04/16/2026
College Student Grief Awareness Day is April 16
What is Grief Literacy?
The ability to understand, recognize, and respond to grief.
Accepting the uniqueness of everyone’s grief experience.
Reducing stigma by challenging societal expectations about how grief “should” look or be experienced.
Grief is defined by the person experiencing it.
Grief is a natural response to loss — such as death, job loss, or the end of a relationship — and is experienced differently by each person. It is an all-encompassing, cross-cultural part of being human that affects people in individual ways. It is unpredictable, non-linear, and disorganized. Grief can affect people emotionally, physically, spiritually, and psychologically, and how we behave.
There is no “right way” to grieve or process a loss of any form. When there are expectations of how we move forward while carrying our loss, grief can become disenfranchised. Disenfranchised grief happens when a loss is not openly acknowledged or validated, which is often a result of stigma or assumptions about the loss.
Having grief literacy means we can support those experiencing grief with less judgment and expectation, and more compassion and understanding.
How to Support Someone Who is Grieving
Listen without trying to fix or offer solutions
Acknowledge their loss (“I’m really sorry you’re going through this”)
Be present, patient, and understanding that grief can impact school, attendance, and focus
Avoid trying to explain or minimize the loss (e.g., “everything happens for a reason”)
Check in over time — grief doesn’t end after the first conversation, especially during a busy semester
Offer simple, practical support when appropriate (e.g., sharing notes, walking them to class, or helping them connect to campus resources)
Grief is evidence of love. Support those grieving by practicing grief literacy and inviting grief to be a normal, welcomed experience in our everyday lives.
Support and Counseling Services
UMD Counseling Services is committed to supporting the mental health and well-being of all students and to fostering a campus environment that promotes understanding, care, and access to support. Make an appointment by calling 218-726-7913. The UMD
Crisis Line is available 24/7, every day of the year, at 612-301-4673.
