Enrolled Students Next Steps

Once you have been successfully enrolled in a course, we will send a confirmation email to the student's email address. Please carefully review this confirmation to ensure everything is correct.

If you have not received a confirmation email, please contact Continuing Studies at 312.629.6170 or email us at cs@saic.edu so we can resend it to you.

Merit Scholarship and Financial Aid Information

Students who register November through January will be notified of their potential award amounts via email starting in January. Students who register after January will be notified of their potential award amounts approximately three to four weeks after registration. If you do not receive information about your potential Merit Scholarship and/or need-based financial aid in this time frame, please contact the Student Financial Services department at 312.629.6600 or saic.sfs@saic.edu.

The payment deadline is May 1. 

If you have not made payment by this date you are at risk of being dropped from your selected courses.

If you register after May 1, you will be given a custom payment due date two weeks out from the time we notify you of your final balance via email. 

If you need to drop a class, all drop requests must be submitted in writing to ecp@saic.edu and include the student's name, ID number, and course information.

100 percent of the tuition charge, not including the $100 nonrefundable tuition deposit, is refundable if courses are dropped by May 1.* If a course is dropped after the deadline, no refund will be granted.

Note: *This date applies for all sessions.

You may complete your payment online at saic.edu/cspayment. You may also submit your payment by mailing a personal check or money order with the student's full name and ID in the reference section to: School of the Art Institute of Chicago, SAIC Bursar's Office, 37 S. Wabash Ave., Suite 245, Chicago, IL 60603. For any financial questions, please contact Student Financial Services at 312.629.6600 or saic.sfs@saic.edu.

If you did not submit your health insurance information at the time of registration, you are required to submit it ASAP to ecp@saic.edu. Please send an email and list your student's full legal name, seven-digit SAIC ID number if known, insurance company name, insurance company policy number, insurance company phone number, and policy expiration date if applicable. 

If you do not currently have an insurance policy that will cover you while you are with us, you can purchase a new policy and send us those details to satisfy this requirement. Many vendors world-wide offer a variety of insurance policies.

You may purchase short-term coverage through Edusure (edusure.com), a marketplace that offers multiple student health insurance offerings, or Patriot (imglobal.com), a travel insurance company for international students. ECPSI students are responsible for making these arrangements, including payment of the premium. 

Important: After enrolling, it may take up to two business days before you can activate your SAIC account.

Your SAIC email account is the key to accessing Canvas and other student resources. Your instructor will communicate with you through Canvas and your SAIC.edu email address. Check it regularly during the course.

To activate your SAIC email account, you will need to:

• Locate your SAIC ID number in your Registration Confirmation email, sent from cs@saic.edu. If you have an SAIC student ID card, you will also find it there. Your seven-digit SAIC Student ID number is different from the five-digit order number included on the Order Confirmation receipt email sent to you at the time of checkout.
• Go to https://password.artic.edu
• Select Activate Account
• Enter your seven-digit SAIC ID number
• Enter your last name
• Enter your birthdate the following format: DD-MMM (e.g., 22-FEB or 03-JUN)
  • DD: Two-digit day (01 to 31)
  • MMM: Three-letter abbreviation for the month (e.g., JAN, FEB, MAR, etc.)
  • Note: Use numeric characters for the day and only letters for the month.
• Select Activate

Your username is automatically assigned, but you will need to create your own password. Passwords can be simple sentences (“There were 15 green trees.”), a series of words separated by spaces (“Correct Horse Battery Staple”) or a longer traditional password (“Thisisalongpassword!”). The longer the password, the more secure it is. Pick a password that is easy for you to remember.  

Your new password must meet the following requirements:
Is case sensitive.

• Must be a minimum of 15 characters long.
• Must not repeat any character more than 3 times consecutively. 
• Cannot include any of the password examples above.

Uppercase, lowercase, special characters, and numbers are allowed but not required when setting your new password.

You will also be prompted to set up four security questions. Be sure to record your account information for future reference.

Visit https://gmail.artic.edu to log in to your SAIC email with the username and password from above.

