The new school year is beginning at UConn and freshmen have started to move in.
Thousands of first-year University of Connecticut students will be starting their college experience and have started moving in with help from family.
Students will not be required to wear face masks this year or to maintain a social distance, but they are still required to have a COVID vaccine.
Freshmen started moving in at 8 a.m. and move-in with continue through mid-afternoon Friday.
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There are 5,825 new first-year students, including 4,075 at Storrs, which UConn said is a record, and 1,750 at regional campuses.
The students represent 158 of the 169 Connecticut cities and towns, 42 states and 38 countries.
More than a quarter of the class, 26.5%, is made up of students from populations underrepresented in higher education, including Black, Hispanic/LatinX, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native students, UConn said, adding that is a new record.
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About 30% of the Class of 2026 qualify for federal Pell grants, up from 22% in 2010, according to UConn.
There will be heavy traffic near Storrs as freshmen move in Friday and returning students and those who transferred to the school will move in over the weekend.
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