Housing and Residence Life: How to Apply

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago has premier living facilities for students. As a resident, you can truly immerse yourself in a community of fellow artists, live right in the heart of Chicago's Loop, and enjoy conveniences you won't find in most student apartments.

Note: This page provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding the Fall 2013 housing applications for new SAIC students only. For other questions, please contact the Residence Life Office at 312.629.6870 or student_life@saic.edu at any time.

How much does it cost to live on campus for the 2013–2014 year?

Please visit the Tuition and Fees information page under the Student Financial Services section. There you will find the rates for each available room type, as well as the buildings that offer them. Please note that first time students are not offered single rooms without an approved disability accommodation. See the Disability and Learning Resource Center page for more information about the accommodation process.

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How do I apply for on-campus housing at SAIC?

For your convenience, much of the SAIC Housing Application can be completed on-line. Only students who are fully admitted to the School will be sent an Invitation to apply. Housing invitation offers will be sent on a weekly, rolling basis. Students who are admitted and have received their invitation to sign up for housing for the 2013–2014 academic year may do so by visiting the SAIC Housing web site. Your invitation letter will provide you with your username and password information for the site.

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What do I need to do to complete my housing application?

• Using the on-line housing system, enter your preferences for your building, room, and bed type. While we do our best to accommodate these requests, please keep in mind that space considerations may prevent some preferences from being fulfilled. If you know another SAIC student you would like to share a room with, you may also enter that student's information in this section.
• Access, view, and print the Housing Contract [PDF] and the Student Disclosure of Criminal Convictions Form [PDF]. For detailed instructions on submitting the contract, see below. All prospective residents must sign and submit a copy of the 2013–2014 Housing Contract. If applicable, students must also fill out and submit the Student Disclosure of Criminal Convictions Form. Please refer to the Housing Contract, paragraph 30, for information about who needs to fill out this form.
• Pay your $550 housing prepayment. For detailed instructions on submitting the prepayment on-line with a credit card, see below. You can also pay by check or money order. No cash payments will be accepted. If a student completes an application and then cancels that application before May 1, 2013 the housing prepayment will be refunded in full; for application cancellations after May 1, 2013 the housing prepayment will be forfeited.

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How will I know that my application has been received and processed?

Once the Residence Life Office has received and processed your signed Housing Contract, signed criminal convictions disclosure form (if applicable), and $550 prepayment, your application will be complete. You will receive email notification (sent to your SAIC email account) of your complete application within two business days. A hard copy of this letter will also be sent to your permanent address. Once you receive this email, you have secured a space on-campus for 2013–2014.

You can also use the on-line housing system to keep track of your in-progress application status. Click on "Application" and then click on "Housing Contract & Prepayment." Select the appropriate application period, and view the status of your housing application.

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How does the Residence Life Office assign spaces?

Open and available spaces will be assigned based on the date of each applying student's completed application, with priority given to students with earlier dates. The $550 housing prepayment will be refunded to any student not accepted into the residence hall at the time that the School makes that decision.

Students who have been accepted and assigned to rooms will receive their room assignment and roommate contact information (if applicable) in the first week of August 2013. If students are accepted into housing after the second week of August 2013, assignments will be sent out on a rolling basis.

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How do I submit my contract to Residence Life?

Review and print the Housing Contract. Residents who are under 18 at the time of submitting the contract must also have their parent or legal guardian sign.

You may mail the contract to us at the address below:

Residence Life Office
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
36 S. Wabash Ave., suite 1203
Chicago, IL 60603

You may also submit the contract to our office by fax at 312.629.6801 or email a scanned copy to stulife@saic.edu.

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How do I pay the $550 housing prepayment?

There are two ways to submit your housing prepayment of $550:

Electronic Payment
Students may pay the prepayment via electronic check or credit card online. To pay online, follow the steps outlined below:

1. You must "GET CONNECTED" to gain access to SAIC online payments here. 
2. Log in to Peoplesoft Self-Service. You will use the log-in information created through the GET CONNECTED process. 
3. Once logged-in, click Account Inquiry. 
4. Then click Make a Payment. 
5. Next, click Make a payment or ARTICard deposit. 
6. On the next screen, click Housing Prepayment. 
7. Enter $550.00 as the total amount of the payment. In order for your prepayment to be accepted, it must be the full amount of $550.00. 
8. Select Fall 2013 for the term. 
9. Click Add to Shopping Cart and continue follow the instructions to pay via credit card.

Via Check or Money Order
If you prefer to mail a check or money order, you may send it to the address below. Please make the $550 housing prepayment payable to "SAIC".

Residence Life Office
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
36 S. Wabash Ave., suite 1203
Chicago, IL 60603

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What if I have additional questions or concerns regarding the housing application process?

Please do not hesitate to contact the Residence Life Office directly. Our staff is available to help you through the process and answer your questions about life in the residence halls. The office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday. We are located on the 12th floor of the Sullivan Center, 36 S. Wabash Ave. You can also call us at 312.629.6870 or send us an email: student_life@saic.edu.

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