POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The policies and procedures as outlined below pertain to Fall 2005 semester programs and Academic Year 2005-2006 programs and supercede any other published policies
pertaining to these terms.
This section includes general CIEE policies, Academic Policies,
Program Fees and Payment Policies, and a letter to students from
the CIEE Chief Academic Officer.
GENERAL POLICIES
Admission
CIEE works with sending institutions regarding the processing
of applications for CIEE Study Centers. In nominating students,
sending institutions have the responsibility to evaluate applicants'
credentials carefully and to determine their suitability for
the selected programs. Endorsement of an individual applicant
constitutes an assurance that the student meets the minimum
admission standards for the program, that the student is prepared
linguistically, academically, and socially to succeed and derive
benefits from the program, and that it is appropriate for the
student's academic program and goals.
Selection for most programs is generally done on a rolling basis
by CIEE staff. For some programs, a CIEE staff committee convenes
on a specified day following the application deadline in order
to make decisions. For programs with enrollment limits imposed
by the host institutions, CIEE encourages sending institutions
to rank applications and also to advise students to apply to
more than one CIEE Study Center program. In cases where CIEE
receives applications in excess of capacity, CIEE favors applicants
from CIEE Academic Consortium member institutions who have an
outstanding personal essay, cumulative grade point average, and
supportive evaluations. CIEE does not discriminate on the basis
of race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, marital status,
national and ethnic origin, or disability.
Students may defer acceptance to a CIEE Study Center for up
to one year from the term of acceptance. The deferral request
must be received in writing by the CIEE U.S. office prior to
confirmed participation and at least 30 days before the beginning
of the program to which the student has been accepted in order
to avoid financial liability. In order to reactivate the application,
students must submit an updated transcript by the application
deadline for the program they wish to attend. Students may be
required to submit additional information.
Late Arrival to a Program
Students are expected to be present from the first day
of the program orientation (see note 4 below). In extremely
rare cases, there may be valid reasons for a student to arrive
late. Permission for such arrangements can only be granted
by the CIEE Chief Academic Officer and only upon receipt of
a written request from the appropriate officer at the student's
sending institution. In no case are such arrangements authorized
by Resident Directors.
Early Departure, Withdrawal, or Program Cancellation
Students are required to stay at the program location until
the final date of the program as announced in the program materials.
Students must complete the academic program including
all examinations and submission of papers prior to departing
the site. There are several circumstances that may force a
student to leave a program early or withdraw from a program,
for example, a serious accident or illness, a severe psychological
problem, or a family problem. In the case of a student who,
due to emergency circumstances, is forced to depart early or
is unable to complete an aspect of the requirements for one
or more courses, CIEE will report an Incomplete (INC) to the
sending institution. If the circumstances warrant, CIEE will
make every effort to secure documentation that may be used
by the sending institution to grant partial or full credit
for the participant, or to allow the student to complete work
at home. If an emergency situation forces the cancellation
of a program prior to the end of a session, CIEE will make
every effort to secure alternative arrangements for students
to complete their academic work, but cannot guarantee that
credit will be obtained.
Exceptions
During the semester, any student who feels there is a justification
to request an exception to any CIEE policy should address the
request in writing to the Resident Director. Individual instructors
are not authorized to grant exceptions to academic policies.
A Resident Director may recommend that an exception be granted,
in which case the Chief Academic Officer, in consultation with
the student’s sending institution, makes the decision.
Drugs and Alcohol Violations
Penalties for drug violations in many host countries are
often harsher than in the United States. Use of illegal drugs
can result in expulsion from the study program, as well as
possible criminal prosecution. Remember that students traveling
abroad are subject to the laws of the country they are visiting – their
own country’s laws do not protect them. The U.S. and
other governments can only seek to ensure that their citizens
are not discriminated against, that is, that they receive the
same treatment, as do citizens of the country in which they
are arrested who are charged with the same offense.
Alcohol Policy
Students are subject to the laws of the host country and
any policies and regulations of the host university.
Alcohol abuse by students is viewed by CIEE as a serious violation
of the terms of participation and will be treated accordingly.
There are degrees of abuse as follows:
Consumption of alcohol that causes a student to miss class or
be unable to participate fully in a classroom activity is considered
alcohol abuse. At first instance, a warning letter will be issued.
