Payments Refunds Financial Aid Student Conduct

Programs That Are Not Yet Open Online

Students wishing to apply to a program that is not yet open qualify for a waiver of their $75 application fee.  By applying to a program early you can secure a spot on what could be an impacted program.  To apply early simply request a catalog, fill out the four page paper application in the back, and mail it to our office:

Global Student Experience
17752 Skypark Circle, Suite 235
Irvine, Ca 92614


Multiple Program Enrollment and Year-Long Programs

Global Student Experience participants have the option of extending their study abroad experience by enrolling in multiple program sessions.  Students have the option of enrolling in consecutive sessions in a different city, so long as program dates do not overlap.  For example, a student can extend a fall semester (or quarter) program into a year long program by applying for a spring semester (or winter and spring quarter) program in addition to their fall semester program.  Students interested in extending their program need only submit one application and one application fee.  Students applying for multiple sessions are eligible for tuition discounts. Students should contact a GSE Program Advisor to find out more information about specific discount amounts.  Students planning on attending multiple program sessions must submit their confirmation payments for all sessions together.  Application closure and withdrawal dates will be different for each program city and session and it is the student’s responsibility to comply with them.  Students planning to enroll in multiple GSE programs are responsible for the appropriate visa requirements in the country (or countries) to which they are applying.  Refer to our Passport and Visa page to direct yourself to the appropriate visa website.


Participation Deferment

If a student is unable to participate on the program for which he/she originally submitted an application and would like to change the selected program destination, term, or university, he/she must submit a new application and $75 application fee online at www.GSEAbroad.com. Confirmation deposit payments may be transferred to another program only if the student makes the decision to change to a different program prior to the three-month period before the original program application deadline.  If a student changes programs within three months of the application deadline, he/she cannot recover his confirmation deposit for use on another program, based on arrangements already made by GSE on the student’s behalf to participate on the original program for which the student applied. Confirmation deposit payment transfer is good for one calendar year from the program that the student originally signed up for. This policy does not extend to any programs offered by the University of Florence; no confirmation deposit payment may be transferred to another program after it is paid for a program at the University of Florence.

Payments

Every student participating in a GSE program is required to make the following payments:

Application Payment:  All GSE applicants are required to pay a non-refundable $75 application fee at the time their application is submitted.  Once your application is processed and your acceptance is confirmed you will be mailed an acceptance packet including course descriptions and other pertinent program information.

Confirmation Payment:  After receiving confirmation of your acceptance you must make a non-refundable confirmation payment to guarantee your place in a program.  Semester, quarter, and year program confirmation deposits are $750.  Summer program confirmation deposits are $500.  In order to hold your place in a program your confirmation payment must be received by GSE no later than 14 days after you receive confirmation of your acceptance, or by the application deadline, whichever is first.

Final Payment:  After making your confirmation payment you will be invoiced for your final payment.  Final payments will not be due until the program withdrawal date.  The withdrawal date for summer programs is on the application deadline.  For semester, quarter, and academic year programs the withdrawal date is usually 30 days after the application deadline.  Any final payments received after the program withdrawal date will be considered late and will be subject to a $200 late fee.

For year long programs, GSE requires 60% of the final payment to be paid before the fall semester withdrawal date and the remaining 40% of the final payment is due by the spring semester withdrawal date.

Housing Damage Deposit:  All GSE participants are required to submit a refundable housing damage deposit along with their final payment.  Payments vary depending on the duration of program, but typically do not exceed $300 for summer programs and $500 for semester or quarter programs.  This deposit is held by GSE until the end of each program and will be used in the event that you damage your housing or incur excessive utility bills.  You will be held responsible for any damages to your housing that exceed the housing damage deposit. 

Payment and Billing Methods

All payments to GSE can be made by check, money order, wire transfer, or credit card.  All checks and money orders shall be made payable to GSE and sent to:

     Global Student Experience (GSE)
     17752 Skypark Circle, Suite 235
     Irvine, CA 92614
 
Please call (866) 756-2443 for information on paying by wire transfer or credit card.  Students may pay the application fee and confirmation deposit using their credit card (Visa, MaterCard, Discover, or American Express). The final payment may be made by credit card, but a 3% processing fee will be added to the amount billed.

