Undergraduate Enrollment
Once you’ve received an offer of admission, you may find it helpful to refer to this overview of next steps to take you from the point of admission to eventual enrollment.
Please note that some of these steps require you to log in to MyID, the School of Visual Art’s online portal, using the username and password listed in your acceptance email. This is different from the application portal you have been using during the application process.
MyID is also where you will locate your SVA email account to find messages from other offices. You must log in to MyID and check your SVA email account regularly.
Accepting an Offer of Admission
Submit a nonrefundable enrollment fee of $500 to Admissions here.
The enrollment fee priority deadline for the fall semester is May 1. All fees received after May 1 will be processed only as space remains available in those programs.
For the spring semester, enrollment fees will be honored as space remains available within your respective BFA program.
You are welcome to reach out to your Admissions Counselor for questions about this process or to provide an update about your ability to enroll. The counselors’ contact information can be found here.
Billing Information
Once you are registered, you will receive a bill for tuition and fees. Payment of this bill is due August 1, 2025 for students starting fall 2025 and December 1, 2024 for students starting spring 2025.
You will also be able to view and pay your bill online by visiting the Billing and Payment section of our website.
To discuss payment plan options, please contact the Student Accounts office at 212.592.2080 or studentaccounts@sva.edu.
Credit by Examination
Students will receive exemptions and/or credit for successful completion of the following:
- Advanced Placement (AP) tests:
- For the exam score of 4 or higher, SVA will award transfer credits for AP Art and selected Art History and Humanities & Sciences courses.
- SVA awards 3 credits per qualifying AP subject.
- A complete list of qualifying AP exams can be found on the Collegeboard website.
- Neither credits nor exemptions are given for the English Language AP examination.
- A maximum of 12 credits can be awarded for Humanities & Sciences coursework.
- Studio elective credits can be awarded in conjunction with Humanities & Sciences credits.
- Students who complete an AP test and wish to have it evaluated for possible transfer credit must submit their score(s) before the start of the academic term, August 15th for Fall entry and December 15th for Spring entry.
- To be evaluated for credits, please send AP scores via the CollegeBoard digital platform.
- For the score of 5, 6 or 7 on the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, higher-level (HL) examinations, SVA may award 3 credits per IB subject up to 12 credits, which may count towards the Humanities Distribution Requirement. Exemptions from humanities requirements may also be granted for certain subjects provided that the subject area is compatible with SVA’s curriculum.
- Minimum score of 60 on College Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations
- For GCE A-Level exams with grades of C or better and CAPE exams with grades of 1, 2 or 3, exemptions and credit may be awarded. Students must have their examination certificates evaluated by an external evaluation agency.
Exam scores may take 2 to 4 weeks to process. Notification of awarded credits will be sent via email. For questions, please contact the Manager of Transfer Admissions, Miranda Levine, at mlevine4@sva.edu.
Deferral of Admission
Accepted students who have submitted the $500 nonrefundable enrollment fee can request to defer their admission to a future term. All deferrals are reviewed and considered on a case-by-case basis. If you would like to request a deferral, please contact your Admissions Counselor directly.
Students who attend another institution prior to starting at SVA will be required to submit official updated transcripts and portfolio to aid in the transfer evaluation process. A student’s placement is contingent upon portfolio quality, credits earned, the department chair’s approval, and the sequence of the current curriculum.
Re-entry applicants are not permitted to defer and must reapply to the College.
Financial Aid
Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to the U.S. Department of Education, making sure to list SVA’s Title IV code-007468 on the form. Once your FAFSA result is on file at SVA, you will receive a notification within 2 to 3 weeks to view your award letter on MyServices accessible from MyID. If you have not yet submitted the FAFSA, you can do so online at studentaid.gov.
Please note that only citizens and permanent residents of the U.S. are eligible for need-based financial aid.
For more information, visit the Financial Aid page.
Housing
Submit the nonrefundable $400 housing placement fee along with your nonrefundable $500 enrollment fee to secure housing. New students will be placed in housing on a first-come, first-served basis.
Residence Life will email instructions for completing the online housing application to your SVA email address accessible via MyID. Their office can be contacted at 212.592.2140 or reslife@sva.edu.
International Applicants
After submitting the nonrefundable enrollment fee, you will receive an invitation to access the Terra Dotta portal. Through Terra Dotta, you will submit the required financial documentation and be issued an I-20. If you have questions, the International Student Office can be contacted at 212.592.2236 or iso@sva.edu.
For information on student visas and other services, see the International Students Page.
Language Learning Disabilities
If you have a language learning disability (LLD), contact SVA's LLD coordinator at 212.592.2098 prior to registration to discuss a recommended study plan.
Disability Resources can be contacted at 212.592.2281 or disabilityresources@sva.edu.
Orientation
Please see the Orientation page for details or contact Student Affairs at 212.592.2214 or studentaffairs@sva.edu.
Proof of Graduation from High School
Students who will complete high school during the 2024–2025 academic year must confirm graduation by having an official, final transcript forwarded to Admissions prior to the start of classes.
Documents must include graduation date and be issued in or translated to English.
Home-schooled students are required to submit an official GED report.
FERPA
Complete and submit the FERPA Disclosure Form to the Registrar (not the Admissions Office), prior to the start of classes.
For more information, visit the FERPA page.
Registration
Once you submit the nonrefundable enrollment fee, you will receive an email with instructions to register.
Registration will begin in early November for spring students and early March for fall students. Learn more about registering here.
Submit the SVA Student Health Form to Student Health and Counseling Services to gain clearance to register. This office can be contacted at 212.592.2246 or at health@sva.edu.
After the tuition billing deadline, you must contact Student Accounts at 212.592.2080 or studentaccounts@sva.edu to receive financial clearance before you will be able to register.
Scholarship Awards
Spring applicants who wish to be considered for scholarship must complete the application process by November 1 each year.
Fall applicants who wish to be considered for scholarship must complete the application process by February 1 each year. Transfer applicants must complete the application process by March 1 each year to be considered for scholarship.
Scholarship recipients must submit the nonrefundable $500 enrollment fee to secure their awards.
Please note: Only scholarship recipients are notified of an award.
Start of Classes
The fall 2025 semester begins on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.
The spring 2025 semester begins on Tuesday, January 13, 2025.
Transfer Applicants
To receive additional art history or humanities credit, submit official transcripts for coursework completed beyond that already on record with Admissions.
To receive additional studio credit, submit a digital portfolio, along with official transcripts for coursework completed beyond that already on record with Admissions.
Transfer credit for course work completed prior to matriculation at SVA, that was not reviewed or awarded at the point of admission, will not be reviewed or awarded once a student completes their first semester of study at SVA.