If there is a second instance, the student’s home institution
and parents will be notified, and counseling may be required.
Repeated instances may result in suspension or expulsion
from the program or a recommendation of reduced or no credit.
Consumption
of alcoholic beverages that results in loud,
disruptive, or offensive behavior according to U.S.
or local norms, is more serious. Any infraction will result
in a warning
letter and notification of home school and parents.
A second instance may result in immediate expulsion from
the program at the discretion of the Resident Director
Consumption
of alcoholic beverages which results in any of the following
is the most serious degree of alcohol
abuse:
- Loss of consciousness or vomiting
- Destruction of property
or abusive behavior
- Endangerment of self or of others
- Admission to a hospital
or emergency room
- Treatment for alcohol poisoning
- Incarceration
Any instance of these circumstances or other
circumstances of equivalent severity may result in immediate
expulsion from
the program at the discretion of the Resident Director.
Dismissal from the Program
Participants are expected to comply with regulations established
by their home universities and the host institution. Resident
staff may establish additional requirements that are essential
to the students' achievement of their educational goals or
to continuing good relations with the Host University or community.
Resident staff may dismiss from the program any student who
does not comply with the relevant regulations and requirements.
The Resident Director warns participants if they are not acting
in compliance with program regulations. Participants are expected
to take responsibility for changing their behavior or risk early
dismissal and consequent loss of time, money, and academic credit.
CIEE does not grant program fee refunds to students who are dismissed
from their programs.
ACADEMIC POLICIES
Program participants are governed by three sets of policies:
- Policies set by the CIEE Academic Consortium Board for all CIEE Study Center programs.
- Policies set by the host institution.
- Policies set by the student's sending institution.
The sending institution is the institution that nominates the student to CIEE and grants credit. This is usually the student's home institution or a School of Record. In the case of conflict among these three sets of policies, the more stringent policy shall apply in every case, except where otherwise stated in the materials that follow. CIEE provides a written statement of CIEE policies and of any policies that are imposed by the host institution prior to the beginning of the program. It is the sole responsibility of the student to become familiar with these policies and with any more demanding policies that may be imposed by his/her sending institution. It is also the sole responsibility of the student to obtain complete information concerning how academic work completed overseas is assessed by the institution at which the student is a degree candidate and how credit is counted towards the student's degree program.
Student Academic Orientation
The sending institution will provide an orientation covering relevant academic matters prior to the student’s departure. It is the sole responsibility of the student to be familiar with the information and policies covered in this orientation.
A CIEE academic orientation takes place at the program site. All students are required to attend the CIEE orientation sessions.
Course Loads, Credits, Equivalencies, and Grades
Students on CIEE programs are required to take a full course load as offered by each program (usually the equivalent of 15 U.S. semester-hour credits). CIEE evaluates course offerings at host institutions that report the workload of courses on a basis other than the U.S. semester-hour system on a case-by-case basis. Final authority for the published credit equivalency rests with the CIEE Chief Academic Officer. Final authority for awarding of credit to an individual student rests with the appropriate authority at the student's sending institution.
In general, a block of fifteen 50-minute sessions is equivalent to one semester hour of credit. Some courses may include activities such as conversation hours, applied arts sessions, visits to museums, which, although academic in nature, do not entail additional outside work. In these cases, no more than one half of the contact time is counted. The student with his/her sending institution must negotiate credit for internship activities and independent study projects. Grades are awarded for student performance using a U.S. system of letter grades, a host-country system of letters, numbers, and/or descriptors, or a combination of these methods. CIEE provides a suggested U.S. letter grade. Determination of the final grade based on the documentation provided by CIEE is at the discretion of the student's sending institution. The student's sending institution may or may not post grades earned overseas to the student's transcript, and the home institution may or may not include overseas grades in the grade point average.
Academic Records
Upon completion of the program, resident staff sends final grade reports along with other supporting documentation from the host institution (when available) to the CIEE U.S. office. A CIEE Academic Record is sent by CIEE to the student’s sending institution. The CIEE Academic Record, approved by the CIEE Academic Consortium, is the official report provided for each participant on a CIEE Study Center program. The CIEE Academic Record includes the student's name, date of birth, term of attendance, and lists each course studied, the language of instruction, hours of instruction, suggested U.S. grade equivalency, and recommended semester hours of credit. The CIEE Academic Record includes any supporting documentation provided by the host institution. In addition, each CIEE Academic Record is attached with a guide that includes detailed information on the host institution, admissions requirements, nature of the courses, the academic calendar, and a grade conversion chart.