Need Help? Contact the CRIT Help Desk at 312.345.3535 or email crithelpdesk@saic.edu. Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

It is important that we have a unique mobile phone number and email address for you and your parents or guardians. We also request the name and contact information of an individual that can be reached at any time and be on SAIC’s campus in Chicago within 24-48 hours. This is important for all students and in particular, those from outside the United States or whose parents or guardians may be traveling while they attend the Early College Program Summer Institute. 

Email updates to cs@saic.edu, include the student's first and last name and seven-digit ID number.

Canvas is SAIC’s online learning platform and will be the central resource for all of your course materials and communication with your instructors and peers. You will need to log in with your SAIC username and password.

Typically, instructors make courses viewable one week before the start of class. Please note that not all instructors may use Canvas. 

Visit canvas.saic.edu or download the app for Android or Apple and log in using your SAIC username and password. Complete the virtual  Canvas Student Orientation to get started.

Need Help? Contact the Canvas Support Team at canvas-help@saic.edu, Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

For more information, visit the Continuing Studies Student Orientation website and select your program.

Students will need an ARTICard, the SAIC ID, to enter campus buildings including the residence hall. You will receive an email from articard@saic.edu to your home email address in the month leading up to the start of your class which details how to submit your identification photo. 

If all materials are submitted, you will receive your ARTICard on the day of your orientation.

In addition to the meal plan, you have the option to load funds onto your ARTICard to use at vending machines and in residence hall laundry facilities.  

For more details about ARTICard, consult the ARTICard page or contact them at articard@saic.edu.

ECPSI students who reside on campus will be housed in Jones Hall, located at 7 West Madison Street. 

Visit Summer Institute Residence Hall General Information for details about what to bring, rules for residential students, the meal plan, and more. You will be notified about your roommate and room assignment during move in.

Note: International students may arrive the Saturday prior to move-in for the session after 5:00 p.m. Contact Residence Life at saic-reslife-ecp@saic.edu to let them know that you intend to arrive early. Students arriving later than 3:30 p.m. on Sunday should notify the Residence Hall staff in advance. Email saic-reslife-cs@saic.edu.

Students are responsible for purchasing their own art supplies. Expect to spend $150-450 depending on session length and number of credits.

Course Supply Lists will be available two weeks before each session. 

Students are encouraged to bring any materials they would like to use that are not on the supply list, and students that live out of town can purchase materials they need when they arrive. The Chicago Loop BLICK Art Materials store is located two blocks from Jones Hall at 16 West Randolph Street. 

Lockers are made available at the start of classes on a first-come, first-served basis and must be registered through the Office of Student Affairs each term. Students who have registered a locker during the current term must provide their own lock. If an unregistered locker is found locked, the lock will be cut and the contents disposed of, as well as locks and personal belongings not removed at the end of the semester.

Students may register their locker one week in advance of the start of their class, as it will take up to two business days for the locker registration to be completed. 

Student​ ​Locker​ ​Registration​ ​Checklist

• Email​ student affairs at studenthelp@saic.edu​
• Use subject line: Locker reservation request - ECP student
• Include​ ​the​ ​following​ ​information​ ​in​ ​the​ ​body​ ​of​ ​the​ ​email. ​​Failure to provide all information will cause a delay in completing the registration.
  • Full name and SAIC ID number

  • Location of your course - building, floor, and classroom 

    To confirm the location of your course, visit https://continuingstudies.saic.edu/all-courses and enter your course number in the field under Current On-Campus Courses.

  • Dates of your course

Students will be assigned the closest available locker to their classroom and may use it for the duration of their course.

Please be aware that protests and other events may impact travel to and from our downtown Chicago campus, and some may occur unexpectedly.

Summer Events:

• June 19, 2025, Juneteenth, no classes
• July 4, 2025, Independence Day, no classes
• July 5-6 2025, NASCAR, pre- and post-road closures
• July 31-August 3, Lollapalooza, pre- and post road closures

Road Closures:

Roads will be closed in and around the vicinity of the SAIC campus. Roads leading into and around downtown may become blocked as the city prepares for and cleans up from the event.

We strongly advise families to use public transportation. Information on public parking can be found at saic.edu/visit/directions-campus. Please check the garage entrance location against the current road closure details.

