Residence Life
At SVA, we strive to support our students both inside and outside the classroom. Students living on campus join a unique community of artists in a safe, diverse, and supportive living environment.
We offer students several housing options to fit all living preferences and budgets. Ludlow Residence is a traditional style residence hall that offers single and double room options. The 23rd Street Residence, 24th Street Residence, and Gramercy Women's Residence Halls offer students apartment-style living.
For information on summer housing, visit our Summer Housing page.
Fall 2021-Spring 2022 Academic Year
For the Fall 2021 - Spring 2022 academic year, SVA expects that the residence halls will resume shared and normal room occupancy, based on the anticipated wide-availability of the COVID-19 vaccine in advance of the start of the school year. Details on changes to other policies, including guest policy, mask policy, social distancing, etc, are expected to be determined and outlined by early summer and will be informed by guideline changes by New York State.
The Office of Residence Life will contact students, regarding the 21-22 Room Selection process during the last week of February. For questions, please email: reslife@sva.edu or check back at this page for updates.
I am a *new student at SVA (*beginning my study for the first time during the Fall 2021 semester). I paid the $400 housing placement fee. What happens next?
Congratulations on your acceptance to SVA! If you have submitted your housing placement fee, you should expect to receive an email invitation to complete the housing application at your SVA email address during the first week of April. Look out for the invitation to complete the housing application at your SVA email address.
Housing assignment notifications will be sent to students during the first week of June and on a rolling basis, thereafter.
I am currently in housing and I'd like to apply for housing for the 21-22 academic year. How do I do that?
If you are a returning student, who is currently in housing and you are interested in selecting housing for the 2021-2022 academic year, we will begin the Returning Student room selection process during the last week of February 2021.
I am not a new student and I am not currently in housing, but I'd like to apply for housing for the 21-22 academic year. How do I do that?
If you are a *returning student (*you began your studies/degree at SVA prior to this coming Fall 2021) and you are interested in housing for the 2021-2022 academic year, you can email the SVA Office of Residence Life to inquire about housing placement options/Room Selection for the coming academic year.
Spring 2021
When can I check-in to my housing assignment for the Spring 2021 semester?
Check-in for the Spring 2021 semester is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, January 6, 2021.
Additional information on check-in appointments and protocols and schedules will be sent to newly assigned students in December.
The check-in process has been adapted to an appointment schedule allocated by the first letter of the residential student's last name which will occur over the course of several days. The check-in appointment schedule ensures adequate distancing for the move-in process.
Residents should refer to the instructions in their individual emails once sent for more detailed information and FAQs about the check-in process.
Are there changes to the Guest Policy for Fall 2020 - Spring 2021?
In order to minimize contact that occurs among individuals inside the campus residences and therefore, the potential spread of COVID-19, the only individuals permitted in an individual room, apartment or suite are the residents assigned to those spaces.
Guests:
Guests will not be permitted in the residence halls throughout the academic year (1 family member will be allowed to enter the halls for the check-in process only.)
Visiting Rooms Within Same Residence Hall:
The only individuals permitted in an individual room, apartment or suite are the residents assigned to those spaces.
Will masks be required in the Residence Halls?
Yes, face masks/coverings will be required in all areas of the residence halls (common areas) that our outside of the personal living space. This includes, but is not limited to (hallways, elevators, lounges, laundry rooms, lobbies, trash rooms.)
Where can I learn about other changes and planning regarding housing for matters related to COVID-19?
Please see the following page on our website: Housing Policies and Restrictions Related to COVID-19 for additional information about planning and policies for housing related to COVID-19.
Logistics
Housing Tours
***College offices are closed to visitors until further notice. In-person housing tours are currently suspended.***
You can sign up for a virtual housing tour on Mondays (11am), Wednesdays (11am & 3pm) and Fridays (11am) by signing up for a Live Virtual Campus tour here: https://sva.edu/admissions/visit
This tour also includes an academic depart tour, however you can drop off of the session once the housing tour component is complete. Housing tours are at the beginning of the tour experience and lasts about 15 minutes.
Please note SVA administrative offices will be closed on the following dates and housing tours will not be available:
Wednesday, November 25 at 1pm- Friday, November 27- Thanksgiving Holiday
Thursday, December 24 - January 1, 2021- SVA Winter Break Holiday/College Closed, ResHalls open for occupancy for current residential students.
Housing Costs
SVA housing costs in one of the College's residences range from $16,600 to $19,950 for the 2021-2022 academic year. Housing room rates are based on room size and type. Prices for the 2021-2022 academic year are below:
New students will be placed in housing on a first-come, first-served basis and based on availability of options.