Sending institutions normally receive final grades from CIEE approximately ten to twelve weeks after the program ending date. Information from the CIEE Academic Record is entered onto the transcript at the sending institution and this becomes the official record of participation in a CIEE program. Noncredit participants receive notification that their grades have been received by the CIEE U.S. office and that the originals will be kept on file for five years, or until the student requests the CIEE Academic Record be forwarded to an institution that will grant them credit. At the end of the five years only unofficial copies will be available. CIEE Academic Records are not released when participants have outstanding financial obligations to the CIEE U.S. office or to the program site.
Requests for transcripts reflecting credit earned must be made to the sending institution. Occasionally, participants require copies of the CIEE Academic Record. Requests must be made in writing to the CIEE U.S. office using the transcript request form found here.
The CIEE Manager and Coordinator, Registration and Participant Accounts, are the only people who are authorized to release student’s final grades.
Course Work
All course work MUST be turned in directly to the professor unless the student has received other explicit, documented instructions to the contrary. Students are required to keep hard copies of all of their assignments (every major paper or take home examination) until after their grades have been reported to their home institutions—electronic copies can only be used to supplement the hard copy versions of the work. Individual professors do not have the final authority to extend deadlines, make special arrangements for students, or otherwise modify the CIEE academic policies. Any special arrangements tentatively proposed by professors must be submitted to the Resident Director on site for review and final approval. It is each student’s responsibility to understand all local regulations governing completion of work and departure from the program site. If you are not sure…ASK. The CIEE Chief Academic Officer is the only person authorized to approve exceptions to these policies.
Attendance
Class attendance is required throughout the program. Students may not arrive late to, or leave early from, the academic program unless it is for an academic purpose. The student's home institution must then submit a written request to the CIEE Chief Academic Officer. Students may be excused from class only with the permission of the Resident Director. Students who miss class for medical reasons must inform the Resident Director. Students who do not attend all classes regularly will receive a written warning from the Resident Director. Continued absence may lead to dismissal from the program. Students are not permitted to travel away from the program site while classes are in session. Weekend travel is permitted.
Pass/Fail and Audit
Pass/fail registrations are not permitted in CIEE Study Center courses that are offered for graded credit. With the approval of the Resident Director, a student who carries a full course of study for credit may audit additional courses. A student is not allowed to change from Audit to Credit status, or vice-versa, after the end of the Drop/Add period.
Drop/Add Period
In general, students are permitted to make changes in their course selection during the first two weeks of a term (or during the first two weeks after an Intensive Language Program). Drop/Add periods may vary from program to program depending on the policies of the host institution. In most cases the drop/add period will end no later than the third full week of regular classes. No changes are permitted in registration (other than those to correct clerical errors) after the end of the Drop/Add period. After the end of the Drop/Add period, no course may be deleted from a student's CIEE Academic Record.
Incompletes
Students must complete the academic program including all examinations and submission of papers prior to departing the site. Special arrangements for submission of work after the program end date are not permitted except in emergency situations (and those must be approved by the CIEE Resident Director). If a student fails to submit course work by the assigned due dates or by the end date of the program, missing assignments will be given failing marks to be included in the calculation of the final course grade. In some instances, however, there may be valid reasons (e.g., accident, illness, personal, or family problem) why a student may not complete all assignments for a particular course and therefore may be awarded an Incomplete (INC). An Incomplete on a CIEE Academic Record is accompanied by an attachment providing full information about what is required from the student in order to complete the course (e.g., paper, exam, etc.) and the date by which this must be accomplished. This date will be no more than one semester after the end of the course in question. Once the assigned date has passed, an Incomplete that has not been satisfied automatically reverts to an "F" and cannot be changed. A new CIEE Academic Record is produced and sent to the student's sending institution.