Refunds

Arranging programs necessitates making advanced payments for university tuition, housing, transportation arrangements, and other expenses. As such, all application fees and confirmation deposits are nonrefundable.  Students who cancel their enrollment in a program on, or before, the program withdrawal date (30 days after the program closure date in semester program and on the application date for summer programs) are eligible for a full refund of all recoverable fees, minus the application fee and confirmation deposit.  Students must submit their cancellation to GSE in writing by email or mail.  Students who submit written cancellation after the program closure date but prior to departure will be refunded 50% of all recoverable fees, minus the application fee and confirmation deposit.  No refunds will be given to students who cancel their enrollment after the program start date. 

Program Cancellation:  GSE reserves the right to cancel, amend, or defer any program.  If a program is cancelled GSE will provide all students set to participate in that program with the choice of enrolling in a later program session, changing to a different GSE program city, or a full refund of all program tuitions.

Financial Aid

If you are currently receiving or are planning on using financial aid to pay for all or part of your expenses while abroad, please go to the financial aid office on your campus in order to determine whether aid will transfer to your GSE program. GSE advises students to apply early for aid in order to make the necessary payments by the listed deadlines.

Students wishing to obtain financial aid to pay for all or part of their GSE abroad program are required to read and complete the Financial Aid Payment Policies document.  The document consists of two parts: the Financial Aid Disbursement Form (Part 1, to be completed by Financial Aid Officer) and the Financial Aid Letter of Agreement form (Part 2, to be completed by Student).  This document must be filled out to ensure proper payment arrangements for your program.  If GSE does not receive the document by mail or fax on or before the final payment deadline of the program, the student will incur a $200 late fee.

THE FINANCIAL AID DISBURSEMENT FORM (Part 1 of 2): 
Submit this form to a financial aid advisor at your home institution’s financial aid office.  This form should clearly indicate the dates of disbursement of the award package, the amount of aid the student will receive, and to whom the check will be made payable.  In some cases the disbursement dates listed are after the final payment date or after the student begins their program abroad.  In such cases, students are eligible for a deferment of the payment portion that is to be made by their award package.  It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that GSE receives the deferred financial aid payment no later than 10 business days after the disbursement date listed on the Financial Aid Disbursement Form.  In many cases the student is already abroad after the check is disbursed, creating a problem if the student’s signature is needed to cash the check.  To avoid this predicament GSE advises that the student arrange well in advance of the program to grant a Power of Attorney to a family member that will remain in the country for the duration of the student’s time abroad.  This will enable financial aid checks to be sent to someone trustworthy in the country that can sign them on behalf of the student, deposit the funds, and make a prompt payment to GSE to ensure the student does not incur late fees.  Include a copy of the Power of Attorney document with your Financial Aid Payment Policies document.
 
THE FINANCIAL AID LETTER OF AGREEMENT (Part 2 of 2):
All GSE participants using financial aid to pay for all or part of their program’s expenses must complete this form.  This form assures that, in the event that the financial aid funds are not received, you will assume full responsibility for the payment of the program. 

Part 1 and Part 2, along with the difference of costs not covered by the financial aid award package, must be received by GSE no later than the final payment deadline of the program.  Any student that fails to submit this document and any balance that will not be covered by financial aid will incur a $200 late fee.  Please be aware that neither the application payment nor the confirmation deposit can be deferred and must be paid by the assigned dates.  

Consequences of Outstanding Balances

ULTIMATELY, IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT TO ENSURE THAT ALL PROGRAM FEES ARE PAID.  Fees not covered by the financial aid award package must be covered by the student by the assigned payment due dates.  Not paying the program fees in full and/or failing to submit the required financial aid forms by the final payment deadline will result in a $200 late fee.  A student that has made arrangements with GSE to use financial aid and/or payment deferment that fails to pay according to the stated agreement may be prohibited from attending their program abroad, or, if already overseas, is subject to dismissal and the forfeiture of all aspects of their program abroad, including their privileges and rights as a GSE student, their university classes, and housing assignments.  All refundable deposits will be forfeited by the student as well.  GSE will advise the host institution abroad to withhold the student’s transcript until all payments are received.  In the event that a participant begins the program on a deferred payment plan and withdraws from the program before the office receives the payment, the student loses refund privileges and is required to pay the amount in full to GSE within four weeks of the disbursement date agreed upon in Part 1 of the Financial Aid document.  In the case that the student fails to pay the amount in full, GSE will observe the right to transfer any outstanding balances to a collections agency.  More penalty fees may be assessed at the discretion of the agency.

