Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs
Though we are happy to assist you via email or by phone at (502) 272-8433, the questions below are frequently asked by parents and families.
How will I know my student's final grades?
Federal law prohibits the distribution of an adult's educational records to any other person. Only students may access their semester grades with their login at the Student Portal.
What if my student is having trouble with classes?
Bellarmine offers many free resources for students seeking academic help. The Student Success Center, located in the W.L. Lyons Brown Library, offers a wide range of programs and services to help your student stay on track. The Tutoring Center, Writing Center, and Math Center offer additional help for specific classes. Bellarmine also encourages every student to develop academic relationships with their professors. All faculty members have designated office hours where students can meet with their professors one-on-one to ask questions and receive guidance.
What if my student gets sick or needs medical care?
Bellarmine's Office of Health Services provides free on-campus health care to Bellarmine students. It is located in Newman Hall and is open five days per week. A nurse practitioner is available by appointment during the week in the fall and spring semesters. A registered nurse is available five days per week, and walk-ins are welcome and accommodated if the schedule allows. Free services include sick visits, referrals, over-the-counter medication, and wound care. There is a charge for outside lab procedures, allergy injections, and select immunizations.
Students can make appointments by phone at (502) 272-8313 or online by using the .
What if my student needs mental health care?
Bellarmine's Dr. Marian A. Swope Counseling Center is located in Centro, Treece Hall Suite 225, and provides free and confidential short-term mental health services to any currently enrolled Bellarmine student. Services include short-term individual therapy, referrals, crisis management, and more and are offered both in-person and via telehealth. The Swope Counseling Center's hours of operation are Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., and they can be reached by phone at (502) 272-8480. If no one is available or if it is outside standard hours of operation, dialing 鈥�2鈥� on the voicemail menu will connect to an on-call counselor. Public Safety can also help students access emergency services and can be reached at (502) 272-7777.
What if my student needs assistance accessing basic needs during their time at Bellarmine?
Bellarmine offers students access to many basic needs, including food, clothing, health care, transportation, employment, and more. These programs are designed to remove barriers to student wellness and success and are open to all students. Two of those programs are Knights Closet and Knights Pantry.
Knights Closet is a no-cost clothing closet providing clothing items such as career-ready outfits, scrubs, socks, Bellarmine gear, and business casual items, all of which are new or gently used. Clothing items can either be taken or can be borrowed and returned, washed and cleaned. It is located on the top floor of Centro, Treece Hall, 225-J. Students are welcome to access the clothing closet as many times as they need.
Knights Pantry is a no-cost food pantry providing supplemental food to Bellarmine students, made possible through a partnership with Dare to Care. Students are welcome to access the pantry as many times as they need and take whatever they need. Information on use of the pantry is private and what a student takes is not tracked. It is located on the top floor of Centro, Treece Hall, 225-I. Students can access Knights Pantry Monday- Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Access to Knights Pantry outside of business hours, during weekends or during campus breaks can be requested by calling the Office of Public Safety at (502) 272-7777.
FAQs for Parents of First-Generation College Students
Nearly 40% of Bellarmine first-year students each year are first-generation students, those who will be the first generation of their family to graduate from a four-year, higher education institution. The questions below are frequently asked by parents and families of first-generation students. More information on Bellarmine's many support services for first-generation students can be found on the Pioneer Scholars page.
What kind of support is offered to first-generation college students?
First-generation students at Bellarmine are referred to as Pioneer Scholars. During your student's first year, they will be enrolled in BU-022, Pioneer Scholars 101, which is a peer mentor program designed to help your student smoothly transition from high school to college. BU-022 is a zero-credit hour course with no assignments or grades, at no extra cost to the student. If your student is first-generation and not enrolled in this course, please contact Seth Kelly (skelly@bellarmine.edu).
First-generation students are also eligible to apply for TRIO Student Support Services, a new federally funded program at Bellarmine that supports students who are first-generation, Pell grant-eligible, enrolled full-time, and pursuing their first bachelor's degree. Spots in TRIO are limited. For questions please contact DeAnna Brown (dbrown22@bellarmine.edu).
How can I best support my first-generation college student?
The most important thing you can do for your first-generation college student is to encourage them to ask for help when they need it. This will look different for every student, and by establishing a relationship with their Pioneer Scholars 101 mentor, they have a peer they know they can reach out to with any questions or concerns. The Pioneer Scholars mentor team is trained to assist their mentees in a wide variety of ways and have been in their shoes.
It is also important for your student to get involved outside of their classes. There are many soft skills that can be gained from stepping into student leadership positions, and Bellarmine offers many different Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) on campus devoted to a wide variety of interests.
What if my student is struggling academically?
Pioneer Scholars is housed in the Student Success Center (SSC). The SSC can be found in the W. L. Lyons Brown Library and offers a wide range of programs and services to help your student succeed. Success will look different to every student, and the goal of the SSC is to help your student reach the goals they have set for themself.
The Tutoring Center, Writing Center, and Math Center are excellent services to utilize if your student needs additional assistance in their classes. We also encourage students to build a relationship with their professors. Each faculty member on campus has designated office hours, where they are more than happy to meet with their students to aid in their success.
Even if your student is not struggling, utilizing these free resources allows your student to take ownership of their own learning and development.
What are the benefits of participating in Pioneer Scholars?
Students who participate in Pioneer Scholars 101 are more likely to remain in school and persist to graduation. In this program, we explore the Bellarmine IMPACT (Wellness, Engagement, Belonging, and Purpose), making sure students receive the support they need.
Other benefits include a peer mentor, free lunch, and a space to celebrate this part of their identity.
Is this investment going to pay off?
If your student applies themself they will undoubtedly find success at Bellarmine and beyond. On average, Bellarmine graduates land jobs at a higher rate and earn more than graduates at peer institutions. When measuring total lifetime earnings against the cost of college attendance, Bellarmine graduates see an average return on investment of $1.93 million over a 40-year career鈥攕ignificantly higher than the $1.51 million average for private institutions and the $1.56 million average for public institutions in Kentucky.* Bellarmine graduates earn the highest mid-career salaries of any university in the state of Kentucky.
Bellarmine promotes academic inquiry rooted in the liberal arts tradition, educating the whole person to realize their highest potential. In addition to technical competence in their chosen field, our students develop the skills of critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, and compassion through a wide-ranging curriculum beyond their major field of study. With a degree in their field of study backed by a holistic education and real-world experience, Bellarmine students possess the technical, mental, and social skills that make for agile, dynamic thinkers prepared to navigate a changing world. Upon graduation, Bellarmine students are not just prepared to pursue a successful career, they are prepared to pursue a full life.
*According to a recent study from Georgetown University鈥檚 Center on Education and the Workforce.