GETTING STARTED

Program Policies

American Councils participants are required to understand and comply with the program policies set in place by the Outbound division of the American Councils Higher Education Department.

The Fine Print

The policies below are summarized. For more detailed information on the policies and terms of American Councils for International Education programs, please contact our team.

Program Policies

Admissions

Admission to all American Councils Programs is competitive and is based on language ability, academic record, personal essays, and references. An outside panel of language professionals reviews applications and selects the finalists. American Councils Outbound staff may interview applicants as part of the admissions process. Selected applicants will be contacted by telephone or email to schedule interviews.

Acceptance into the program is conditional on the applicant's continued ability to meet eligibility requirements. These requirements include mandatory attendance at the pre-departure orientation in Washington, DC, timely submission of all forms to the American Councils Washington office, and compliance with American Councils visa regulations. American Councils reserves the right to withdraw acceptance to the program if an applicant suffers a severe drop in GPA, is the subject of legal or disciplinary action, or fails to maintain American Councils confidence that she/he will be successful on the program.

Participant Conduct

American Councils for International Education requires that participants comply with a Personal Conduct Code. Participants risk immediate dismissal from the program, loss of academic credit, revocation of visa and early return to the United States should they:

  • behave in a way that endangers or impairs the abilities of other students to participate in the program and/or American Councils staff to meet their responsibilities to the group;

  • violate host-country law, university rules, visa regulations, or travel policies;

  • possess, manufacture, or distribute drugs;

  • consume a level of alcohol that might cause physical injury, arrest, or detainment:

  • and/or fail to abide by academic policies outlined below.

Participants should understand that they are subject to the laws of the country they are visiting. In many cases, the laws overseas are much stricter and the penalties for violating them are much stronger than in the United States. All participants are expected to comply with the host country's laws as well as the policies of American Councils for International Education.

Academic Integrity

Program participants are expected to approach their academic work with dedication and integrity, understanding that they are responsible for enhancing their own learning through personal effort. Participants agree to be fully prepared for each class session. Behaviors such as plagiarism, cheating, obtaining an unfair advantage, fabrication, falsification of records and official documents, and unauthorized access are not tolerated by American Councils.

Attendance

Attendance at all classes, excursions, discussion clubs, and other program-related activities is required by both American Councils and Bryn Mawr College. Missed class due to illness or observance of a religious holiday will be considered an excused absence with advanced notice. Habitual unexcused absences and/or tardiness will result in lowered final grades.

Program Payment

Once a participant accepts their spot in the program, an invoice will be issued and a non-refundable deposit will be required to confirm participation. Program payments must be paid or postmarked by the due date specified in the program invoice, and late payments will be subject to penalty fees.

Participants may request in writing to establish a payment plan. Payment plans can be fairly flexible in terms of amounts and dates, although the first scheduled payment must be made before the official program start date, and the program must be paid for in full by the official program end date. Payment plans must be approved by an American Councils Program Manager.

Please note that American Councils has individual financial agreements with a number of U.S. universities, and it is the student’s responsibility to check with the study abroad office on the payment policy.

Refund Policy

Notification of withdrawal from an American Councils Study Abroad program must be submitted in writing. Verbal notification will not be accepted. Withdrawals are final and cannot be reversed. The date that written notification is received will be considered the withdrawal date for the purpose of determining refunds. Any student who withdraws before completion of the program may not be eligible to receive academic credit from the program. 

When written notification of withdrawal is received, American Councils will determine refundable fees as laid out in the program handbook, which participants receive upon acceptance to the program. After the refund amount has been determined, balances will be refunded, or invoices issued for outstanding funds. If applicable, American Councils will process refunds in accordance with billing agreements established between American Councils and the student’s home institution. Please note that colleges and universities may have their own withdrawal policies. 

The program deposit is non-refundable and is only credited towards the program cost if the student participates in the program. The deposit can be applied towards the cost of a future program if a student defers their participation to another term within one calendar year.

In the case of withdrawal by an American Councils financial aid recipient, all scholarships received must be returned to American Councils within 14 days of the withdrawal notification. Please refer to award documentation about returning scholarship funds and any special circumstances that may warrant pro-rating the award.