Withdrawal from a Course
If a student is granted permission by the Resident Director to withdraw from a course after the end of the Drop/Add period but before the withdrawal deadline, a grade of "W" is entered on the CIEE Academic Record. If after the withdrawal deadline a student stops attending a course, fails to take the final examination, or fails to turn in required work, a grade of "F" is reported. The withdrawal deadline may vary from program to program but will not be later than the mid-point of the term as determined by the Resident Director.
Academic Honesty
CIEE subscribes to standard U.S. norms requiring that students exhibit the highest standards regarding academic honesty. Usually two important principles are considered when defining and demanding academic honesty. These are both related to the fundamental tenet that one should not present the work of another person as one’s own.
The first principle is that final examinations, quizzes and other tests must be done without assistance from another person, without looking at or otherwise consulting the work of another person, without access to notes, books, or other pertinent information (unless the professor has explicitly announced that a particular test is to be taken on an “open book” basis).
The second principle is that any use of the work of another person must be documented in any written papers, oral presentations, or other assignments carried out in connection with a course. This usually takes one of the following forms:
If you are quoting directly from another’s work, the usual form might be:
As noted by Kaplan (1996: p. 49) “In 1807 the British outlawed the slave trade, and in 1808 Sierra Leone became a full-fledged British colony.”
Or alternatively, if not including a direct quote, in the following way:
Elimination of the slave trade and entering into colonial status were closely related in Sierra Leone (Kaplan 1996, p. 49)
If you are including information told to you by another person, an example of how you should document it would be as follows:
Although students who study abroad are frequently more fluent than those who stay at home, their grammatical accuracy may not be better—it may even be worse. (Barbara Freed, personal conversation)
Of course you do not need to document facts that can be considered general knowledge. For example:
The November 2000 presidential election was one of the closest in U.S. history.
The general rule is that if you have to look something up, or if you learned it recently either by reading or hearing something, you have to document it.
A third principle that applies specifically to course work is that the same written paper may not be submitted in two classes. Nor may a paper for which you have already received credit in the United States, be submitted to satisfy a term paper requirement while studying overseas.
Appeals
During the semester, any student appeal related to CIEE academic policies should be addressed to the Resident Director. Any appeal of a policy or decision taken by the student's sending institution must be addressed directly to authorities at the sending institution.
An appeal arising after the conclusion of the program should be addressed to the appropriate Program Director in the CIEE U.S. office. The Chief Academic Officer (CAO) in consultation with the student’s sending institution decides all appeals. An appeal board may be convened at the sole discretion of the CAO or upon the request of the sending institution.
If a student believes the grade reported for a specific course is either an error or unfair, the student must provide an inquiry or appeal using the appropriate CIEE form, which can be obtained from the CIEE Coordinator, Registration and Participant Accounts. Participants have six months from when grades are forwarded to their sending institution to file an appeal.
PROGRAM FEES AND PAYMENT POLICIES
Program Fees
CIEE publishes program fees for each term according to the following schedule:
January Intensive Language, Spring, Calendar Year |
August 15 |
Summer, June Intensive Language, Fall, Academic Year |
December 15 |
Comprehensive program fees and breakdowns are available here in downloadable PDF files on the dates indicated above. In addition to setting fees for each term as outlined above, CIEE also sets fees for a number of popular combination terms (fall term + spring term) in order to encourage students to continue their studies abroad. Please refer to the published fee sheet for details.
Continuing Student Discounts
CIEE includes a substantial fee discount for a number of academic year and calendar year combination terms as outlined above in our published fees. Therefore, there are no further discounts beyond our published fees for students attending advertised academic year or calendar year programs. Since fees are not set for all combination terms, students who would like to continue from one program to another in consecutive terms are offered a 5% discount calculated on the less expensive of the two programs, and the discount is applied toward the fees for the second term program. This discount applies to all terms with the exception of the academic year, calendar year, or combination term programs for which we have published fees.
Confirmation of Participation
CIEE requires a confirmation payment, as part of the program fee, from each student intending to participate on a CIEE Study Center program. This confirmation payment is not an additional fee but is part of the published program fee and is paid at the time the Participation Confirmation form is returned to CIEE in order to confirm a place in the program. In lieu of paying the confirmation fee a student may have a school official indicate on the form that the school will pay the entire confirmation fee for the student at a later date; however, this option is only available if the school already has a billing agreement in place at CIEE. In some cases institutions have made arrangements to confirm participation for the student. Forms and detailed information are included in the acceptance materials.