NOTE: We will update this page with road closure information closer to the event. You may also visit the City of Chicago’s Street Closures Listing page and Chicago Loop Alliance’s Advisories page.

Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from either of Chicago's airports (O'Hare or Midway). We recommend students use Airport Express and call 1.888.2THEVAN or visit airportexpress.com to make a reservation. 

O'Hare: Pick-up GO Airport Express van across from baggage claim in the domestic terminal by doors 1E, 2D, 3F, or 5E.

Midway: Pick-up GO Airport Express van lower level across from baggage claim by door 3.

Students may also use a taxi service, rideshare (Lyft, Uber), or public transportation from either airport. Cab fare is approximately $40–$50 and public transportation is $2.25–$5.00 one way. For public transit maps, visit transitchicago.com.

There are several hotels convenient to campus housing (Jones Hall), the final exhibition location, and the Art Institute of Chicago museum, including:

A list of parking options can be found on our Directions to Campus page.

In May we will host a virtual welcome webinar to review the Next Steps and Information for Enrolled Students. Details and a link to register for the webinar are coming soon. An orientation video will be emailed to students and families in the week prior to arriving on campus.

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is committed to providing opportunities for full participation in all programs for students with disabilities, including Continuing Studies students and Students At Large. Disabled students should first contact the Disability and Learning Resource Center (DLRC) to request reasonable accommodations. To plan for the most effective accommodations, we ask that you contact the DLRC at least two weeks before the start date for your course.  

Disability and Learning Resource Center - To learn more about the DLRC including common accommodations provided by their office, their approach to providing accommodations, and how to schedule an appointment.

The DLRC can be reached by phone at 312.499.4278 or email dlrc@saic.edu.

To confirm the location of your course visit continuingstudies.saic.edu/ecpsi and enter your course number in the field under Early College Program Summer Institute Courses.

Occasionally course locations change prior to the start of class. We also encourage you to check the location at the link above in the days leading up to the start of class.

AIC-FRONT: Front lobby of the Art Institute of Chicago, 111 South Michigan Avenue 
280: 280 Building, 280 South Columbus Drive 
LV: Lakeview Building, 116 South Michigan Avenue 
MC: MacLean Center, 112 South Michigan Avenue 
SC: Sullivan Center, 36 South Wabash Avenue 
SP: Sharp Building, 37 South Wabash Avenue

View a campus map here.

SAIC's Early College Program Summer Institute (ECPSI) is a rigorous academic program for independent, highly motivated students. To be successful in the program, students must be able to perform at the college level by, among other things, assuming responsibility for getting to and from class on time and managing their obligations with respect to classes, workshops, activities, and homework assignments. 

Residential students must also be able to adapt to dormitory-style living, while attending to their own needs (i.e., getting appropriate amounts of sleep, eating properly, and requesting medical attention when necessary). Finally, students must be able to conduct themselves in a manner that demonstrates self-regulation and self-discipline at all times, especially during unsupervised free time.

Reflecting the requirements of SAIC's undergraduate credit-bearing courses, additional work will be required of all students outside the classroom in order to complete assignments. Students should plan to spend an average of two hours each evening in the studios. This outside-of-class work will be a priority for students so they are able to put in the time and energy required to create portfolio-quality pieces. 

SAIC is located in the center of downtown Chicago, a vibrant setting conducive to art making. Despite the many attributes of the location, the urban setting and factors that are associated with staying in any large city should be taken into consideration when prospective students and their parents are deciding whether to register for the program.

Security guards are stationed at the entrance of all SAIC buildings 24 hours a day. All students must show their ARTICard to access campus buildings.

ECPSI students are allowed free time for lunch, between classes and curfew (curfew is for residential students and the city of Chicago also has a curfew), and on the weekends. If parents or students are looking for a program with one hundred percent supervision, they should consider the nature of this program thoroughly before registering.

Instructional staff supervises the use of the public transportation system (CTA ) during class and there are also supervised outings coordinated by residence life evenings and weekends so students may explore the city. Students are discouraged from using the CTA without supervision.

