Day Student Policies and Information

Day students must provide their own transportation to and from Interlochen Arts Academy campus. Day students who drive to campus must register their vehicles with Campus Safety. Failure to register a car may result in the loss of on-campus car privileges. Day students are allowed to drive their cars to and from the campus only and are not allowed to use it for trips during the school day. Cars must be parked in Lots H or I (near the Bonisteel Library) and must remain there until the student leaves for home at the end of the day. 

Students with vehicles are not permitted to transport other boarding students at any time. Day students must give their keys to their instructor of residence life any time they plan to stay overnight on campus. Requests to use a vehicle for shopping or other personal needs will not be approved. Boarding students found riding in a car without permission and day students who transport boarding students without permission will be subject to disciplinary consequences.

In addition to vehicle transportation, the Bay Area Transportation Authority provides public buses which stop directly on our campus.

The parent/guardian of a day student must call the Student Affairs Office (231.276.7378) if illness, weather, or any other circumstances causes the student to miss classes. Day students are subject to the same attendance policies as boarding students. If a day student must miss classes due to illness, a call from the parent(s) must be received within 24 hours. 

Day students are expected to remain on campus from the time they arrive for their first class until they complete their Arts Academy obligations for the day. Day students should not leave campus during the day without permission from an administrator on campus. Day students must follow the same guidelines as boarding students during their stay on campus. Students who are leaving mid-day for an off-campus medical appointment should notify Health Services and discuss arrangements for transportation. 

Because more than 90% of the student body lives on campus, the Arts Academy rarely closes due to inclement weather. Students and parents should use good judgment when deciding whether roads are safe to travel. Day students will be granted an excused absence if they are not able to get to school because of the weather.

Following the initial opening of school, day students will be provided a locker in the basement of the residence halls. For security purposes, students must use the lock issued by Interlochen. Locks will be distributed as requested following the opening of school.

As part of the day student’s tuition, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided when students are present on campus for mealtimes. Day students will follow the shifted meal schedules in the same way as boarding students.

Like boarding students, day students are required to attend Community Meetings where attendance is taken. The majority of Community Meetings take place within the school day, however, there are exceptions where evening events occur. If a Community Meeting will be missed, parents must contact the student's instructor of residence life.

During the year, there are several student activities that take place off-campus. For safety purposes, day students are required, like boarding students, to gather on-campus and utilize Interlochen transportation to get to and from these events. Day students are not permitted to drive themselves to these events. In addition, day students who do not register for an off-campus event may not visit the venue or participate in any way. There are no exceptions to this policy. 

With special permission, parents may request through the Student Affairs Office or a designated campus administrator for the parent to drive the student to/from the event for convenience purposes. If this is approved, the parent must connect face-to-face with a designated adult when dropping off and/or picking up a student. 

When visiting a Residence Hall room of another student, Day Students must adhere to the Student Visitation Policies in the Student Handbook. Day students are able to utilize the public areas on campus, as well as the lobby of the residence hall to which they are assigned.

At times, it may be necessary for day students to remain overnight at Arts Academy. We ask that students limit these overnight stays as much as possible. The process for an overnight includes:

1. Family emails or calls the Student Affairs office
2. The Student Affairs team will grant permission, if possible and confirm overnight with family, student, and residence hall staff via email.

Overnights should be arranged at least 24 hours in advance.

Students may either bring a sleeping bag or obtain linens from the front desk. These are temporary room assignments, so students may not leave personal items in the room following their overnight stay with the exception that the stay is multiple nights. Day students who stay overnight are expected to follow the same residential guidelines as boarding students.