Payment of CIEE Program Fees
Participants are billed after acceptance to a CIEE program, or no later than 30 days prior to the start of the program. Participants are confirmed once CIEE receives the Participant Confirmation form as part of the enrollment process. Once CIEE has received the Participation Confirmation form, the CIEE Withdrawal or Deferral Refund Policy (outlined below) applies. CIEE has agreements with most institutions regarding billing procedures for their students. In some cases, institutions ask CIEE to bill students directly and, in others, CIEE bills the institution or sends the student invoice to the institution to be distributed to the student. In the absence of an existing arrangement with a school or where the participant does not have a sending institution, CIEE bills the participant directly. In this case, bills are sent in the student’s name to the permanent address indicated on the application form.
Due Dates, Late Fees, and Interest
Participants Billed Directly by CIEE
Participants billed directly by CIEE are responsible for maintaining their own accounts. If a parent or other designee will be managing payment of fees on behalf of the participant, it is the participant’s responsibility to ensure that all invoices and other billing information is forwarded appropriately. The program fee must be paid in full 30 days prior to the advertised arrival date for each term or by the due date listed on the invoice (whichever is later). Program fees are billed for by term (summer, summer Brazil Intensive Language Program, fall, winter Brazil Intensive Language Program, spring).
Students participating in an academic year or calendar year program or in programs for two or more consecutive terms, receive a bill for each term. The program fee for each term must be paid in full 30 days prior to the advertised arrival date for each term or by the due date listed on the invoice (whichever is later). Students participating in an academic year program pay the full fall term fee prior to departure in the fall and the difference prior to the advertised start date of the spring term. Students participating in a calendar year program pay the full spring term fee prior to departure in the spring and the difference prior to the advertised start date of the fall term.
For fall, academic year, calendar year, or spring terms, a participant may request a deferral of payment as follows. Please note that except for financial aid deferral, deferred payments are not allowed for summer programs or the summer/winter Brazil Intensive Language programs.
A. Financial Aid Deferral Form:
If a portion of the participant’s fee will be paid by financial aid, that amount will be deferred without cost to the participant up to 15 days after the posting of the financial aid to the participant’s account at the home school. In order to secure this deferral, the participant must provide a completed CIEE Financial Aid Deferral Form, along with the original invoice and any required payments above the amount of anticipated financial aid, by the due date on the invoice. There is no charge for financial aid deferral. It is the participant's responsibility to make arrangements for financial aid to be sent to CIEE within two weeks of the disbursement date—either directly from the school or from the student’s own bank account (please see note 6 below). Students studying on CIEE programs for more than one term will need to submit a Financial Aid Deferral form for each term in order to have their payments deferred for each invoicing period.
B. Standard Payment Plan Form:
For non-financial aid, participants may request a split payment plan by submitting a completed CIEE Standard Payment Plan request form 30 days prior to departure or by the due date on the invoice. (Note that this option does not apply to participants on summer programs or the summer/winter Brazil Intensive Language programs) The charge for this payment plan is $100, due with the initial installment payment that accompanies the payment plan form. Program fee payment terms are as follows:
• Fifty percent of the fee plus the $100 deferred plan charge to be paid by the due date on the invoice
• Seventy-five percent to be paid by April 1 for spring and November 1 for fall programs
• One hundred percent to be paid by May 15 for spring and December 15 for fall programs
Students studying on CIEE programs for more than one term will need to submit a Deferred Payment form for each term if they wish to have their payments deferred for each invoicing period.
Please note that deferrals are not automatically granted. Students (and the payment contacts designated on the form) requesting deferrals/payment plans will be informed via email of the status of their deferral request within 7-10 business days of receiving the forms.
Exclusion from Participation
Any participant who fails to either pay in full by the stated due date on the invoice, or by the payment dates as indicated in a deferral/payment plan approval email notification, may be subject to exclusion from participation at the discretion of CIEE. Notification of exclusion for non-payment may be delivered at any time during the program, but students will receive a second payment notification before any action to exclude is taken.
Late Fees and Interest
Any participant who fails to pay in full or secure approval on an appropriate deferral/payment plan request prior to departure, or by the due date on the invoice (whichever is later), will be charged a $200 late fee and is required to immediately submit payment for all remaining fees in full.
