AFS-USA looks forward to supporting your family throughout the Application Process. Below, please find important considerations for our Payment and Refund Policy. When considering program payments, we encourage you to also consider our free Sponsor an AFSer tool, here.
Payment Timelines:
All AFS Applicants must be Accepted by AFS-USA and our overseas Partners. Following Program Acceptance, your family will receive an invoice that includes the program’s fees and timeframes, listed below.
Year and semester programs:
| Payment: | When the Payment is Due: |
|---|---|
| $500 Deposit | Following an initial review for eligibility and completion of your application, a Program Deposit will be requested to reserve a spot on our limited programs. Submission of a Program Deposit does not guarantee acceptance into the program. |
| $1,500 installment | Within 20 days of receipt of your first invoice. |
| Remaining Balance | The balance for AFS programs must be paid four (4) weeks prior to the program’s international travel date. Participants who have an outstanding balance on their account will not be allowed to depart. |
Summer Programs:
| Payment: | When the Payment is Due: |
|---|---|
| $500 deposit | Following the receipt of an Application Fee and an initial review for eligibility, a Program Deposit can be submitted anytime to reserve a spot on our limited programs. Submission of a Program Deposit does not guarantee acceptance into the program. |
| $1,500 installment | Within 20 business days of receipt of your invoice. |
| Remaining balance | The balance for AFS programs must be paid four (4) weeks prior to the program’s international travel date. Participants who have an outstanding balance on their account will not be allowed to depart. |
Important Notes:
- Students will not be able to depart without paying the program fee in full.
- Delays in student departures may occur due to circumstances beyond the control of AFS-USA, such as changes to visa regulations, unforeseen delays in visa processing by government agencies, or other changes in regulations here in the U.S. or abroad.
- Participation fees for programs are not based upon the length of the program.
- Fees will not be prorated or discounted if departures are delayed.
- AFS will impose late-payment penalties as appropriate.
- All programs, prices, and travel dates are subject to change without notice.
- If a payment date falls on a weekend, the payment is due the next business day.
- Application fees do not count as a payment toward your Program Fee.
- Full scholarship students: Please see the fee schedule specific to your scholarship in the payment schedule addendum of the Participation Agreement.
Refund Policy:
Application Fee:
Application Fees are non-refundable.
Program Deposit:
Program Deposits allow participants to reserve a spot for consideration on our programs, as we have limited capacity within each program and destination. After an Application Fee Payment is received, these deposits can be submitted at any time during the AFS Application process and count as a payment toward the overall Program Fee. The submission of a Program Deposit does not guarantee acceptance into the program. Applications without Program Deposits are considered incomplete.
A Program Deposit is non-refundable unless:
- The student’s application is not accepted by AFS-USA or our overseas partner.
- The student doesn’t receive their host family’s name or address two weeks prior to departure and decides to withdraw as a result.
- If AFS cancels a program for any reason and does not provide an acceptable alternative.
Program Payments beyond the deposit:
| More than 60 days prior to departure: | Program fee payments in excess of the deposit are fully refundable. |
| Within 60 days of departure: | You will be responsible to pay a cancellation fee equal to 20% of the full program fee. The remainder is refundable. |
| After departure: | Full program fee is non-refundable. |
In circumstances when the deposit is refundable, program fee payments are also refundable. If you receive a scholarship that covers any portion of your program fee after having already paid it, AFS will issue a refund accordingly.