Refund Policy

Program and tuition fee refund insurance for non medical reasons
The right to refunds is limited. All withdrawals must be in writing either by mail to AIFS College Division, Summer Programs, American Institute For Foreign Study, River Plaza, 9 West Broad Street, Stamford, CT 06902-3788 or by fax to (203) 399-5597.

Refunds prior to the start of the program
Using the postmark or fax date of a student’s withdrawal letter as the official withdrawal date, the following applies (these refunds are reimbursed by AIFS):

If a student withdraws		he/she receives
More than 30 days before departure		All payments minus the deposit and application fee of $395 and $1,000
30 to 15 days before departure		All payments minus the deposit and application fee of $395 and 50% of the program fee
Less than 15 days before departure		No refund

In addition :

• If AIFS cancels a program, participants will be notified within 7 days and a full refund or, at the participant’s option, credit toward another program will be made within 14 days of cancellation. AIFS will not cancel a program less than 10 days before scheduled departure unless circumstances exist which make it impossible for it to continue.
  
  
• In the unlikely event that the U.S. State Department issues a travel warning before the program starts which advises U.S. citizens not to travel to the program site, AIFS will refund all fees paid minus the non-refundable deposit and application fee of $395 and $1,000.
  
  
• If a program undergoes major changes and participants elect in writing to withdraw from the program, a full refund of all payments except the non-refundable deposit and application fee of $395 will be processed within 14 days of the cancellation. Major changes mean significant changes in program dates or destination cities. Minor alterations including reversed itineraries will not result in refunds.

Refunds once a program has started

• Once the program has started, students who withdraw will receive no refund unless the U.S. State Department issues a travel warning advising U.S. citizens to leave the program site. In the unlikely event of this happening, AIFS would suspend the program and students would receive a pro-rata rebate of fees paid to AIFS for the portion of the program not completed less the non-refundable deposit and application fee of $395. Students dismissed for disciplinary reasons receive no refunds of any kind and forfeit all academic credit.
• There are no refunds for meals, accommodation, cultural activities/excursions, tuition or transportation missed by students for any other reasons other than those listed above once the program has started.