Welcome to Student Life
As the premier post-secondary vocational training center in Alaska, AVTEC is proud to provide safe and comfortable student housing and recreation resources for students at our Seward campus.
AVTEC maintains two student dormitories with semi-private rooms as well as family student housing apartments for long-term students attending training. All students who want to live on campus need to submit a dormitory or family student housing application along with their application for training.
Students may check in to their housing 48 hours before their training program is scheduled to start - typically the Saturday morning before new student orientation. Specific dates and times for housing check-in will be provided by the admissions office approximately 4 weeks before the start of training when new students are sent their confirmation paperwork.
At the conclusion of training, students may remain in student housing for 48 hours past their last day of training.
All long-term students are housed in dormitory rooms that have a shared bathroom between every two bedrooms. All room-pairs are single-gender, and students are encouraged to list a preferred 'suite-mate' on their dormitory application. Each dormitory room is equipped with a dresser and storage area for clothing and personal items, a desk and chair, a small refrigerator, and a standard twin size bed (linens, blankets, pillows and towels are NOT provided). Laundry facilities are provided free of charge, although residents must bring their own detergent and supplies.
Students can bring most personal items for use in their dormitory rooms - with the following notable exceptions:
-Items that have an open flame or heat source (candles, incense, hot plates, crock pots, microwaves, etc. - although coffee makers are permitted)
-Firearms, weapons, or knives with a blade longer than 3.5 inches (Culinary Arts knife sets are permitted)
-Hazardous materials of any kind (fuel, propane, chemicals, etc.)
Items to Bring
With the few exceptions listed above, residents are welcome to bring all sorts of personal belongings with them to their dormitory room. There are several local stores that offer a wide variety of personal products and clothing if you forget them at home. Seward has a wet and icy coastal maritime climate that may be different from your home community - so please make sure you bring the right clothing for training as well as free time usage when you travel to AVTEC. If you're not sure what you will need please call our Residence Life office for advice.
Here are some helpful items to bring with you to training:
- Personal items such as laundry and bar soap, shampoo, and toothpaste
- Bedding, towels, extra blankets, and pillows (Dormitory beds are standard size Twin mattresses)
- Alarm clock (plug-in style so they will work even if your phone battery dies)
- Rain gear and waterproof boots
- A second pair of shoes if you wear boots. Black-soled shop boots are not allowed in the Student Service Center or cafeteria.
- Copy of your most recent federal income tax return, for financial aid.
- Indoor workout shoes, workout clothing, outdoor sports gear (outdoor shoes are not permitted in recreation areas)
- Travel mug
- Medical information such as proof of eligibility for Medicaid, Indian Health Services, and/or private insurance benefits
- Social Security Card (needed to complete job applications or apply for campus jobs)
Travel to Seward
Seward is located 120 miles south of Anchorage via the Seward Highway, which is a well-maintained, all-weather road (check 511.alaska.gov for current road conditions). Students can bring personal vehicles to campus, and there is free parking available near the dormitory. The Seward Bus Line and the Alaska Railroad provide public transportation from Anchorage to Seward, but their schedule is limited and reservations are required. Be sure to call in advance to ensure there is room for you when you want to travel.
Seward Bus Line
For reservations call (907) 563-0800 in Anchorage. In Seward call (907) 224-3608.
Daily service from Anchorage to Seward from Memorial Day to Labor Day and Monday–Saturday during the winter months.
Alaska Railroad
For reservations call (907) 265-2494.
Daily service from Anchorage to Seward during the summer months and no service in the winter.
Arrival and Orientation
What Happens When I First Arrive at AVTEC?
Orientation for new students will start at 8:30 a.m. Monday morning in the Student Service Center at 519 Fourth Avenue (unless otherwise advised). If you are enrolled in a long-term program, you will spend your first day of training in orientation. Orientation includes:
- Meet with Admissions, Student Records, Student Accounts and Student Financial Aid representatives
- Have your ID picture taken
- Receive information on school procedures and services along with information about local resources available
- Obtain your program schedule
Student Mail
AVTEC has no capacity to handle personal mail for students. Students should not have personal mail sent to them via AVTEC. Personal student mail received at the AVTEC P.O. box will be returned to sender.
Seward does not have home postal delivery. All mail in Seward is delivered to P.O. boxes at the Seward Post Office. Students who want to receive personal mail on a regular basis should bring proof of residence (available from the Residence Life Office) to the Seward Post Office located at Fifth Ave & Madison St, one block from the Residence Life campus, to rent a P.O. box. Post office business hours are Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m (P.O. box rental is $92 plus a key deposit per year).
Students who are in short term training programs (less than six weeks) or who will only be receiving occasional mail can receive mail at the post office counter by addressing it to:
STUDENT NAME
General Delivery
Seward AK 996645
Family student housing and off-campus students may receive a free post office box if their housing location is within the Seward city limits. Family student housing residents must provide a copy of their housing agreement with their P.O. box application. Off-campus students should bring a copy of their rental agreement or a utility bill with their physical address to the post office to qualify for a free mailbox. All residents will still be required to pay the refundable key deposit.
Telephones
Most students bring a personal cellphone with them to Seward. All of the major Alaskan cell carriers work in Seward, although the only carriers with a local office are TelAlaska and GCI. Students should speak with their instructors to learn policies about cellphone usage during the training day.
There is a free public phone for local and toll-free calls in the lobby of the Dunham Hall dormitory.
Messages may be left for students Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., at 224-3322. Messages may be left for dormitory residents 24 hours a day at 224-6100.
Dorm rooms are equipped with a private connection that can be used to obtain landline telephone or private internet service available through local utilities for a monthly fee.
Seward Schools
Seward has public elementary, middle and high schools for pre-k through 12th grade operated by the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (KPBSD). For more information visit www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us. Students attending AVTEC with school-age children are encouraged to contact the appropriate school for your child's grade to enroll them before arriving for training. School bus transportation to and from school is provided for all students attending KPBSD schools in Seward.
Child Care
Childcare is extremely limited in Seward. The easiest and usually best solution for students relocating for training to Seward with their children is to bring a trusted adult friend or family member to stay with your family and provide in-home care for your children while you are in training. However, this is not always possible and some students will need regular child care for their children who are pre-school age. For a current list of licensed childcare facilities in Seward, visit Thread Alaska website at http://threadalaska.org/thread/families/childcare-search/online-search-tool/. Be aware that none of the Child Care Centers listed are within walking distance of campus, so you will need a personal vehicle to access them.
For Child Care Assistance from the State of Alaska
Contact the LeeShore Center - the regional entity to accept child care assistance applications
Phone: (907) 283-4707 Toll-free: 1-877-855-2227
Child Care Assistance can take up to 30 days to get approved and cannot be approved retroactively, so incoming students with young children should apply prior to arriving in Seward.
Guest Wireless Internet Access
AVTEC provides limited wireless internet access for students. Wireless access points are available in all training areas as well as the Residence Life facilities. This network is monitored and is provided for educational use only.
AVTEC uses an opt-in system that requires students to register each device on the AVTEC_Guest WiFi network. To access the wireless network, you must obtain the daily registration PIN from an AVTEC staff member or contact the Residence Life office in Dunham Hall.