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General Requirements
Successful acceptance and participation in EEI offerings is dependent upon many variables, the most important of which are personal in nature. These factors affect the entire group, as well as the individual participant. Personal qualities that influence the probability of a successful experience for all include a high level of adaptability, desire to engage in the host culture, personal commitment to the program, tolerance of personal and cultural differences, aptitude in maintaining positive group dynamics, and an ability to accept unfamiliar or vague situations. There are also academic prerequisites of a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 (4 point scale). Other academic prerequisites vary, depending upon the specific course or program offering. All participants will also be required to: a) Possess a valid passport that does not expire earlier than four months after the end of the program (see 'Preparation' page); and b) Read and agree to all program policies posted on this web site. See Acceptance below for details.
Participant Selection
Participant selection is based upon a thorough evaluation of application materials to determine strengths and weaknesses regarding both personal characteristics and academic prerequisites. Other factors that may influence acceptance of an application include the applicants' present standing in college (if a student, seniors and graduate students receive preference over freshmen and sophomores), and the date the application was submitted (if candidates are equally qualified, earlier applications receive preference). Please note that an e-mail or phone interview may also be required before a final decision is made regarding your application.
Application & Instructions
Application for participation on EEI offerings will be made either through our partner institution, directly to EEI, or a combination of the two. Please see the appropriate web page for the course you are interested in for details and associated links. The primary document required by EEI is the application form, which also includes detailed instructions. The form and instructions are available as a 'Word' document, which should be filled out, saved, and e-mailed to us as an attachment. If you do not have 'Word', you may download and install a trial version of MS Office, which includes Microsoft 'Word', or download and use Open Office (a completely free alternative: Use the 'Writer' program). Alternatively, an MS Word Viewer program is available which will allow you to view, print, or copy the information to another program. Please note however that the latter program will NOT allow you to save the document in its current format. If you cannot e-mail the form as an attachment, it may also be printed, filled-in, and faxed. Please contact us if you need assistance.
Required Documentation
For application to EEI, the following items must be received by the deadline as indicated on the appropriate page, or at least 90 days prior to the start of the course or program (whichever is first):
1. A completed application form*
2. A recent full-face, passport-size digital picture*
3. A signed paper copy of the participation agreement (page 6 of the application form)**
4. A current official or unofficial academic transcript (current students and recent graduates).**
5. Two references (page 7 of the application form), to be completed & returned directly to EEI by the person completing it.
6.
An application fee of $25 for short courses or $50 for semester programs. Please note that this fee is non-refundable unless the program is cancelled by us.
Payment must be made online at the time of application through PayPal as indicated in the 'payment' section below.
7. Once you have been accepted, proof of the required health insurance for the duration of the program will also be required (a digital copy of your I.D. card). See Health Insurance below.
NOTE: DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO SUBMIT EACH OF THESE DOCUMENTS ARE INCLUDED WITH THE APPLICATION FORM. PLEASE REVIEW THOSE CAREFULLY BEFORE SUBMITTING MATERIALS
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*Electronic documents (items 1&2) should be e-mailed to the following address (click on address below to compose a message using your local mailer). Please do not send any other messages to this address, as they will not be received:
**Paper documents (items 3&4) can be either e-mailed (scanned & attached) or faxed to one of the following fax numbers (please retain originals of these documents, which will be collected upon your arrival in Costa Rica if you are accepted):
Location |
Fax Number |
North America (New York) |
1 (646) 514-8412 |
Europe (United Kingdom) |
44-87-1253-4860 |
NOTE: These fax numbers are for submission of application materials only.
For other matters, visit the contact us page. |
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Acceptance
Applicants will be notified whether or not they have been accepted into the program within four weeks of the deadline. Upon notification of acceptance, payment of the minimum deposit or the entire program fee is required (see 'payment' below).
Once payment has been made, forward the appropriate documents to us via e-mail as necessary so that we may complete your file. Please include payment details: Amount of payment and when/how processed.
Forward all documents to:
Health Insurance
All applicants will be required to show proof of purchase of the required emergency travel/health insurance valid for the duration of the program. Please note: Although this insurance provides broad coverage for medical and various travel-related emergencies, payment is by reimbursement from the insurance company after treatment. Thus, you must always be prepared to pay for any emergency coverage out-of-pocket (typically with a credit card), and then file for reimbursement at a later date.
