Hartwick college

Below you will find information pertaining to the terms and policies for Hartwick College's January Term Off-Campus Programs. Be sure to read all policies carefully. If you have any questions, please contact Global Education, Golisano Hall, 607-431-4079.

Application Deadlines
Program Fee
Expenses Included in the Program Fee
Expenses NOT Included in the Program Fee
Acceptance into a January Off-Campus Program and Deposit
Final Payment
Making Payments
Financial Assistance
Withdrawal and Refund Policy
Hartwick College Alcohol Policy
Hartwick College Drug Policy
Immunizations
Trip Cancellation Insurance
Medical Insurance Coverage
Passports
Passport Photos
Credits and Grades for Hartwick Students
Board and Credit Fee Reduction
Contact the CFI

Application Deadlines

Students interested in participating in an off-campus J Term program should submit applications starting on March 18 (on-line system). Submission of an application, which requires program director signature, does not indicate acceptance. After you have submitted your application, it will be reviewed by the program director and you will be notified by Global Education (PSGE Center).

For information on the application process please go here.

Once a course reaches its maximum participant capacity, applicants will be placed on a waitlist and contacted only if space becomes available in the program. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are encouraged to apply in time for the spring deadline to assure a place. First-year students and transfer students may apply in the fall when they arrive on campus.

• Deadline: April 19, 2013
• Fall Deadline for First Years: September 20, 2013

Program Fee

Students who enroll in an off-campus J Term program pay a program fee to cover the costs of the program. Fees listed on this Web page are estimated in advance and are subject to change based on unforseeable changes, such as fluctuating currencies, increased airfares, fuel surcharges and general inflation. Should there be a change in the program fee, students will have two weeks from the notification date or until the last day of classes--whichever is shorter--to pay.

Please note: Failure to pay the $500 deposit by May 6, 2013, or the full program fee by August 5, 2013, will result in the student's removal from the program. At that time, students from the waitlist will be reconsidered for acceptance into the program.

Expenses Included in the Program Fee

• Round-trip airfare from the program-specified U.S. gateway airport including all departure taxes, passenger facility charges, and any applicable airport departure taxes AND/OR program-related ground transportation as indicated by course itinerary
• Lodging
• Most meals; some meals may be the responsibility of the participant; the program director will inform accepted participants if this is the case
• Museum entrances and other course-related activity fees
• Study-abroad medical insurance for students traveling overseas
  

Expenses NOT Included in the Program Fee

• Transportation from the participant's home to the gateway airport and return
• Fees for deviations from group airline reservations and accommodations (e.g., travel dates, single room)
• Passport or visa services (or services to obtain other required travel documents)
• Immunizations
• Any costs incurred by reason of absence or deviation from the program for any reason whatsoever, including medical emergencies, transportation delays, or legal situations
• Trip cancellation insurance

Acceptance into a January Off-Campus Program and Deposit

Applicants who submit a complete application by the deadline and earn the program director's approval will be provisionally accepted into the program contingent upon their submission of the program deposit and all required application forms. Approved applicants will receive notice via campus mail. The parents or guardian also will receive a copy by email or by mail. J Term acceptance letters will detail the responsibilities of participants and request that a non-refundable $500 deposit be submitted to Student Accounts immediately to reserve the applicant's place in the program. Students are not considered accepted into a program until the $500 deposit is received by the date indicated in the acceptance letter.

Deposits are due as follows:

• Spring applicants: May 6, 2013
• Fall applicants: September 30, 2013

Once this deposit is received, students will be fully accepted into a program and the balance of the program fees will be billed to them in their student account. Spring admits will be billed in July; Fall admits will be billed in October.

• Spring Applicants Final Payment Deadline: August 5, 2013
• Fall Applicants Final Payment Deadline: October 11, 2013

Please note: A student's entire Hartwick College balance (including all off-campus program fees) must be paid by the final deadline in order to be eligible for participation in an off-campus program.

Failure to pay by the deadline will result in the student being dropped from the program.

Making Payments

All payments must be made at or mailed to the Office of Student Accounts, located in Bresee Hall.

• The initial deposit of $500 and payments toward the balance of the program fees and/or a student's account may be paid in the form of cash, check, or credit card.
• Payments made online by transferring money from a bank account carry a $5 fee per transaction.
• To pay by credit card (MasterCard, Discover, or American Express), please call 800-722-4867. (There is a 3-4% charge for this service.)

Checks should be made payable to "Hartwick College" and also should indicate "J Term" and the program location on the memo line of the check.

Financial Assistance

There are a limited number of Hartwick scholarships available for students participating in an international off-campus J Term course. Given the ratio of applicants to scholarships, this is a very competitive process, and students should not "count" on receiving this financial assistance. Students must complete the Off-Campus J Term Scholarship form.

Students seeking other financial assistance for off-campus January Term programs should contact the Financial Aid Office, Bresee Hall, 607-431-4130. Loan options are available to students and their parents to cover these program costs.

Please note that although the initial $500 deposit fee may be included as part of your loan budget, these funds will not be made available to you until a later date. The Financial Aid Office will not include J Term costs in your budget or certify a loan until the initial $500 deposit is paid. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information about loan options.

Withdrawal and Refund Policy

Students who decide to withdraw from an off-campus program must do so by submitting a Withdrawal Form, available online and from Global Education, Golisano Hall. No refunds will be issued without this form. Withdrawals are effective as of the day the form reaches the Center for Interdependence.

