Undergraduate Cost & Fees

Use these electronic Figure Your Costs budgeting worksheets to calculate your direct and indirect costs. Direct costs are costs for which you will be billed by SAIC directly on the student's tuition and fees account. Indirect costs are costs for which you will need to budget, but will not be charged by SAIC.

You will need to choose from four possible living expense budgets to calculate your indirect costs. You may need to customize these indirect costs to meet your specific expected costs which may differ from the provided averages.

• On-Campus (New Student)
• On-Campus (Continuing Student)
• Off-Campus
• At Home (with parents, family, etc)

You should use the worksheet to determine your remaining costs after all available resources (scholarships, grants, loans, work-study and student, parent and/or other contributions) have been included. Use Adobe Acrobat to open PDF files and activate the calculation function.

Upon completing the budgeting worksheet, you should be able to determine if your current resources will:

1. Provide enough funding to cover both your direct and indirect costs for the academic year. For financial aid students, this would include getting a refund after all direct costs on the student account are paid so that you may use the additional funds to cover your indirect costs.
2. Not provide enough funding to cover your direct, or indirect expenses or both. If your current resources are not enough to cover your cost of attendance, you should seek additional funding resources.

For financial aid students, additional funding resources are most likely Federal Direct PLUS or private education loans if you have no other funding resources. These loans are available to financially credit-worthy borrowers. The amount for which you may be eligible is listed on your financial aid award letter and is based on the number of credit hours and an average off-campus student budget. Please note if the student is living on campus, your eligibility could vary based on your residence hall charges. If you need assistance determining your eligibility for additional loans, please contact an SFS advisor.

Payment in full or payment arrangements are due the 15th before each semester. Students may opt to pay their remaining balance after any financial aid resources, by enrolling in SAIC's deferred tuition payment plan for that term. More information on payment plans can be found here.

Average estimated figures provided are for 15 credits per semester.

Please note that the indirect costs provided on the budgeting worksheets are estimated for an average 15 credit hour semester. You should use the Undergraduate Student Budget Worksheet in coordination with the Undergraduate Student Budget figures provided on the SAIC website. These budgets will provide average estimates for indirect costs that you may wish to use for calculations other than 15 credit hours.

Double Room
Semester: $7,975
Annual: $15,950

Small Single Room
Semester: $9,265
Annual: $18,530

Single Room
Semester: $10,600
Annual: $21,200

Triple Room
Semester: $6,000
Annual: $12,000

Double Room
Semester: $7,975
Annual: $15,950

Single Room
Semester: $10,600
Annual: $21,200

Shared Bedroom in a Shared Apartment
Semester: $6,350
Annual: $12,700

Private Bedroom in a Shared Apartment
Semester: $8,775
Annual: $17,550

Students may also consider off-campus housing. Average rental prices in nearby areas range from $1,200 to $1,800 per month, depending on the location and amenities.

• Prepayment: $550
• Fines: Varies based on infractions

New Students
Semester: $1,000
Annual: $2,000

Returning Students
Semester: $650
Annual: $1,300

• Annual Premium: $3,940
  • Cost Per Semester: $1,970 (charged for both fall and spring semesters)
  • Coverage Period: The spring semester health insurance plan extends coverage through the end of the following summer.

All students enrolled full-time at SAIC are automatically charged for the student health insurance plan each fall and spring semester.

If you have comparable health insurance coverage and do not wish to enroll in SAIC’s health insurance plan, you may submit a waiver request. Here’s how:

• Eligibility: To qualify for a waiver, your existing insurance must meet minimum coverage requirements outlined on the student health insurance webpage.
• Waiver Submission: Complete your waiver online at saic.myahpcare.com using your Artic account login.
  • Required Documents:
    • A scanned copy of the front and back of your health insurance ID card.
    • International students must also submit a scanned copy of their complete insurance policy in English, with coverage amounts in US dollars, and proof of medical evacuation and repatriation coverage.

• Fall and Spring Waiver Requests: Must be submitted electronically by the following deadlines:
  • Fall 2026 Annual Waiver: August 24, 2026
  • Spring 2027 Waiver: January 25, 2027
• Summer Health Insurance: New full-time domestic and international students starting in the summer are automatically enrolled and charged $710 for the summer plan, with an option to waive if they have comparable coverage by the first day of classes.

• Part-time Domestic Students: Coverage is available upon request at saic.myahpcare.com.
• Request Deadline: The first day of the fall and spring semesters.

• Submitted waivers will be verified by Academic HealthPlans. If your waiver is approved, the health insurance charge will be credited to your account.
• Important Notes:
  • Submitting a waiver does not guarantee approval.
  • Make sure to provide complete and accurate information to avoid denial of your waiver.
  • If your waiver request is denied, you will be required to enroll in SAIC’s health insurance plan.

For issues related to your Artic account or waiver submission, contact the CRIT Help Desk at 312.345.3535 or email crithelpdesk@saic.edu.

For more detailed information about SAIC’s health insurance requirements, please refer to the student health insurance webpage.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) offers a U-Pass program for eligible degree students. To qualify, students must be registered for:

• Fall/Spring Semesters: 6 or more credit hours
• Summer/Winter Terms: 3 or more credit hours

The U-Pass provides unlimited access to CTA bus and rail transportation throughout the fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters.

• U-Pass Summer 2026: $105/semester
• U-Pass Fall 2026/Spring 2027: $155/semester
• U-Pass Winter 2026: $35/semester
• U-Pass Ventra Fee: $5 (one-time fee)
• Lost/Stolen U-Pass Replacement: $50
• Damaged U-Pass Replacement: $5

For more information, please visit the U-Pass page.

Additional fees billed to the student account may include:

• Orientation Fee: $300 (for first-semester undergraduates)
• Thesis In-Progress Fee: $500/semester
• Art Education edTPA Fee: Up to $300 (currently on hold until August 31, 2025)
• Art Therapy Tevera Fee: $215

• Undergraduate:
  • Domestic Applicants: $65 (nonrefundable)
  • International Applications: $85 (nonrefundable)

• Tuition Deposit: $450

• Lost/Stolen ARTICard Replacement: $15
• Damaged ARTICard Replacement: $5

• Thesis in Progress Fee: $500
• Complete Withdrawal Fee: $100
• Transcript Fees:
  • Within the US or Canada: $5/transcript*
  • Outside the US or Canada: $8/transcript*
  • *Additional service charges apply for online orders, including a $20 fee for express/overnight requests.

• Failure to Establish Payment Arrangements: $250
• Returned Check Fee: $20
• Reissued Lost Refund Check Fee: $25
• Reissued Stale-Dated Refund Check Fee: $25
• Stopped Payment Fee: $25
• Check Reissue Fee: $25
• Payment Plan Late Payment Fee: $40
• Tuition Payment Plan Enrollment Fee: $50