Student Conduct

While abroad, GSE students are expected to abide by all GSE policies concerning student conduct.  This includes following the laws and regulations of their host country.  Additionally, GSE students must fulfill their academic responsibilities by upholding the high academic standards of their host institution.  In accordance with these responsibilities, GSE students must read and understand these policies, and agree to abide by them while abroad.

Academics

In addition to their responsibilities as a GSE program participant, GSE students have academic responsibilities at their host institution(s). GSE students are expected to remain academically eligible at their host institution(s).  To remain eligible, GSE students must preserve their full-time student status, achieve passing grades, and comply with the attendance policies of their host institution(s), in addition to any other policies concerning academic eligibility at their host institution(s).  GSE students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the policies of their host institution(s), especially with regards to their attendance policies.  Depending on the policies of the host institution, ineligible students may not receive a transcript or transfer credit.  GSE students are expected to maintain honest conduct in their academic affairs and agree to refrain from cheating, plagiarism, or any other dishonest conduct. 

GSE enforces all policies of the host institution.  GSE students violating these policies will face appropriate disciplinary action, which may include dismissal from their host institution(s) or program.  Students dismissed from their program for academic reasons will forfeit any and all academic transcripts and will receive no refund of any kind.

Drugs and Alcohol

GSE does not tolerate excessive consumption of alcohol or use of illegal drugs.  Students violating GSE’s alcohol and drug policies will face appropriate disciplinary action, which may include dismissal from the program and returning home at the student’s expense.  While abroad, GSE students will be subject to the laws of their host country concerning alcohol and drugs.  In the event that a student violates the local laws of their host country and is jailed or imprisoned, GSE will take appropriate measures to inform the student’s emergency contact.  However, neither GSE nor the student’s home country Embassy/Consulate may be able to intervene on the student’s behalf.  Students removed from a GSE program for drug or alcohol related reasons will forfeit all academic transcripts and will receive no refunds of any kind.  

Responsibility

GSE students and expected to read and understand all pre-departure materials, prior to their departure. The pre-departure information and advice that GSE offers is intended to assist each student in preparing for his/her study abroad experience.   Additionally, GSE students are expected to educate themselves on issues concerning their safety and health and their host country’s political, cultural, and religious climate.  While abroad, GSE students are responsible for their actions and behavior and are subject to all local laws and customs.  GSE students are also responsible for treating all program participants, classmates, housing providers, host university faculty and personnel, GSE personnel, and local authorities with respect and regard.

Safety

While abroad, it is of utmost importance that GSE students maintain prudent and cautious behavior and a general sense of awareness to encourage a safe, successful international education experience.  GSE students must exercise good judgment in their everyday decisions concerning their health and safety in their host country.  Every GSE student must actively participate in their personal health and safety.  GSE students jeopardizing their safety and/or the safety of fellow students will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, including removal from their program. 

Disciplinary Action

GSE students are required to abide by the policies of this document, as well as all policies of their host institution(s).  Additional policies may be set by GSE Onsite Program Directors to ensure student safety, academic achievement, or to continue/bolster good relations with the host university and community.  GSE may pursue disciplinary action in the case that a student engages in activities or behaviors that (A) jeopardize their health and safety or the health and safety of others; (B) are disrespectful towards a people or a culture; (C) blatantly disregard cultural norms and rules, or (D) violate the laws of their host country, the policies or standards of their host institution, or any of GSE’s policies.  Depending on the severity of the violation or incident, GSE will employ one or more of the following disciplinary actions: a formal report documenting the offending incident, a verbal warning cautioning the student against future or continued violations, a formal written warning expressing the student’s proximity to removal, and/or removal from the program and program site, including housing.

GSE Onsite Program Directors will assess any incidents and determine the appropriate disciplinary action.  According to the severity of the violation, any disciplinary action may be employed, up to and including removal from the program.  Additionally, GSE reserves the right to contact a student’s Emergency Contact and/or home university with regards to disciplinary actions.  Students dismissed from their program will be ineligible for any academic transcripts and will receive no refund of any kind.