New International Student Check-In and Orientations

• Make sure your personal and program information on the first page of your I-20 is correct. Any correction must be reported to your advisor immediately—we’ll make the correction and mail you a new one.
• Print your name, sign, and date the I-20 on the bottom of page one.
• There are strict regulations to which you agree when you sign the I-20 and enter the U.S. as an F-1 student. Read these regulations on page 2 of your I-20 carefully—you are responsible for knowing them.
• Send an email to your advisor to confirm you received your I-20.

• You are required to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee of $350 by mail or over the Internet. Please see the SEVIS I-901 Fee instructions in the I-20 package. Academy of Art School Code is SFR 214F 00500000
• Your SEVIS ID number can be found on page one of your I-20 (upper right corner).

• To apply for an F-1 Student Visa, contact the U.S Embassy/Consulate in your home country for details. Some U.S. Embassies/Consulates will accept your visa application at any time, while others will require you to make an appointment in advance, so be sure you plan ahead. It can take more than a month to process a student visa.
• If you are from a country that is participating in the visa waiver program, Do not enter the U.S. on a visa waiver—you must apply for an F-1 Student Visa. After you’ve obtained your F-1 visa you are required to send an email to let your advisor know.

Class Registration

You can register for your classes after receiving your F-1 student visa and speaking with your advisor. After class registration is completed, you can log on to Student Self Service to:

• View your class schedule
• Sign the Enrollment Agreement (mandatory)
• Make tuition payments
• Submit your U.S. address and phone number, if you have them
• Choose your own room assignment after you’ve applied for on campus housing.

Note: If you have not received your username and password, please contact your advisor. • After you receive your F-1 Student Visa, book your flight to San Francisco (SFO). You can enter the U.S. no earlier than 30 days before the I-20 program start date.

Purchase your plane ticket.

Email or call our Admissions Office to speak to a Specialist

Airport shuttles to downtown San Francisco cost about $20, while taxis are around $40. Academy of Art University does not provide airport pickup.

For the summer semester, you should have at least $7,000. For fall or spring semester, you should have at least $12,000 available to pay for tuition, books, and materials (does not include campus housing fees).

AAU does not require any vaccination and/or health examination before entering the US. However, students should check with the US Government to see if there are any requirements. If needed, student should obtain a report of their vaccinations and health examinations from their local doctor and keep it along with their I-20 when traveling to the U.S.

It can take several days to open a U.S. bank account, so please have a credit card as backup.

You can pay your tuition online through Student Self Service or in person when you arrive. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and traveler’s checks—personal checks, money orders and/or bank drafts should be made payable to Academy of Art University. Wire transfers are also accepted but can take several days to process.

If you have submitted an application for campus housing, please check the following before you arrive:

1. Check your room assignment: Students who submit a housing application for spring will receive their room assignment via email. If you have not received your room assignment, please contact the Department of Housing & Residence Life. (P: (415) 618-6335 E: housing@academyart.edu)
2. Sign Up for a Check In Time: Instructions on how to sign up for a check in time have been sent to you via your preferred email address. If you have not received these instructions, please contact the Department of Housing & Residence Life.
3. Confirm you are ready for check in.
4. Have you paid your housing balance? Please contact Accounts Receivable at (415) 618-6429 or via email at AR@academyart.edu for options on how to make your payment.
5. Are you enrolled in classes? Students are required to maintain a certain amount of units to be eligible for campus housing. (9 units for Undergraduates, 6 Units for Graduates)

All F1 students registered in 6 or more credits at the Academy of Art University will be automatically enrolled in the Anthem Student Health Insurance Plan. The plan covers office visits, medical, accident and hospital expenses. For questions please contact healthinsurance@academyart.edu.

Contact International Students Office We have language support 1-415-274-2208 intlservices@academyart.edu