Working and/or Living at Caltech
WORKING AT CALTECH: START DATE INFORMATION
Visiting students starting before June 18: Please refer to emails sent by the SFP Office about your start date schedule.
For visiting students starting on June 18:
- 10:00 am, Luggage Drop-off, Center for Student Services. For visiting students arriving early and moving into Caltech Housing, you can drop-off your luggage so that you can more easily participate in other activities.
- 12:00 - 3:00 pm, Check-In, Center for Student Services.
- 1:00 - 4:00 pm, Housing Check-in, Center for Student Services.
- 3:30 - 5:00 pm, Mandatory Orientation by Office of Student Experience, Hameetman Multi-purpose Room.
For Caltech students starting on June 18:
- You should arrange with your mentor to start work today. You will only need to attend the Check-In event if we email you that you still need to complete something.
For students starting after June 18, please refer to emails sent by the SFP office about your start date schedule.
For WAVE Fellows and Amgen Scholars, please refer to emails for additional start date activities.
LIVING AT CALTECH
Health and Wellness
Visiting SFP students living and/or working at Caltech will be required to pay a $120 health services fee. This fee will provide access to Caltech's Student Wellness Services during the summer period. Information about these services and paying the fee is in your SFP Online account.
Athletics and Recreation
Visiting SFP students are allowed, for a fee, to access the Caltech gym facilities. To sign up, take your Caltech identification card to the Recreation Office in the Brown Gym. The fee is $75 for a ten-week period.
Caltech Security
Campus Security can be reached for emergencies 24 hours a day from on-campus telephones by dialing x5000 or from off-campus telephones by dialing (626) 395-5000. For non-emergency responses, such as escorts, reports, or information, dial x4701 on campus or (626) 395-4701 from off-campus. Caltech Security provides:
- Escorts: for your personal safety, Security provides escorts to accompany you to or from locations on, or close to, campus.
Mail
Visiting students living at Caltech, should use the following address for mail and small packages:
SFP – (Student Name)
California Institute of Technology
1200 E. California Blvd.
Mail Code 104-6 TE
Pasadena, CA 91125
Mail can be picked up from the Keith Spalding Building 1st floor lobby. Hours are M-F, 7:00 am – 4:30 pm.
Banking and Credit Union
There are several national and international banks located within walking distance of Caltech on Lake Ave. Additionally, Caltech has an on-campus credit union. Students with a Caltech ID card and a document of their current living address (i.e. housing contract, lease) are eligible to become members of the Caltech Credit Union. The Credit Union has branches and ATMs at both Caltech and JPL. You can deposit checks, get cash, get checks made out to other people/businesses, and, for those 18 and over, apply for an ATM card. You can also keep your Credit Union membership after you leave Caltech. To open an account, bring $10 ($5 initial deposit plus $5 new-account fee), your ID, and your housing information to 515 S. Wilson. The Credit Union is on the first floor. Students working at JPL can visit the JPL Branch in building 291 (near the south gate)
Accessing Caltech Pay Stub
1. Go to access.caltech.edu.
2. Login with your Caltech credentials.
3. In the Self-Service section, find Electronic Paycheck Stub (Online Payslip).
4. On the Choose a Payslip line, select the payslip you want from the drop-down and then click the Adobe/PDF icon next to it.
5. Then you can see the Statement of Earnings.
Dining
There are several eateries on campus—Broad Café, Red Door Marketplace, and Browne Dining Hall. They accept declining balance dining cards, debit cards, and credit cards. Click here for hours and additional information. Dining staff will also work with students who have specific dining needs or allergies. Please email Jaime Reyes for assistance.
There are dozens of eateries within walking distance to campus. Check these out:
The 19 Essential Pasadena Eateries
Visit Pasadena Eateries by category
Pasadena Michelin restaurants
Library
Students living or working at Caltech have access to the Caltech Library system. To set-up a library account and learn about the resources available, please visit https://libguides.caltech.edu/welcome and click on the SFP tab.
Parking
Permit parking is available on campus for summer students. A parking permit is required and will cost $140 for 10 weeks. You can purchase a summer parking permit at the Parking Office on the second floor of 515 S. Wilson Ave. The entrance to the Parking Office is at the back of the house. You must show your Caltech ID. Hours and location found here.
Caltech offers visiting students a TAP card preloaded with $20 to spend on MTA buses and Metro Rail trains (https://www.metro.net/). Just show your Caltech ID at the Caltech Parking Office located at 515 S. Wilson Avenue (use the back entrance and go upstairs). Once your TAP card balance is below $5, you can get another $20 added by taking your Caltech TAP card and Caltech ID card to the Caltech Store in the Hameetman Center, building #51 on a Caltech map.
Other Campus Resources
Center for Inclusion and Diversity
Accessibility Services
International Student Programs
Performing and Visual Arts
Caltech Y