Grief can be life-altering, especially for college students navigating loss while far from home, family, and familiar support systems. Research shows that more than 30% of college and graduate students will lose a parent, sibling, or caregiver during their academic journey. That’s more than six million young adults at any given time, many of whom are left to grieve in isolation.
Most colleges and universities lack resources or programs to meaningfully support bereaved students. Without compassionate, structured policies and care, these students often experience academic decline, mental health struggles, social isolation, and a diminished sense of belonging.
The Parmenter Foundation of Wayland, MA, is working to address this crisis through its newly launched UGrieve program, a first-of-its-kind initiative designed improve support for grieving students and foster more compassionate, grief-informed campuses across the country.
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“Grief affects every part of a student’s life, yet most campuses aren’t equipped to respond,” says Jennifer Siegal, UGrieve Program Director. “Through UGrieve, we’re helping colleges become places where no student has to grieve alone and where compassion and empathy are woven into the campus culture.”
“The brilliance of UGrieve lies in its simplicity, broad reach, and low cost. It includes free grief support training for all faculty and students, empowering an entire campus community to respond with confidence,” says Angela Crocker, Executive Director of The Parmenter Foundation. “Ultimately, it creates a culture of mutual support that extends far beyond those who are grieving.”
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UGrieve currently includes an educational video series, national partnerships, and expert-informed tools, including protocols and student accommodation recommendations. UGrieve is available for higher education institutions now, and in collaboration with The Jordan Porco Foundation, Parmenter is introducing UGrieve booths at hundreds of college wellness fairs, providing students with immediate access to information, resources, and supportive communities that validate their experience of loss.
"Grief touches every corner of campus life, yet compassion can reach just as far. Through [the UGrieve] video series, students, faculty, and staff can learn how to respond with empathy, build deeper understanding, and strengthen the bonds that help us carry one another through loss. We are invited to learn what helps, what harms, and how to build a campus culture rooted in empathy and support,” says Sean Williamson, Director of Counseling Services at Piedmont University.
Help Support UGrieve: $50,000 Match Challenge
To expand this critical initiative, The Parmenter Foundation, in partnership with a generous donor, has launched a $50,000 matching gift campaign. Every donation will be doubled, helping UGrieve reach more campuses and support more students when they need it most. Students hailing from all over MetroWest land at college campuses all over the country. Your gift toward this campaign will serve local students wherever they may be struggling. Contribute by October 15 to double your impact and help Parmenter reach its $100,000 goal!
Double Your Impact Today:
parmenterfoundation.org/donate
Learn More About UGrieve
parmenterfoundation.org/ugrieve
Contact The Parmenter Foundation
Parmenter welcomes stories, thoughts or suggestions from the community. “Collaboration and discussion will serve to enhance, improve and broaden the UGrieve program, while also naturally normalizing and opening up more important conversations about grief,” says Angela Crocker, executive director of The Parmenter Foundation
