Congratulations on choosing to study at the Savannah College of Art and Design. The international student services office is committed to ensuring that your stay in Savannah is productive. The college welcomes approximately 650 international students and professors as well as their spouses and children who have come to SCAD from around the globe.
An important first step in adjusting to college life at SCAD is the international student orientation program. It is held at the beginning of each quarter and is required for all new international students. Please refer to the orientation schedule that corresponds to the quarter in which you intend to enroll and plan your travel accordingly. You are required to attend the entire orientation program prior to beginning your first quarter at SCAD. During the orientation program, you will take an English proficiency exam, receive information on maintaining nonimmigrant visa status, become familiar with the academic structure of the college, meet other international and domestic students at the college, learn about cultural adjustment and campus life, and review many other important topics.
Once you have received your I-20 form, you need to apply for a visa to enter the United States. Before arranging your visa interview, you must pay a $100 fee levied on all newly admitted F-1 students. The fee may be paid
electronically. Once you have paid the fee, print out your receipt and bring it with you to your consular interview. Students must visit a U.S. embassy or consulate and present the following recommended documentation:
- Valid passport
- Current passport photographs
- SEVIS I-20 issued by SCAD
- Nonimmigrant visa application
- Financial documentation
- Proof of permanent address in home country
- Proof of plans to return home
Additional application materials may be requested when you visit the U.S. embassy or consulate. You should therefore contact the embassy or consulate before your interview. Information is also available at
http://travel.state.gov/visa.
An orientation schedule with reporting dates is included in your admission packet. Remember to bring your passport, I-20 form, I-94 card and any other immigration documents to orientation check-in. Times and locations of orientation events are subject to change. You will be given a final orientation schedule during check-in.
If you plan to request transportation assistance from the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport, you must complete the arrival information form and submit it to the ISSO at least 48 hours prior to arrival. The arrival information form may be submitted to the ISSO by mail, fax or e-mail. Every reasonable attempt is made to pick you up from the airport and bring you into Savannah. If you arrive prior to your residence hall's opening, be prepared to stay at a local hotel. You will receive an e-mail confirmation from the ISSO regarding your airport pickup and will be met at the baggage claim area by a college staff member bearing a sign with your name.
If you cannot arrive in Savannah by the first day of orientation, notify the ISSO either by phone or e-mail prior to the beginning of orientation so we will know when to expect you.
All new international students for whom English is not their first language are required to take an English language placement test at the time of enrollment for their first academic quarter at the college. Exemption from the test may be granted on the basis of a personal interview. After taking the placement test, students will receive their results directly from the ESL staff. Students who do not qualify for an ESL exemption will be placed in the appropriate ESL level based upon test results and will be required to complete
ESL classesbefore enrolling in the regular curriculum.
The ISSO provides a broad array of services including an information board for locating off-campus housing, immigration advisement, health insurance enrollment, help with changing immigration status, cross-cultural adjustment and assistance with on-campus employment. In addition, ISSO staff advises officers of the Intercultural Student Association. ISA organizes social activities, community events, excursions to nearby attractions and other programs that help international students adapt to college life in Savannah. You are encouraged to bring traditional clothing from your native country to wear at college-sponsored events. To communicate with ISA officers, e-mail
ISA.
Students transferring from other U.S. institutions must request a copy of the transfer form and have their current international student adviser complete the transfer in SEVIS. Bring your former school's I-20 form, I-94 card and passport to check-in so the transfer procedures can be completed. Transfer students should contact a transfer adviser in the SCAD admission office to inquire about transfer credits and portfolio review.
New international students who have a confirmed housing assignment may move into residence halls the first day of orientation check-in. The check-in date is outlined in the orientation schedule.
Students may apply for college housing once they have been accepted to SCAD. Any full-time, enrolled student is eligible to reside in college housing; however, living in a college residence is optional. Because housing space is limited and assignments are made on a first-paid, first-placed basis, students should adhere to the deadlines listed. Students will be placed in line for housing based on the date the $250 reservation fee is received in the bursar's office. Students must adhere to residence life and housing deadlines to ensure a housing assignment.
Regular Housing Sign-up Procedures for New Students - After acceptance to the college and receipt of your personal identification number (issued upon payment of matriculation fee), fill out the housing information online. The information provided on the housing application is used to determine hall placement, roommate selection and other factors. It is very important that students answer the questions honestly and completely. From MySCAD, click on the "My Info" tab, then choose "Student Services and Financial Aid" and then "Housing Registration." Follow the steps to enter your housing information.
- Agree to the housing license agreement. The license agreement is a binding agreement for the entire period a student resides in college housing. Applicants must read all terms and conditions carefully and then agree to the form by following the proper steps online. Students may be assessed damages based on the condition of their rooms after they leave.
- Pay reservation fee by June 1. Students are given housing preference based on the date the reservation fee is paid, provided the quarterly housing payment is made by July 1. All entering students are placed in the housing assignment process once the $250 nonrefundable reservation fee has been paid and the housing license agreement has been submitted.
- Make quarterly housing payment by July 1. Housing assignments are confirmed after July 1 if the quarterly payment has been made. Students who have an unpaid quarterly payment after July 1 are assigned a room only after the payment is made. After July 1, students are assigned to housing only as space permits. Housing assignments for fall quarter are mailed to students after Aug. 1.
Students who enter during the winter and spring quarters receive housing assignments if their housing payments are received and spaces are available at the time. The reservation fee alone does not hold a residence hall space. Once housing assignments have been made, room changes cannot be made until two weeks after each quarter begins.