Any student on an approved Standard Payment Plan who misses the 75% or the 100% deadline, will be charged a $100 late fee for each missed deadline. Any student who has a balance of $1,000 or more at the end of the program may be subject to 1.5% interest per month on the remaining balance until the account is settled in full.
Grades will not betransmitted for any student for whom an unpaid balance remains. Returned checks and declined credit card payments will be considered as failure to make the payment.
Fees Billed by CIEE to Institutions
In the case of fees billed by CIEE to institutions, the institution should provide the name and full address and other contact information for the person responsible for settling the account. The policies below will be followed unless an alternative agreement has been signed by CIEE and by the institutional representative.
All program fees must be paid in full 30 days from the date of invoice. CIEE program fees are billed for by term (summer, summer Brazil Intensive Language Program, fall, winter Brazil Intensive Language Program, spring).
Participants in academic year or calendar year programs or in programs for two or more consecutive terms, receive a bill for each term. The program fee for each term must be paid in full 30 days from the date of invoice for each term. Students participating in an academic year program pay the full fall term fee prior to departure in the fall and the difference prior to the spring term. Students participating in a calendar year program pay the full spring term fee prior to departure in the spring and the difference prior to the fall term. Students continuing on two programs in consecutive terms will receive the CIEE Continuing Student credit on the invoice for the second term of attendance.
An institution will be considered in good standing if either (a) a minimum of 80% of the overall total due and payable has been paid, or (b) the institutional representative has made specific arrangements with CIEE for payment in full by a specified date.
An institution not in good standing will be notified of the deficiency by CIEE. If deficiencies persist, CIEE reserves the right to charge interest at a rate not to exceed 1.5% per month, and/or to terminate the institutional payment plan.
Grades will not be transmitted for any student for whom an unpaid balance remains. Returned checks will be considered as failure to make the payment.
Withdrawal or Deferral Refund Policy
Please note that in all circumstances the $30 application fee and the $300 program confirmation payment are non-refundable. If a student applied to study through the School of Record, the School of Record fee is non-refundable once the student has confirmed his/her place in the program.
Fall and Spring Semester Programs
Withdrawal before the program starting date: If written notification of withdrawal or deferral of participation is received by CIEE more than 30 days prior to the advertised program starting date for EACH semester (Please see Note 4 below), all fees minus the $30 application fee and the $300 non-refundable confirmation payment will be refunded. If a student applied to study through a School of Record, and withdraws/defers before confirming his/her place in the program, $340 of the School of Record fee will also be refunded.
If written notification of withdrawal or deferral of a confirmed participant is received by CIEE less than 30 days prior to the advertised program starting date for EACH semester, 75% of the program fees less the $300 non-refundable confirmation payment will be refunded. (In cases where payment has not yet been received by CIEE, 25% of the program fee is due.) Requests for program deferral to a different semester are only accepted up until the advertised program starting date for EACH semester.
In the case of deferral for a confirmed participant, the non-refundable confirmation payment, any applicable School of Record fees, and 25% of program fee (if request is received less than 30 days from the start of the program) must be paid for that term, but may be applied towards future participation on this or another CIEE Study Center program, within the next 12 months. All confirmed students who defer acceptance to a program, will be sent a CIEE Program Reactivation Credit Form. This form outlines the amount paid by the student toward his/her initial program, and must be returned to CIEE when the student is ready to confirm participation in the program for the new term in order to receive the deferral payment credit. In order to be valid, the CIEE Program Reactivation Credit Form must be returned by the confirmation deadline for the term of reactivation, and the student’s previous account balance must be zero.
Withdrawal on or after the advertised program starting date for EACH semester: If written notification of withdrawal for a confirmed participant is received by CIEE on or after the advertised program starting date for any given semester, the following refund policy for partial attendance applies. Please note that the $30 application fee, applicable School of Record fees, and the $300 confirmation payment are non-refundable and refunds are calculated on the program fee less the confirmation payment.
