Payment Information and Policies

When you sign up for your HIOBS course, you pay a deposit as part of the enrollment process. This deposit includes a $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee and goes toward your full tuition due. There is no deposit required to enroll in courses for Veterans. The standard deposit is $500 on all courses, except for Grieving Teens, which is $300. We accept all major credit cards.

Your credit card information is not saved on file after this initial deposit, and so you will need to pay your tuition balance using our online portal, or over the phone. Full payment for a course is due 90 days before course start, or within 5 days of course enrollment if you enroll within the 90-day window. You may PAY YOUR TUITION BALANCE 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. 

For a full description of our Deposit, Tuition, Cancellation, Transfer, Early Departure/ No-Show, and Waitlist policies please see pages 3-5 of the Admissions Handbook. 

Application Process

Every HIOBS course has a Course Page on www.hiobs.org with all the relevant documents you need access to for your admissions process. Please refer to the Welcome Email for which documents your Course Advisor has requested you to download. If you have trouble accessing the website, please contact your Course Advisor.

Late return of the application and forms will delay the review of other customers’ applications and will jeopardize your spot on course. If your application or tuition is past due your spot may be made available to other applicants. Overdue application materials will be considered inactive and cancellation penalties will apply.

Failure to provide accurate complete information could compromise your or other participant’s safety and course quality. Our goal is for every student to have a successful course. By sharing all physical, emotional or behavioral conditions, we can help you choose the course that will provide you with the highest chance for success. Additionally, undisclosed conditions that result in early departure are not eligible for a refund.

Please report injuries, illnesses, new medications or changes to your prescription to your course advisor. If you arrive on course with an unreported medical condition or other diagnosis or if you have changed the type or amount of medications since submitting your medical form, and have not told us about it, you may not be allowed to begin your course!

Student Non-Discrimination Policy and Diversity Statement

Hurricane Island Outward Bound School prohibits discrimination against any student or applicant because of race, color, religion, sex, gender, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, qualified individuals with disabilities based on disability, or any other category which may be protected by applicable state or federal law. Hurricane Island Outward Bound School also promotes respect for all people, and will not tolerate harassment based on any of these characteristics nor differences based on gender identity or expression.

Other Information

Divorced parents and third party payers; we only require one legal guardian signature. It is up to you to fulfill any obligations or decision-making agreements with your former spouse/ other adults who are involved in the process. Similarly, you are responsible for informing a third-party payer of the cancellation penalties and any subsequent financial obligation is yours.

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 any 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

To be enrolled on the waitlist for a course, we require the $500 deposit and your completed paperwork. If a spot opens up on the course, we will assign it to the first applicant who completed the paperwork and showed commitment to attending the course, not to the applicant who enrolled first. You will be notified right away when you are moved off the waitlist. Once you have moved off the waitlist the normal cancellation policies will be in effect.

If you request to be taken off the waitlist, or if a spot does not open up, we will refund $350 of your deposit (there is a $150 non-refundable fee). Waitlist spots sometimes become available as close as 5 days before the course!

 It is very important that you communicate with your Course Advisor and keep them updated if your plans change!

Cancellation Policy

If you are the parent of a student, you are investing 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.

Outward Bound’s general payment terms and conditions are based on the investment we make in planning, staffing and delivering our courses. These expenses are not recoverable in the case of short-notice cancellation or transfer. By applying for a HIOBS course, you are accountable for the information contained here and within the Admissions Handbook.

We acknowledge there is a lot to read but all the information is important as you are about to make a significant commitment of money and time. 

Cancellation Penalties

If you cancel for any reason (including, but not limited to, cancelations due to schedule changes, lack of motivation, summer school, work conflicts, unreported pre-existing conditions, illness or injury) fewer than 90 days from the course start date (regardless of your enrollment 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. 

Participant Cancellation

There are no tuition penalties if a student cancels more than 90 days before the course start date. Outward Bound will refund $350 of the Deposit fee (retaining the $150 non-refundable enrollment fee) and 100% of the Tuition fee payment.

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

HIOBS does not refund tuition and fees if you are unable to attend or complete the course due to unexpected events, low or decreased motivation, illness or injury.

Time to course start         We retain

>90 days                         $150 enrollment fee

89-75 days                      $500 deposit

74-60 days                      $500 deposit and 25% of the remaining course tuition

59-45 days                      $500 deposit and 50% of remaining tuition

44-0 days                        100% of tuition

Outward Bound cannot refund tuition within 45 days of course start if 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 unexpected expenses that might occur due to cancellation or early departure (e.g., travel expenses and/or emergency evacuation) through a third party. 

DEPOSIT REFUNDS: Of your original deposit, the enrollment processing fee ($150) is non-refundable.

There are a couple of situations where the enrollment processing fee will be refunded: 1. If the course is canceled by Hurricane Island Outward Bound School; or 2. If you apply for financial aid, and then must cancel because you are still unable to attend the course due to insufficient funds.

If you are not cleared to participate, we will retain the $150 enrollment processing fee but refund the balance of tuition paid.

Course Cancellation

If HIOBS cancels your course prior to the course start, you will be given the opportunity to either cancel your application and receive a full refund or transfer to another course within a 12-month period. If you transfer to a new course, you will retain all of your current Admissions documents and processes. Any tuition paid from the cancelled course will be transferred to the new course, and we will either (a) refund you the difference in tuition if the new course has lower tuition, or (b) charge you for the balance if the new course has higher tuition.

If your HIOBS course is cancelled after the course starts, and you are not being asked to leave the program for reasons of expulsion listed below, you will be given the opportunity to receive pro-rated course credit for a future program at HIOBS. 

Early Departures and No-Shows

If a student does not intend to or is not able to show up for course start on the day, you must let us know that immediately. If there is a delay in travel, we can often work around it, but if the student is not intending to be on the course at all we will possibly need to make course and crew adjustments. There is no refund in this situation.

We strive to support and encourage students to 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 them from fully engaging. If a student is exhibiting these behaviors on course, instructors typically start by working with the student individually, then contacting the base camp for additional resources or calling a parent, then, if the problems persist, removing the students from the course.  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, and no refund or pro-rated course credit will be issued. 

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

There is no refund in this situation.

TRIP AND TUITION-RELATED INSURANCE

Airfare, related travel costs, and non-refundable tuition payments are expensive. Insurance to protect your trip and course is not required but strongly recommended.   If you choose not to purchase insurance and cancel your course or leave your course early you will be held to the terms of the Cancellation Policy  (See above).

Outward Bound offers an option for insuring these costs from the third-party provider InsureMyTrip through its Academic Explorer Program.  This program has coverage options that include your travel costs and the non-refundable tuition costs.   A link to that program’s insurance coverage options is below.   Alternatively, you may choose to purchase trip related insurance through a different insurance provider.  In either case, the amount and type of coverage you choose is your responsibility and must be discussed directly with the provider.   

Check out Insure My Trip now! 

EMERGENCY EVACUATION INSURANCE

You may also want to consider insurance for the cost of Emergency Evacuation.  Health insurance often does not cover the cost of emergency evacuation by air or other means and these costs can be very expensive. HIOBS will not be financially responsible for these costs in the event that your student requires evacuation. 

The Academic Explorer Program offered through InsureMyTrip does not offer coverage for emergency evacuation.   You will need to purchase that coverage from a different insurance provider. 

 Outward Bound makes no representations or warranties about these insurance options or how they handle claims.