• If the withdrawal is effective prior to September 30, 2013, I will receive $300 of the deposit, if already paid, according to the deposit refund policy above. If I have paid additional amounts above the deposit, I will receive a full refund of those amounts. If I have not paid the deposit, I will be billed for $200.
• If the withdrawal is effective between October 1 and November 1, 2013, I will be responsible for 30% of the program fee, including any adjustments as described above. If I have previously paid fees in excess of this amount, the College will apply amounts previously paid toward my obligation and will bill me the remaining amount due.
• If the withdrawal is effective between November 2 and December 1, 2013, I will be responsible for 50% of the program fee, including any adjustments as described above. If I have previously paid fees in excess of this amount, the College will apply amounts previously paid toward my obligation and will bill me the remaining amount due.
• If the withdrawal is effective between December 2, 2013 and the first day of the course, I will be responsible for 75% of the program fee, including any adjustments as described above. If I have previously paid fees in excess of this amount, the College will apply amounts previously paid toward my obligation and will bill me the remaining amount due.
• If the student withdraws or leaves the program for any reason on or after the scheduled departure date, no portion of the program fee will be refunded and any expenses incurred by the student to turn home are his or her sole responsibility, and not the College's.

The Withdrawal Form (pdf document) is available for downloading from our Application and Forms page.

Hartwick College Alcohol Policy

While the majority of states in the U.S. require individuals to be at least 21 to legally consume alcohol, many other countries have set their minimum age requirements below 21, and the legal age varies widely depending on the country. Some countries have no drinking age laws while others prohibit all alcohol consumption. This variability has the potential to confuse U.S. students studying abroad, particularly if their international experiences include stays in more than one country. To complicate matters, alcohol is generally much more accessible overseas, and some of it is more potent. However, it is also not uncommon in other countries for older children to drink a beer or have a glass of wine among family members or in a social setting. The expectation in many countries is that alcohol is consumed responsibly and in moderation.

Hartwick's on-campus alcohol policy, based upon the legal drinking age of 21, will remain in effect during all domestic off-campus programs, with additional provisions for international settings. These provisions establish the in-country laws as determining the applicable legal drinking age - i.e., Hartwick students must abide by the legal drinking age in the country or countries in which the program is occurring. Students who are not of legal drinking age in country, and those who otherwise violate the policies described below, will be sanctioned as specified in this document and in course syllabi which may specify more restrictive policies.

Hartwick College Drug Policy

Hartwick College has a zero-tolerance policy regarding the possession, use, manufacture, purchase, exchange, distribution, or sale of illicit drugs by faculty, staff, and students participating in a College sponsored off-campus program. Ignorance of this policy is no excuse for its violation, and violation of this policy will result in swift sanctions, up to and including dismissal from the program and College.

In the case of prescription medication, students or program leaders with a pre-existing medical condition must keep on their person a letter from their physician describing the medical condition and any prescribed medications, including generic names. Prescription medication should be kept in the pharmacy container and should be clearly labeled. Prior to departure, all travelers should consult the foreign embassy of their destination country to ensure that the specific medication is permitted and is not banned as an illegal narcotic. Embassy and consulate information may be found on the U.S. Department of State's web site (www.state.gov).

Immunizations

Travel information is given by each program director and also can be found on the Blackboard site that is provided for all students accepted into an off-campus J Term program.

Perrella Wellness Center highly recommends that students refer to the CDC Web site for further information on travel destination: http://www.cdc.gov/.

Trip Cancellation Insurance

Trip cancellation insurance is a safeguard against unforeseen events such as family matters, personal illness, world events, etc., which could keep a student from participating in a program.

Hartwick College highly recommends that students protect their investment in the program by buying trip cancellation insurance. The College does not endorse or promote any specific company or policy. For more information, please contact:

STA Travel www.statravel.com
Travel Guard www.travelguard.com
Travel Insured International 800-243-3174 HTH
Worldwide http://www.hthtravelinsurance.com/trip_protection.cfm

Medical Insurance Coverage

Hartwick College requires all individuals participating in an off-campus program to have health, accident, and hospitalization insurance. In addition, students going overseas will be covered by a special study abroad insurance policy that includes coverage for expenses relating to sickness, injury, medical evacuation, accidental death, and repatriation.

Passports

Students participating in an international off-campus program MUST submit a new readable photocopy of their passport to the Office of Global Education to complete the application. Passports must have an expiration date of July 1, 2014 or later.

If a student does not have a passport or will need to renew it, she/he should review the procedures on the U.S. Department of State Web site and apply early, as requests may take up to three months to process.

Please note: Passport information is often required for the booking of international travel arrangements, so it is imperative that students submit their passport information in a timely manner. Failure to do so may result in ineligibility.

Passport Photos

Passport photos (2"x2") can be obtained at the following local locations:

Walgreen's
99 Chestnut Street
Oneonta, NY 13820
607-433-5101

Rite Aid Pharmacy
5626 State Hwy
Oneonta, NY 13820
607-432-8636

Walmart
5054 State Hwy 23
Oneonta, NY 13820
607-431-9557

Credits and Grades for Hartwick Students

Off-campus programs during January Term typically carry 4 credits and a grade. Many courses satisfy the Experiential Learning requirement of the Liberal Arts in Practice Curriculum.

Board Credit and Fee Reduction

Students living on or off campus who are enrolled in a weekly board plan will receive a board credit for the duration of the time they are off campus participating in a Hartwick College January Term program. Block plans do not qualify for board credit. Certain programs for which board expenses at the host site are subsidized are excluded from this credit provision. Students should inquire at the Office of Student Accounts for specifics regarding the amount of their individual credit.

Contact Global Education

Office of Global Education
Hartwick College
1st Floor, Golisano Hall
Oneonta, NY 13820
Phone: 607-431-4079 | Fax: 607-431-4008