• Withdrawal on or up to 14 days after the advertised program start – 50% refund
• Withdrawal after day 14 but before day 28 of the advertised program start – 25% refund
• Withdrawal at any time after (and including) day 28 calculated from the advertised program start date – no refund
Winter/Summer Brazil Intensive Language and Summer Programs
Withdrawal before the advertised program starting date: If written notification of withdrawal or deferral of a confirmed participant is received by CIEE more than 30 days prior to the program starting date, all fees minus the $30 application fee, applicable School of Record fees, and the $300 non-refundable confirmation payment will be refunded.
If written notification of withdrawal or deferral of a confirmed participant is received by CIEE less than 30 days prior to the advertised program starting date, 75% of the program fee less the $300 non-refundable confirmation payment will be refunded. The $30 application fee and School of Record fees are non-refundable. (In cases where payment has not yet been received by CIEE, 25% of the program fee is due.) Requests for program deferral to a different semester are only accepted up until the advertised program start date.
In the case of deferral for a confirmed participant, the non-refundable confirmation payment, any applicable School of Record fees, and 25% of program fee (if request is received less than 30 days from the start of the program) must be paid for that term, but may be applied towards future participation on this or another CIEE Study Center program, within the next 12 months. All confirmed students who defer acceptance to a program, will be sent a CIEE Program Reactivation Credit Form. This form outlines the amount paid by the student toward his/her initial program, and must be returned to CIEE when the student is ready to confirm participation in the program for the new term in order to receive the deferral payment credit. In order to be valid, the CIEE Program Reactivation Credit Form must be returned by the confirmation deadline for the term of reactivation, and the student’s previous account balance must be zero.
Withdrawal on or after the advertised program starting date: If written notification of withdrawal for a confirmed participant is received by CIEE on or after the advertised program starting date, the following refund policy for partial attendance applies. Please note that the $30 application fee, applicable School of Record fees, and the $300 confirmation payment are non-refundable and refunds are calculated on the program fee less the confirmation payment.
• Withdrawal on or up to 2 days after the advertised program start – 50% refund
• Withdrawal at any time after day 2 into the program – no refund
Program Cancellation
CIEE reserves the right to cancel a CIEE Study Center program due to insufficient enrollment or other factors beyond its control. In case of program cancellation, participants are provided with alternative program options or are given the option to defer participation to another term. Alternative options are subject to the approval of the student’s sending institution. If the student does not opt for an alternative program or a deferral, CIEE refunds the $30 application fee, the $300 non-refundable confirmation payment, any applicable School of Record fees and all additional fees paid.
Notes:
1. In the case of a refund, the refund is automatically sent to the billed party except in some circumstances involving financial aid. (If CIEE bills the institution, the refund is sent to the institution; if CIEE bills the participant, the refund is sent to the participant at the permanent address listed on the initial application, unless the participant notifies CIEE otherwise.)
2. Cancellations and deferrals are effective only upon the date written notification is received by CIEE. Students must also notify their sending institution (or School of Record) directly if they plan to cancel, withdraw, or defer. Questions regarding sending institution policies should be directed to the sending institution, not to CIEE. Sending institutions’ payment policies are separate from CIEE’s payment policies, and students will be held to both sets of policies.
3. The $30 application fee and $300 confirmation payment are non-refundable.
4. The program starting date is the advertised arrival date, which coincides with the first day of orientation for each term. Participants studying for an academic year, calendar year, or on two consecutive terms of any sort are held to the advertised arrival date for each term, as listed on the CIEE website, in accordance with the Terms and Conditions listed above rather than the host university class start dates.
5. Participants who receive scholarship aid from CIEE and subsequently withdraw must repay CIEE the scholarship aid received. If the amount of the scholarship aid is less than the amount of any refund due, the scholarship aid is deducted from the refund. If the amount of the scholarship aid is greater than any refund due, the participant must repay CIEE the difference.
6. A payment deferral, based on financial aid disbursements after the program starting date, cannot be granted past the following dates: December 1 for the fall semester; April 15 for the spring semester and academic year; and July 15 for summer programs.
7. In the case where a student confirms participation 30 days or less before the program start date, full payment must accompany the signed confirmation form.
8. CIEE withholds final grades when participants have outstanding financial obligations to CIEE or the program site.
Direct all questions regarding participant accounts to the Manager, Registration and Participant Accounts via email to KMcCrea@ciee.org or via telephone at 1-800-407-8839.