Campus Living
Cornish Housing
Living on campus is an integral part of your educational experience at Cornish College of the Arts, where you build and live in a community with other artists. Cornish Commons is a 20-story state-of-the-art residence hall in South Lake Union, just steps away from the Main Campus Center (MCC) and other SLU campus buildings.
To learn more about the residential living experience and amenities in the residence hall, make sure to visit the Cornish Commons website.
Learn More About Cornish CommonsOn Campus Housing Requirement Information
Beginning with the incoming class of Fall 2022, all undergraduate students who fall into any of the following categories are required to live on campus and purchase a meal plan for the first two years of attendance:
- First-year and second-year students under the age of 21
- Students with freshman or sophomore class standing under the age of 21
- Students who begin their studies at Cornish College of the Arts within 2 years of high school graduation (or equivalent) and are under the age of 21
If a student’s status changes during the academic year, they will not be released from this housing requirement until the following academic year.
Students who want to be excused from the housing requirement must complete a petition for an exemption and submit appropriate documentation to support their request for an exemption, meet with the Dean of Student Affairs, and receive written confirmation of the approval for an exemption. Meeting one or more criteria for exemption will not constitute an automatic release from the residency requirement. Failure to obtain an approved written exemption from the Dean of Student Affairs will result in the posting of housing charges to the student’s Cornish College of the Arts account.
Residential Housing Exemption
Residential housing exemption considerations are limited to the following criteria:
- A student with junior or senior class standing as of the first day of the first semester in attendance
- A student over the age of 21 as of the first day of the first semester in attendance
- A student who is married and/or has dependent children
- Conditions for which the college is unable to provide a medical accommodation for on-campus living
- Student demonstrates, through the petition process, that the live-on requirement presents an insurmountable hardship to studying at Cornish College of the Arts
- Transfer, Leave of Absence, or Withdrawal from the College Note: Students who are suspended or expelled for disciplinary reasons will not be released from the financial obligations of their contract with Housing & Residence Life
- A student who is pregnant and/or expecting a child
- A student who must move due to a military relocation obligation
On Campus Meal Plan Requirements
As a part of the housing contract, students are agreeing to select a meal plan for dining at Nellie’s Cafe & Espresso Bar, located in the Main Campus Center (MCC) building on the second floor. Failure to select a meal plan will result in students being assigned the Denny Meal Plan.
- All meals are a la carte, using a declining balance system.
- Funds for the semester are allocated to the Cornish ID card on or before the first date of occupancy.
- Up to $250 can roll over from fall to spring semester.
- Additional funds can be added to the meal plan account at any time via Student Accounts or online using Compass.
- Unused meals plans funds remaining on the account on the last date of occupancy will be forfeited.
Residents are encouraged to speak with the Nellie’s Cafe & Espresso Bar staff directly to ensure their needs are met. If a student needs to change their meal plan due to a medical condition or documented dietary restriction that cannot be accommodated by Nellie’s Cafe, they should contact their Student Success Coach to work through the accommodations process.
Meal Plan Modification
If a student would like to request a meal plan modification (i.e. sign up for a meal plan they are not otherwise eligible to select) or an exemption from the meal plan requirement, and it is not due to a medical condition or documented dietary restriction, they may submit a petition to the Dean of Student Affairs by completing this form.
Students can petition the meal plan one time per contract term and the decision of the Dean of Student Affairs is final.
Petition requests for the fall term must be submitted no later than July 15th. Petition requests will be reviewed between July 16th-July 31st. Students will be notified of the outcome of their request no later than August 1st.
Petition requests for the spring term must be submitted no later than January 1st. Petition requests will be reviewed between January 2nd-January 14th. Students will be notified of the outcome of their request no later than January 15th.
