Despite 40% of students being within two years of losing a loved one, the majority of higher education institutions (HEIs) do not have student bereavement policies. In response, the Higher Education Leave Plan (HELP) was formed in conjunction with Evermore, a national, non-partisan nonprofit, to develop a pragmatic toolkit to help HEIs support grieving students, including templates, policy examples, strategic approaches to bereavement programs, and a database of institutions with such policies. Attendees will leave with practical knowledge, including various tangible HELP toolkit components, resources focused on the unique needs of bereaved students, and feasible, low-cost ways to assist them. At the completion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the benefits of a centralized bereavement/grief absence policy for students
2. Express the key components of a bereavement/grief absence policy for students
3. Utilize the HELP toolkit to formulate a student bereavement leave policy at their own institution