Augsburg College

About the Program

The StepUP® Program at Augsburg University was founded in 1997. StepUP has since grown and is now one of the nation’s largest residential collegiate recovery programs. The majority of students in StepUP choose to live on campus in StepUP’s dedicated recovery housing. Living on campus is strongly encouraged as a way to build community with other students in recovery, but is not required: about 10% of our StepUP students are commuters. The StepUP office includes a program director, full-time licensed alcohol and drug counselors, and an outreach and recruitment officer.

 Students have the opportunity to meet weekly with their assigned counselors, who are equipped to help students in their recovery journey. Between the StepUP office, the Center for Counseling and Wellness on campus, and the Center for Learning and Adaptive Student Services, students will find ample support on campus to address their recovery, mental health, and learning needs.

Finally, Augsburg University understands that substance use can wreak havoc on a person’s GPA and thus takes a holistic approach when admitting students in recovery, meaning that time in recovery and personal journey are weighed alongside GPA. This holistic admissions process helps ensure applicants are not penalized for transcripts that might not accurately reflect their academic potential.

To join StepUP, students need to be currently applying to or enrolled at Augsburg University and submit a StepUP program application, two letters of recommendation from people familiar with their recovery journey, and a recent discharge summary (if applicable). Once these documents are received, an applicant will be invited to complete an in-person or phone interview with a counselor to determine their acceptance into the StepUP program.

Students must have 30 days of sobriety to access StepUP’s programming and support, and 6 months of sobriety to be eligible to live in the recovery residence.