Apply or Renew
Apply for Housing
SAIC 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.
About the Application
If you plan to live in the residence halls at SAIC, you must electronically submit a housing contract. You can access the housing application and contract by visiting the SAIC Housing Portal and logging in with your ARTIC account—the same login used to access your email. Since the Housing Contract is electronic only, Residence Life will not accept any contracts submitted via mail or e-mail.
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If you have any instance in any state or country where you have plead guilty or were found to be guilty by a judge or jury to charges that you committed a crime other than minor traffic offenses, you must complete and email the Student Disclosure of Criminal Convictions Form in addition to electronically submitting the Housing Contract. Please fill out the form and email it to reslife@saic.edu.
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To complete your application, submit a $550 housing deposit along with your forms. You can pay online, by check, or money order. No cash payments are accepted.
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To cancel your housing application, you will need to log into the SAIC Housing Portal and submit a cancellation form. Be sure to refer to your Housing Contract for the cancellation deadline.
Incoming Students
Apply for Housing
Incoming students can apply for housing through the SAIC Housing Portal. The housing application includes the following steps:
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Submit your building, room, and bed type preferences and complete the roommate matching questionnaire.While we do our best to accommodate these requests, please keep in mind that space considerations may prevent some preferences from being fulfilled
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Review and electronically sign your Housing Contract through the SAIC Housing Portal.
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After completing your application and contract, submit the $550 housing deposit.
You can pay by:- Check or money order: Mail to the Residence Life Office at 36 S. Wabash Ave., Suite 1209, Chicago, IL 60603. Make checks payable to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
- Online: Pay by electronic check or credit card through your applicant portal at go.saic.edu/apply/status.
Once the following steps are completed, students' application status will be changed from “In Progress” to “Approved.’
New Student Application FAQs
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To view housing costs for the academic year, please visit this Cost and Fees page.
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New Student Housing Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Housing placements are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage you to submit your housing application and required deposit as early as possible.
Submitting your application and deposit early gives you the best opportunity to secure a housing placement based on availability. -
After you have submitted the application, including the $550 deposit, their application status will change from “In progress” to “Approved.” This means we have received and processed your application.
Once your application is approved, you will be able to search for roommates and submit requests through the portal. -
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. Please note that first time students are not offered single rooms without an approved disability accommodation.
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After completing a housing application, students with disabilities should work with the Disability and Learning Resource Center (DLRC) for housing accommodations. DLRC staff and Residence Life staff will work closely on all housing accommodation requests based on both students' needs and physical spaces available. We highly recommend that students connect with DLRC staff as soon as they complete a housing application to provide the most time possible for staff to identify spaces that will meet their needs.
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Please contact the Residence Life Office at reslife@saic.edu. Our staff is available to help you through the process and answer questions about life in the residence halls.
Returning Students
Renew Your Housing
Returning Students may renew their housing for the next academic year in the spring semester, The returning student application is open for 2 weeks, so it is important students complete the application steps on time in order to secure housing:
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Submit your building, room, and bed type preferences and complete the roommate matching questionnaire.While we do our best to accommodate these requests, please keep in mind that space considerations may prevent some preferences from being fulfilled
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Review and electronically sign your Housing Contract through the SAIC Housing Portal.
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After completing your application and contract, submit the $550 housing deposit.
You can pay by:- Check or money order: Mail to the Residence Life Office at 36 S. Wabash Ave., Suite 1209, Chicago, IL 60603. Make checks payable to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
- Pay online via electronic check or credit card:
- You must use GET CONNECTED to gain access to SAIC online payments.
- Login to SAIC Self-Service. You will use the log-in information created through the GET CONNECTED process.
- Once logged-in, click Financial Account, then the Transact button, then Housing Prepayment, then Residence Hall Prepayment.
- On the Item details screen, 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.
- Select Fall 2027 for the term from the dropdown menu. Click Add to payment and follow the instructions.
Once the following steps are completed, students' application status will be changed from “In Progress” to “Approved.
Room Selection
Returning students who apply by the deadline will be invited to participate in Room Selection, where they can select their preferred residence hall, room, and roommate(s) for the upcoming academic year.
Students who wish to stay in their current room may choose to renew their space through a process called Room Retention. Room Retention takes place before Room Selection, allowing eligible students to secure their current room for the next academic year before other students select their spaces.
Housing Renewal FAQs
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Room Selection for the 2027–28 academic year will take place from March 24 through April 9. Students will be able to select their space through the Housing Portal. You will receive more information about the Room Selection process via your SAIC email account in March.
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Students with a completed housing application by the deadline will be invited to participate in Room Selection. Each student will be assigned a selection period to log into the Housing Portal and select their residence hall, room, and roommate(s). Room Selection dates are assigned based on a student’s class year. Second-year students will select first, followed by third-year students, then fourth-year students, graduate students, and beyond.
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Single rooms are not guaranteed. Students will select the specific room they want during their room selection dates. Senior and juniors will get priority for single rooms, even though they select rooms later in the process. When all the single rooms are taken, a waiting list will begin. Over the summer, single rooms may become available. Residence Life will offer available single rooms to students in order of the waiting list.
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There are many factors to consider when selecting housing, including proximity to campus, location, safety, price and more! We encourage students to discuss the decision with their family. For many reasons, students may still be unsure. The residence halls are typically filled early and housing may not be available if current students apply after the Returning Housing Application deadline.
Current students who complete a 2028-27 housing application and cancel on or after May 9, 2027 will forfeit the $550 prepayment and be assessed a contract breakage fee as outlined in the contract.
If you need guidance with searching for off campus housing, please review our Off-Campus Housing Guide.