Payment Information and Policies

When you sign up for your HIOBS course online or over the phone, you will pay a deposit of $500 - except for Veterans, Grieving Teens and Scholarship Partners which have differing deposit policies - which is your financial commitment to begin the admissions process.

In all cases, your credit card information is not saved on file, and so we ask you to provide your payment information to us as a part of the Enrollment Forms paperwork ("Payment of Fees"). Full payment for a course is due 90 days before course start.  You may PAY ONLINE HERE

If you have not paid your course tuition within 90 days of course start, you may lose your spot on the course. We are happy to arrange payment plans, we accept 529 plans through third parties, and have financial aid available so please let us know if you have specific financial constraints. 

Cancellation Policy

If you are the parent of a student, you are making an investment in the growth and development of your child as well as giving the gift of an amazing opportunity. If you are the student, you are investing in your continuing education. Please review the Cancellation Policy thoroughly. If you are the parent of a student, we recommend you review this policy with your child, as you will be relying on him or her to put considerable effort into the course and be an active, responsible and safe participant.

Our investment in planning, staffing and provisioning cannot be recovered in the event of short-notice cancellations, transfers or early departures. Please see Trip Insurance below for information on protecting yourself from these costs. We regret that we cannot issue refunds except as described below.

Cancellation Penalties

If you cancel fewer than 90 days from the course start date, the cancellation penalties listed below will apply to the full published tuition (or for scholarship recipients, the full amount due). The penalty is not based on the amount paid to date but the amount due on the day you cancel.

Time to course start/ forfeiture:   

89-75 days        74-60 days       59-45 days        44-0 days               

$500 deposit     25% of tuition   50% of tuition    100% of tuition

Outward Bound cannot refund tuition in the event that you are unable to attend or complete the course due to illness, injury or family emergency. We strongly recommend that you purchase trip insurance to cover such unexpected expenses (e.g., course tuition, airfare and/or emergency evacuation) through a third party such as Travelex: www.travelexinsurance.com or speak with Ruby Frederick at Southlands Travel. Ruby is knowledgeable about our programs, has access to multiple trip insurance companies, and is dedicated to helping you find the coverage that’s best for you. Contact: ruby@southlandstravel.com or 303-680-5241.

DEPOSIT REFUNDS: Of your original deposit, the enrollment processing fee ($150) is non-refundable in almost all cases. There are a few situations where the enrollment processing fee will be refunded: 1. In the event that you are on the waitlist and a spot does not open up; 2. If the course is cancelled by Hurricane Island Outward Bound; or 3. If you apply for financial aid, and then must cancel because you are still unable to attend the course due to insufficient funds.

Early Departures

Our purpose, and intent, is to educate and support students so they can successfully complete their course. Our instructors are experienced in helping students push past doubt and actively try to solve any issues that seem to be preventing students from fully engaging. However, if a student is determined to leave the course or is not willing to fully participate and follow instructions, then for their personal safety and the safety of the group, we simply cannot and will not make them stay. Parents will be contacted to arrange for their child’s travel home. When a student is expelled from course, leaves due to an undisclosed and pre-existing condition, or chooses to leave voluntarily, there is no refund. Expulsion will result if we determine that a student is:

• Unwilling or unmotivated to participate in course activities;
• Unable or unwilling to adapt to the physical and interpersonal rigors of the expedition;
• Posing a danger to self or others through misconduct or unsafe practices;
• Defiant, harassing, or otherwise compromising the emotional or physical safety of others;
• Using alcohol, drugs (including misuse of prescription drugs) or tobacco; or
• Engaging in sexual activity

Transfers

You may transfer from your initial course to another, but such transfers may incur an additional cost. You may transfer from one course to another one time for no penalty provided it is more than 60 days from the course start date. A $100 Transfer Fee will apply to subsequent transfers more than 60 days from the course start date. For transfers less than 60 days from the course start date, 50% of the payment is transferrable and you will forfeit 50% of your payment. Outward Bound will not issue a refund for any transfers less than 30 days from the course start date.

Waitlists

If enrolled on the waitlist for a course, we require the $500 deposit, your completed application and individual student interview. If a spot opens, we will offer it to the applicant who completed the paperwork and interview first, not to the applicant who enrolled first. You will have 24 hours to respond to the offer. If you elect not to take the open spot offered or do not respond within 24 hours, the $150 enrollment processing fee will not be refunded. If a spot has not opened by 30 days before course start, we will refund the deposit if you wish to drop off the list at that time.

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