Illustration by Uy Pham
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago proclaims inclusivity as a core value, but a consistent lack of transparency and accessible resources undermines this goal. Despite SAIC’s efforts, unclear guidelines and fragmented support systems leave marginalized students feeling isolated and frustrated as they navigate essential services. One of the critical areas which remains grossly neglected, leaving the institution inaccessible to many, is Student Financial Services.
Nakiyah Longstreet (BFA 2026) said he received surprise charges that resulted in a leave of absence.
“They gave me a balance of $5,000 and I could not understand why … It led to me being enrolled and unenrolled multiple times before the [Fall 2024] semester even started. It was unclear if I could go to class or not and left me to play catch-up,” said Longstreet.
The balance stemmed from SFS’s struggles with the updated Free Application for Federal Student Aid system. Longstreet’s experience echoes that of many students who feel unsupported, trapped in debt, and at risk of non-enrollment due to administrative issues.
I have faced similar obstacles. Shortly before the Fall 2024 semester, a mysterious $26,000 balance appeared on my account. After visiting the SFS’s office several days in a row, I never received answers why I had the charge or what it was for.
Essentially ghosted by the entire SFS department for the remainder of the summer, I was subsequently unenrolled from SAIC during the first month of Fall 2024 semester as a third-year student. When seeking help from SAIC, the error was continuously flipped back to me, the student, as an issue my parents and I created. After heavy involvement and pressure on SFS with the help of my outside support system, the issue was silently resolved without explanation.
Unfortunately, not everyone has an understanding of their finances and is able to voice the complexities of their financial aid needs or struggles with SFS. When students lack familial or other outside support systems to advocate for themselves, these challenges become overwhelming.
Longstreet, a first generation student, said he was heavily discouraged by SAIC’s administration to continue searching for financial clarity, leaving him “running in circles to find an answer on my own.”
The lack of information, communication and transparency exacerbates what may already be a challenging road to an SAIC graduation. Students who depend on financial aid consistently have lower graduation rates, a trend shaped by the financial challenges that often accompany their education. Required expenses such as meal plans, MacBooks, and costly art supplies add to the economic strain on low-income students, making it harder for them to stay on track and graduate within the standard amount of time.
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System graduation demographics show that in 2022, only 49 percent of students graduated within the “normal time” of four years for a four-year degree, while 69 percent of those remaining needed double that time to complete their programs. With the majority of students needing more than the standard four years to finish their degree, the extra time significantly impacts financial aid. These students tend to be domestic students of color.
Aid packages, particularly federal loans and grants, are often structured to cover a standard four-year timeline. Students who take longer may exhaust their eligibility, leading to reliance on private loans or out-of-pocket expenses. Sometimes, these students don’t graduate at all.
Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive effort to tackle the underlying issues that prolong graduation timelines. SAIC’s data reveals that students identifying as Black have a graduation rate of 35 percent. Meanwhile, “non-resident aliens” or international students, achieve the highest graduation rate at 80 percent — surpassing other groups such as Latinx, Pacific Islander, and Indigenous students. This success gap demands attention as its presentation misrepresents the disparities in graduation rate of students of color. (White students graduate at a rate of 66 percent.)
The school’s website publishes demographics on consumer information, which show how diversity reports can obscure an actual demographic breakdown, painting an incomplete picture of the institution’s population.
According to IPEDS Graduation Demographics, “The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a ‘Non-Resident Alien.’” International students, grouped under “non-resident aliens,” currently make up the second-largest demographic after white students at SAIC.
According to the college data hub College Factual, “At least 42 countries are represented [at SAIC] … the largest on-campus communities are China, South Korea, and India.” As of now, the institution’s published data continues to portray the international population as a monolith, excluding them from comparison to other domestic students and those that share the same identities. This obscures the low rates of graduation as at a quick glance, the rates appear strikingly high for minority groups.
Although not required, being fully transparent allows for more accurate institutional reflection. Genuine inclusivity requires transparency, robust support systems, and a sustained commitment to making SAIC a place where all students — regardless of their background — can thrive.
