Welcome Parents & Families

There’s a lot your student needs to do before they arrive on campus, and we know this transition can feel overwhelming for students and their families. There are many ways you can support your student and help them transition to life as a CalArtian. Remind them to check their email and their student account frequently and refer to the welcome page for more information on upcoming events, next steps, and life at CalArts.

We also recommend reading our Parents and Families Book Club's book, The Stressed Years of Their Lives: Helping Your Kid Survive and Thrive During Their College Years.

Your student will need to decide whether or not to allow anyone, including their parents or guardians, access to their CalArts account. If they chose to do so, students can designate one or more individuals as a proxy—an authorized party to have access to FERPA. This protected information can include financial aid, student accounts and registration information. Students MUST set up proxy access by logging into their CalArts accounts..

For more information regarding FERPA access, please visit our page here.

Students who have accepted their offer of admission and submitted their enrollment deposit will then be able to create their CalArts account. Through their account, students can access their tuition statement, pay their balances, and complete registration tasks. Please visit our Payment and Student Accounts page for more information.

Your student can choose to either live on or off-campus during their CalArts experience. If your student would like to live on-campus for the 2023-2024 academic school year, they need to submit their housing application before May 5. 

You can find our housing options and policies on our Residential Life page.

CalArts' 60-acre, residential campus is in the Valencia neighborhood in the suburban city of Santa Clarita. The campus is north of Los Angeles, adjacent to Interstate Highway 5 on McBean Parkway—approximately 40 miles from Los Angeles International Airport; 21 miles from the Burbank Airport and only a half-hour north of downtown Los Angeles.

Before traveling to campus, you and your family might want to consider:

• Scheduling a campus tour
• Looking at our suggested flying and transportation options
• Viewing our list of recommended hotel accommodations
• Researching the local restaurants and other places to visit on our Santa Clarita Tip Sheet

There are a few ways you can connect with other parents and families as well as learn more about CalArts. They include:

• Meeting CalArtian families during our Accepted Student Event on April 15 
• Joining our exclusive Families Facebook Group to share information and learn from other families
• Viewing our 24700 page for daily updates from CalArts
• Following CalArts on both Twitter and Instagram
• Listening to Advancement's "Beyond the Blue Wall," part of 24700: The CalArts Podcast