24th Street Residence small double: $18,200
24th Street Residence double: $19,950
24th Street Residence triple: $16,550
Gramercy Women’s Residence double: $18,050
Gramercy Women’s Residence shared studio: $19,800
23rd Street Residence (formerly The New Residence) double: $18,600
23rd Street Residence (formerly The New Residence) small double: $16,000
Ludlow Residence double: $18,000
Ludlow Residence single: $19,600
Housing Placement Fees
Incoming Students
A nonrefundable $500 enrollment fee and an $400 housing deposit nonrefundable placement fee must be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Current Students
All students who elect to apply for housing are required to pay a $400 Housing Placement fee for each academic year that you choose to return to housing.
The $400 Housing Placement Fee is an annual, nonrefundable fee that students are required to pay when signing up for housing, and every year when renewing housing for the following academic year. This administrative fee is not refundable, even upon cancellation.
Residential students are responsible for any room damages, lost keys, etc, that a student may incur while living on campus and these costs are billed to a student's account.
Residence Life "Gender-Inclusive Housing" Policy
The Office of Residence Life is committed to providing comfortable, welcoming, and safe housing options for all students. Gender-Inclusive housing (GIH) is an initiative that allows two or more students to share a multiple-occupancy room, suite, or apartment regardless of the students’ sex or gender. GIH furthers the College’s non-discrimination policy and provides housing options for students who may identify as transgender, are more comfortable living with another sex or gender, or do not wish to prescribe to gender classifications. Although the College respects the privacy of individuals and will not require students to reveal their reasons for opting into GIH, this option is not recommended for couples in romantic relationships. Further guidelines to the policy are outlined below.
GIH is available to all students. All eligible returning students, who participate in the "Returning Student Room Selection Process" receive a notification about the Gender Inclusive Housing (GIH) policy during the room selection process and the options, should they wish to select Gender Inclusive Housing. Gender-inclusive housing is also available to first-year and transfer students. Incoming first-year and transfer students will have the option of selecting gender-inclusive housing via the student housing application. First-year and transfer students who indicate they are interested in GIH will be contacted by a Residence Life professional staff member so that the College can provide housing that best meets the needs of the student.
Placement into SVA housing is otherwise based on same-gender matching unless students specify and request Gender-Inclusive Housing (GIH). Below is the SVA Gender Inclusive Housing policy.
Policies & Conditions
The following policy and conditions are applicable to students who elect to live in a gender-inclusive space.
- Students may choose to request a roommate(s) of any sex or gender.
- Residence Life will only honor those requests made by all parties living within the same living space (i.e., room, apartment, suite).
- Returning students must select spaces with their prospective roommate(s) following the same processes and deadlines of all students entering the housing selection process.
- Students will not be required to reveal their reasons for opting to live in gender-inclusive housing, although romantic relationships within the same living space are discouraged.
- Students will not be assigned to gender-inclusive housing unless they have elected to do so. Although we feel that students are able to make decisions about their housing situation, we encourage students to maintain an open dialogue with their families about their decision to live in a gender-inclusive situation.
- As with any roommate situation, conflict between individuals may arise. We strongly encourage proactive conversation between roommates regarding room preferences, utilizing a roommate agreement. Your RA will be facilitating a roommate agreement with you. Room change requests due to conflict will follow the same procedure as any other conflict, using the student staff and/or professional staff members to aid the situation.
- When there is a vacancy in a gender-inclusive space, the student(s) remaining in the room may elect to pull in any new roommate whose age is appropriate for the style of housing, following other standard procedures within Residence Life. In the event of an additional resident moving into the space, all parties must be agreeable to the change.
- Any space in Ludlow, 23rd Street Residence, and 24th Street Residence can be gender-inclusive. This avoids segregation and offers students gender-inclusive housing within multiple housing styles. The default designation for a room, apartment, or suite will be single-gender unless the students selecting into the space opt to create a gender-inclusive pair/group. Once a room, apartment, suite is gender-inclusive that space will continue to be gender-inclusive as long as the residents can continue to occupy the living space.
If you have any questions, send us an email at reslife@sva.edu or call us at 212.592.2140.
Upcoming Events/Things To Do
Throughout the academic year, there are a host of events and processes for residential students. See below for upcoming events and processes.