ECPSI students are required to check in/out for the times/events listed below:

Note: Lunch times may differ if classes are on a field trip or need to alter the time due to a project. Teaching assistants still keep attendance during these times.

Students are advised to use an ATM card or Traveler's Checks for personal spending in an effort to avoid carrying around large amounts of cash. Many banks and automated teller machines are located within a few blocks of the residence hall (Chase, Citibank, and First Chicago, among others) for withdrawals.

SAIC cannot cash personal checks, nor will most banks. If you need to wire money to a student, the closest Currency Exchange to the residence hall is located at 100 West Randolph Street (312.236.4811).​

An exhibition of student work and reception open to all ECP Summer Institute students and families is held on the final class day of each session. 

• Session 1: Friday, June 27, at 12:00 p.m. 
• Session 2: Friday, July 18, at 12:00 p.m. 
• Session 3: Friday, August 1, at 12:00 p.m. 
• Session 4: Friday, August 1, at 12:00 p.m. 
• Session 5: Friday, August 8, at 1:00 p.m. 

Arrival

• Check-in will occur promptly at the start of the event.
• Guests are required to present a state/government issued ID. Any guests who are under 18 will not need a state/government issued ID. 
• Exhibitions will take place in two SAIC campus buildings: Sharp Building (37 S. Wabash Ave.) and 280 Building (280 S. Columbus Drive). Look out for an email from saic-youth@saic.edu in the days before the exhibition to learn the location of your student’s exhibit.
• Guests will be provided a floor plan of the classes' locations when they check-in for the event. 

Interact With the Artwork

• We highly encourage all guests and students to visit both buildings to experience the work created by our ECPSI students in all SAIC departments.
• Wander through the exhibition spaces to admire the artwork and engage with students.
• Strike up conversations with students. Ask about their artwork, the materials they used, the techniques they learned, and what inspired them.
   

Closing

• It is recommended to keep the student’s work on display until the end to allow everyone to enjoy the exhibition.
• Students are responsible for transporting their artwork home at the end of the session. SAIC will NOT store, pack, or ship student work. For more information, click here.
• ECPSI instructors and teaching assistants will help students prepare work for transport at the end of the session. 
• At the end of the exhibition, ECPSI students will deinstall their work and repair the exhibition space. They will be free to leave with their family after 4 pm.

IMPORTANT: Due to the Lollapalooza music festival, there will be road closures in and around the vicinity of the SAIC campus. Details regarding road closures and building access will be sent closer to the event. 

Students are responsible for transporting their artwork home at the end of the session. SAIC will not store, pack, or ship student work. ECPSI instructors and teaching assistants will help students prepare work for transport at the end of the session. Work that cannot be transported can be photographed and destroyed.

Students who are unable to carry work home should decide how their work will be transported ahead of time, and purchase materials for packing work prior to the last class.

Below is a selection of packing suppliers and shipping locations in the immediate area. We recommend calling or visiting websites in advance to confirm days/times of operation. Some shipping locations are not open on Saturdays.

Juniors and seniors, ages 15 to 18, enrolled in an ECPSI course will be eligible to receive college credit upon successful completion. This credit may be applied towards an undergraduate degree at most colleges or universities.

Students enrolled for credit are expected to attend all classes at the scheduled time, arrive prepared, and successfully complete all homework and assignments.

Transcripts will not be available until mid-September. Transcripts are not sent automatically; requests can be made online, in person, and by mail or fax. Consult our Transcript Requests page for full details.

Please make sure to provide current student and parent/guardian email addresses and phone numbers during registration so we are able to communicate effectively. You may also need to check your junk/spam folder for email messages from SAIC.

A staff member will be available to respond to emails regarding urgent concerns while ECP Summer Institute courses are in session.

Youth Curriculum and Instruction Team (Programming) - saic-youth@saic.edu, Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. CT

Residence Life: saic-reslife-ecp@saic.edu

To expedite assistance, include as much of the following information as you are able.

• Student first and last name as it appears on the Registration Confirmation email
• Student seven-digit student ID number (included in the Registration Confirmation email)
• The class the student is taking, including when it is scheduled to start
• A phone number you can be reached at

ECPSI 2024 Session Information