eligible for all majors in The Grainger College of Engineering. We encourage you to visit the Majors and Minors page to learn more about each one.

We expect that ARISE scholars will have access to their first-choice major. Exceptions to this will be discussed with scholars if they are not progressing toward their major or fulfilling ARISE Scholar Requirements.

Yes, however we encourage ARISE students to focus on one major at a time.

Yes, however we encourage ARISE students to focus on their major. Several of our scholars have declared minors and graduated successfully.

Financial Questions

No, since ARISE Scholars are enrolled directly in The Grainger College of Engineering, they are subject to the same fees and tuition rates as non-ARISE engineering students. You can learn more about the upcoming Engineering rates through the website of the Office of the Registrar.

Additionally, ARISE Scholars live in Pennsylvania Avenue Residence Hall. To view the costs of living in University Housing for the upcoming year, please check out the Housing Costs website.

The Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) operates independently from the ARISE Program and ARISE Staff don't have access to student's financial records. To learn more about financial aid, please visit the OSFA website.

Yes, the program covers the early move-in fees for room and dining after successful completion of the Summer Bridge.

Each one of our students' financial situation is different; however, ARISE Scholars are eligible for the same scholarships and financial aid as any other engineering student. As a benefit of being a part of the program, they have access to other exclusive scholarships and funding through our program. We encourage our students to fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and to apply to the Scholarships for Continuing Students each year (starting their second year) to help cover their cost of attendance.

Due to the population of students the ARISE Program targets, many of our students are part of Illinois Promise or Illinois Commitment.

Housing Questions

Yes, part of the ARISE experience is living in PAR with an ARISE roommate alongside the rest of the first-year cohort. This is a wonderful opportunity for peer support, community building, and social events.

Students will be living in Illinois Street Residence Hall for the duration of the summer bridge. There will be shuttles helping students move their belonging to their permanent dorm at the conclusion of the summer program.

No, ARISE is not an official Living Learning Community (LLC) but we function very similarly to one in the sense that we have a weekly class, social events, and students live together in the same dorm. We have a special arrangement with University Housing to make this possible.

No. Typically being a part of an LLC will require different living arrangements conflicting with those of the ARISE program.

Yes, your roommate will be another first-year ARISE student. You will fill out a form to help us determine a good roommate pairing for you.

Contact Us

We're happy to connect with you to answer any questions you may have. Email is the fastest way to contact us.

Email Us

You can email ARISE staff at
engr-arise@illinois.edu

Call Us

You can call the ARISE office at
(217) 333-1672
Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm

Visit Us

210 Engineering Hall
1308 W Green St
Urbana, IL 61801

Follow Us

Instagram: @illinoisarise
LinkedIn: Illinois ARISE