Send housing payments to: Bursar's office
Savannah College of Art and Design
P.O. Box 2701
Savannah, GA 31402-2701 USA
(Indicate "housing fee" and include the student's name and ID number with a check made payable to the Savannah College of Art and Design.) International students who do not plan to live in college housing should prepare to stay at an
area hoteluntil they secure off-campus housing. Students who plan to live off campus should arrive at least one to two weeks before the start of orientation. For more information, students may consult the classified advertisements in newspapers such as SCAD's weekly newspaper
The Chronicleand the
Savannah Morning News.
The ISSO maintains a bulletin board with a list of apartments for rent and roomates wanted in Forsyth Hall; however, legal and practical considerations prevent ISSO staff from making off-campus housing arrangements for students.
The SCAD package pickup center, located at
Weston House, 231 W. Boundary St., can receive properly mailed packages for students. All packages and boxes should be prepaid and addressed to the student's residence hall room. If you plan to live on campus, you will receive a residence hall assignment letter listing the specific address to which mail and packages may be sent. For off-campus students, mail may be temporarily addressed as follows:
Student's name
c/o International Student Services Office
Savannah College of Art and Design
P.O. Box 3146
Savannah, GA 31402-3146 USA
SCAD does not accept responsibility for lost or damaged items.
Students may receive faxes from friends and family members at the ISSO. The fax number is 912.525.7305.
Consult the payment schedule provided by the bursar for payment amounts and deadlines. Fees are due in full upon arrival. Students will be held responsible for payment of late fees for deposits and balances received after deadlines, so please plan accordingly.
Students may pay tuition and fees by cash, check, money order, traveler's checks, MasterCard, Visa or Discover. Credit card payments may be made in person, by mail or over the telephone.
Once you arrive in Savannah, you should not carry large amounts of money on your person. You should open an account and deposit your money at a bank as soon as possible. There are several banks in and around the downtown Savannah area. Before selecting a bank, international students may want to consider the proximity of branch locations, the bank's hours of operation, the location of the bank's automated teller machines, bank fees and interest rates.
Monetary wire transfers can be received in the bursar's office by having your home bank specify the following:
Wachovia Bank N.A.
136 Bull St.
Savannah, GA 31401 USA
Routing number: 061000227
For further credit to: The Savannah College of Art and Design
Account number: 2000027630095
For final credit to: name of student and ID number
Failure to include name of student on the wire transfer transaction may lead to lost funds. Remember to pay any applicable transfer fees at the bank of origin. Allow five to seven business days for the bank to notify SCAD. Indicate the student's name and SCAD ID number at the bank of origin.
Health and accident insuranceis mandatory for all international students on nonimmigrant visas. Medical care in the United States is not government-subsidized, and it is up to the individual to arrange coverage and payment. SCAD provides a reasonably priced policy that covers international students throughout their studies at SCAD. Dependent coverage may be arranged once you arrive in Savannah by contacting T.W. Lord and Associates at 800.633.2360.
If you already have health insurance and would like to provide proof of an alternate insurance policy to the international student services office, e-mail the ISSO insurance coordinator at isso@scad.edu. The charge for international student insurance, like tuition and fees, must be paid in U.S. dollars and will be applied to your student account if you do not provide an alternate health insurance policy that is approved by the health insurance coordinator in the ISSO.
International students may not be able to register for classes until the cost of insurance is paid or proof of an adequate alternative policy is provided and approved.
Ex Libris bookstoreprovides students with an excellent selection of art supplies. Some art textbooks and supplies are expensive, with total costs averaging $300-$400 per quarter. Because these supplies are required for class, students should plan their finances accordingly. Some items such as certain brushes and papers may not be available or may be more expensive than those available in your home country.
Non-native English speakers are advised to bring complete (75,000 words or more) translation dictionaries of American English. Students should not depend on the small, pocket-sized dictionaries written for travelers. Students also should bring a comprehensive translation dictionary of art terms.
All international students on F-1 nonimmigrant visas are required to register for a full course load (15 credit hours for undergraduate students and 10 credit hours for graduate students) each quarter. Your first-quarter course schedule is predetermined by an academic adviser based on your ESL placement results.
The regular academic year includes three quarters. Students who wish to graduate early, double major or take additional electives may enroll in summer quarter as well; however, course offerings may be limited in the summer.
As an international student at SCAD, you are entitled to a break from full-time studies during the three-month summer quarter. If you choose to enroll in a full course of study during the summer quarter, you will not be eligible for a break from full-time studies until the following summer quarter.
NOTE: If your first quarter of study at SCAD is during the traditional summer quarter, you will be required to enroll full-time to maintain initial F-1 status. If, however, you begin studies during either the traditional fall, winter or spring quarters, you should be aware that the summer quarter will always be considered your vacation period.
- Only students who have been accepted to SCAD may attend international student orientation. Students who have received an I-20 form and decide not to enroll must contact the admission office. Students who plan to defer enrollment for a quarter must contact the admission office to receive an updated I-20 form.
- Accepted international students are required to attend the entire orientation program and should make travel plans accordingly.
- During orientation, students who have paid all their fees receive their class schedules. Students should make preparations to pay their fees before they arrive in Savannah. Questions about student accounts may be directed to the bursar's office.
- College housing is not confirmed until all housing fees are paid; payment of the housing deposit alone does not guarantee a room in the residence halls.
- Students requiring disability assistance should contact the center for student counseling and disability services.
The ISSO is located on the first floor of
Habersham Hall, 235 Haberhsam St., Savannah, Ga. Office hours are 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. The telephone number is 912.525.7304 and the fax number is 912.525.7305. E-mail may be sent to
isso at scad dot edu.
The ISSO maintains an "open door" policy for advising, and students are encouraged to stop by Oglethorpe House to take advantage of our services.
The ISSO sends out a weekly e-mail highlighting international student birthdays and upcoming events and exhibitions at SCAD and in the community. You are automatically signed on to receive ISSO news once you arrive and complete orientation.