Also, please note that if you plan to arrive early or stay in-country after the program has ended, you will need to extend your insurance coverage accordingly.
Payment
Payment for courses or programs in which application is made directly to EEI is as outlined below.
Application Fee
An application fee in the amount of $25 for short courses or $50 for semester programs MUST be received in order for your application to be considered complete. Please note that this fee is NON-REFUNDABLE, unless the program is cancelled by EEI. This fee indicates your seriousness about participating.
Application fee payment should be made via PayPal* by selecting the appropriate offering from the drop-down menu to the right and clicking on 'pay now'.
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Minimum Deposit
A minimum deposit in the amount of $750 for short courses or $2,000 for semester programs MUST BE RECEIVED WITHIN TEN BUSINESS DAYS OF BEING NOTIFIED OF ACCEPTANCE. If the minimum deposit is not received by that time, applicants will risk loosing their acceptance status. Full payment may also be made at this time if so desired (see below). The amount of the deposit is NON-REFUNDABLE, except in the event that the program is cancelled by EEI. However, if full payment is made upon notification of acceptance, but for any reason the applicant must withdraw at a later date before the start of the program, EEI will refund all fees EXCEPT the minimum deposit. The deposit serves as a guarantee of participation so we can commit to planning for you arrival, and will be applied to offset the total program fee.
Minimum deposit payment should be made via PayPal* by selecting the appropriate offering from the drop-down menu to the right and clicking on 'pay now'. |
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Remaining Program Fee
Remaining program fees MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE START OF THE PROGRAM (i.e., the end of January for spring semester). Payments which are received after that date will incur a late fee of $200. For total course or program costs, see the appropriate page for the offering you are interested in.
Because of the larger amount of funds involved
(which typically exceed PayPal limits & add excessive processing costs), the remaining (or full) program fee SHOULD BE PAID BY CHECK MAILED TO THE EEI BANK ACCOUNT IN THE U.S.A. at least one week prior to the deadline as indicated below. IMPORTANT: If alternative payment is made via PayPal (below, right), an additional 3% processing fee MUST be added to the amount due to offset credit processing costs. Please add that to the total amount paid.
Paying by Check |
Make checks or money orders out to 'Earth Education International" and mail them to the following address in the U.S.A.: American National Bank, P.O. Box 7749, St. Cloud, MN, 56302. Please allow sufficient time for the check to be received and processed prior to the application deadline. NOTE: Please indicate participant's name if it is not printed on the check so that we may correctly identify the payment.
DO NOT SEND ANY OTHER APPLICATION MATERIALS TO THIS ADDRESS. |
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Alternate Payment |
Full or Remaining Payment
(variable amount)
(ADD 3% TO
AMOUNT
DUE.
SEE ABOVE)
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Other Payment Options: If neither of the above methods of payment is feasible, we can make alternative arrangements, such as electronic bill pay or a money wire (extra bank charges involved). Please let us know in advance so that we may plan as appropriate. |
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*A note about PayPal: Credit/debit/ATM card payments can be made online with any card that had a 'Visa' or 'Mastercard' logo (no account required), or from you PayPal account (if you have one). When you click on the appropriate button above, you will be routed to a secure server for Earth Education International on the PayPal web site. An e-mail confirmation of your payment will be sent to you following the transaction. For more information, visit the PayPal web site.
Refund Policy
As indicated above, the application fee and minimum deposit (which will be applied to offset the program fee) are NON-REFUNDABLE, except in the event that the program is cancelled by EEI. The following refund policy applies to participants who withdraw or are expelled from the program for not maintaining a minimum academic performance, or for violation of program policies or Costa Rican law:
1) If a participant withdraws prior to the start of a course or program EEI will refund all fees except the application fee, minimum deposit, and any other funds that may have already been committed on the applicant's behalf (prior to receiving notification of withdrawal).
2) Half (50%) of the total course or program fees will be refunded if within the first five days of a short course, or first week of a semester program.
3) All program fees (and academic credit) will be forfeited if beyond the time frame indicated in #2 above.
For additional information, see the 'financial policies' section of the 'Policies' page, and the application form.
Departure Preparations
Once you have been accepted, paid the program fee (or deposit), you will be notified by e-mail that your file is complete. At that point you may proceed with making final preparations for departure as indicated on the 'Preparation' page.
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