Residence Life Wellness Week
Join us for a week of virtual wellness event options. See the schedule below and current residential students should see their email for access information:
- Saturday, 2/13/21- 2pm: “Just Be” Yoga For Balance & Wellness (Zoom)
- Sunday, 2/14/21- 5:30pm: "Self Love Letters: A Guide to Journaling Self Love in 2021" w/LGBTQSVA & ResLife (Zoom)
- Monday, 2/15/21- 12pm: "Lunchtime Dog Therapy Team Express" w/ResLife & NY Therapy Animals (Zoom)
- Tuesday, 2/16/21- 3pm: "Serenity Now” Stress Management w/SH&CS & ResLife (InstagramLive)
- Wednesday, 2/17/21- 7pm-8pm: “Guided Breathing, Meditation & Awareness” w/SH&CS & ResLife (Zoom)
- Thursday, 2/18/21- 2pm: 5-Minute Virtual Wellness Walk”- 23ST & 24ST Residence Editions (Facebook & InstagramLive)
- Friday, 2/19/21- 2pm: 5-Minute Virtual Wellness Walk”- Gramercy & Ludlow Residence Editions (Facebook & InstagramLive)
What Is Ethical Eco Moveout?
Responsible citizenship and environmental consciousness begins at home! At the end of each year, the SVA Office of Residence Life partners with City Harvest and reFashion NYC, as well are other NYC entities, to collect donations of non-perishable food and clothing/appropriate textiles for reuse. The Ethical Eco Move out program is a month-long initiative, meant to promote education and citizenship within our residential community as a component of the larger NYC community as well as our responsibility to be friendly to the environment.
City Harvest
At the end of the Spring semester, the Office of Residence Life teams up with organizations for Food Donation of unwanted food items.
Do you have unopened, non-perishable food items that you will not be taking home for the summer or wish to donate? Please donate your un-opened, non-perishable food to our City Harvest donation location in the lounge area of the designated SVA Residence Hall.
RefashionNYC
Donate your unwanted or worn clothing items for a good cause. Even worn/damaged clothing can be re-purposed and recycled. If you have clothing or textiles that you wish to; accepted items include: (clothing, shoes, purses, towels, curtains, bed-linens, torn clothing), donate them at our ReFashionNYC donation bins
Find designated areas in each residence hall to donate your unwanted clothing/textiles to our refashionNYC donation location in the lounge area of any SVA Residence Hall.
Food, Art Supplies, Appliances, Electronics, Plants, are not garbage! Donate, Sort, Re-use, Re-gift, Re-purpose!
What is the Universal Cleaning Deadline?
At the end of the Fall and Spring semesters, residential students, in conjunction with their RA and Residence Hall Directors, prepare for the end of semester Universal Cleaning Deadline.
Before leaving for the winter break or summer break, residents are asked to work with their roommates and suitemates to divide and share the responsibility to ensure that their space is cleaned and organized prior to the end of each semester.
How Does Returning Student Room Selection Work?
Current students may participate in Returning Student Room Selection (this year it will occur in March 2021) which is the process by which returning students may elect to enter SVA housing for the following academic year
Current housing residents can either choose to stay in their current room (unless currently residing at the 23ST Residence as a first-year student) or choose a different residence hall and room for the next academic year during the Returning Student Room Selection Process.
The Returning Student Room Selection Process generally consists of three parts
1) If students are not currently in housing, but wish to enter for the following academic year, they can initiate the inquiry process by emailing the Office of Residence Life at: reslife@sva.edu
Current residential students will receive direct outreach from the Residential staff in their buildings.
2) Submitting the $400, non-refundable, housing placement fee
3) Selecting a space (or accepting a housing placement offer) in one of the eligible SVA Residence Halls (based on availability.)
More information is available in your SVA email or by contacting your RA, RHD or the Office of Residence Life. Please email reslife@sva.edu with any questions, however current residents will receive email notifications about the Returning Student Room Selection process during the last week of February.
FAQ
How Do I Apply for Housing?
To secure SVA housing, please submit a $400 nonrefundable Housing Placement Fee using the Undergraduate Enrollment Fee and Housing Deposit Form to the Office of Admissions. After you have paid the fees, Residence Life will send an email to your SVA email address inviting you to complete the online housing application. These invitations are sent on a weekly basis.
Students will also be asked about their living preferences, such as sleeping habits, cleanliness, and social levels. Our system uses the responses to these questions along with student preferences to help match roommates and suitemates.
Students will be asked to indicate their building and room type preferences including single, double, and small double. These preferences are taken into consideration along with availability and the student profile during the placement process. As placements are made based on availability, it is not always possible to accommodate student’s top choices.
We encourage students to pay their $400 Housing Placement Fee prior to May 1, to ensure housing for the upcoming academic year.
How Can I Participate in a Housing Tour?
You can sign up for a virtual housing tour on Mondays (3pm), Wednesdays (3pm) Thursdays (3pm) and Fridays (3pm) by signing up for a Live Virtual Campus tour here: https://sva.edu/admissions/visit
This tour also includes an academic depart tour, however you can drop off of the session once the housing tour component is complete. Housing tours are at the beginning of the tour experience and lasts about 15 minutes.
How Is My Roommate/Suitemate Selected?
During the online housing application, students will be asked about their living preferences, such as sleeping habits, cleanliness, social lifestyle, etc. If you know another incoming student that you'd like to live with, you may request each other on your housing application.
Are SVA’s Residence Halls Safe?
Our residence halls have Security Officers monitoring the building entrances 24-hours a day, as well as features such as security cameras in common areas. We remind students that although they live in a community of other artists and peers, it is important to be attentive to personal safety. Students should lock their room doors, and carry their keys with them at all times. During orientation, students may attend programs to learn about navigating the city safely.
How Do I Check In?
Incoming students can check into their residence hall during the last weekend in August. Specific details regarding assigned check in times will be included in the housing assignment email that residents receive in June. Earlier check in dates and times are not permitted.
What Is F.Y.R.E. Program (First Year Residential Experience)?
The F.Y.R.E. Program (First Year Residential Experience) is a series of educational and social residence hall programming that is developed to promote student development, leadership and life skill acquisition.
Can I Bring Family/Helpers for Checkout?
Yes, residents can bring helpers/loved ones to asist with their checkout.
Residents should be prepared to move belongings down to the ground level of their building. Resident helpers/loved ones should be prepared to generally only enter the building to assist with moving items from the lobby to vehicle.
Resident's helpers should be prepared to stay with their vehicle and expedite the process by moving belongings to the ground level when they are ready to load quickly.
Is there a listing of storage or moving company resources that I can access?
A listing of companies that provide storage and moving services was outlined on the checkout preparation emails that were sent to all students. Please share this communication with your family and loved-ones, where applicable.
Please note that SVA has no affiliation or endorsement with the companies listed on the resource list.
What is Returning Student Room Selection?
Returning Student Room Selection is the process by which students (who are not beginning study at the college for the first time during a given semester) elect to return or enter to SVA Housing for the coming academic year.
Current students may participate in Returning Student Room Selection (this year it will occur in March 2021).
Current housing residents can either choose to stay in their current room (unless currently residing at the 23ST Residence as a first-year student) or choose a different residence hall and room for the next academic year during the Returning Student Room Selection Process.
The Returning Student Room Selection Process occurs each year in February generally consists of three parts
1) If students are not currently in housing, but wish to enter for the following academic year, they can initiate the inquiry process by emailing the Office of Residence Life at: reslife@sva.edu Current residential students will receive direct outreach from the Residential staff in their buildings.
2) Submitting the $400, non-refundable, housing placement fee.
3) Selecting a space (or accepting a housing placement offer) in one of the eligible SVA Residence Halls (based on availability.)
Please email reslife@sva.edu with any questions, however current residents will receive email notifications about the Returning Student Room Selection process during the last week of February.
When Does RA Selection Happen?
RA Selection is the process where the resident assistant staff is selected for the following academic year. This year, the RA selection process will begin in March for the selection of student leader staff the following academic year. Students must have completed at least one full-time undergraduate semester at SVA to apply for an RA position. Email raselection@sva.edu for more information.
What Is Ethical Eco Move out?
At the end of each year, the SVA Office of Residence Life partners with City Harvest and reFashion NYC, as well are other NYC entities, to collect donations of non-perishable food and clothing/appropriate textiles for reuse. The Ethical Eco Move out program is a month-long initiative, meant to promote education and citizenship within our residential community as a component of the larger NYC community as well as our responsibility to be friendly to the environment.
What Is the Universal Cleaning Deadline?
At the end of the Fall and Spring semesters, residential students, in conjunction with their RA and Residence Hall Directors, prepare for the end of semester Universal Cleaning Deadline. Before leaving for the winter break or summer break, residents are asked to work with their roommates and suitemates to divide and share responsibility to ensure that their space is cleaned and organized prior to the break.
How Does the Room Change Process Work?
Students interested in changing their room and/or building after the semester has begun, may do so by filling out a Room Change Request on MySVA.
- Log in to MySVA.
- Click on the Departments tab.
- Choose Residence Life under the Administrative Offices list.
- Choose Room Change Request and follow the instructions.
Room changes begin the 3rd week of classes. If there is an available room that meets your preferences, you will receive an email from our office with the room change offer.
How Do I Cancel Housing?
Before considering cancelling your housing assignment, you must review the corresponding housing agreement. The housing agreement is for the full academic year including fall and spring semesters. The housing agreements are available as PDF downloads on this page.
Questions and concerns regarding housing cancellations should be directed to the Office of Residence Life at reslife@sva.edu.
What Happens during Breaks? (Thanksgiving, Winter, Etc.)
SVA's Residence Halls are open year-round including during school breaks when the College administrative offices are closed. There is always 24-hour security as well as Residence Life staff members on duty.
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