Hello Xperitas Teachers, Travelers, and Friends,
As summer draws to a close and teachers return to classes, many in person for the first time since March 2020, the Xperitas team is working with teachers on planning spring and summer travel for 2022, a year which marks the 50th anniversary of Xperitas’ founding as Intercultural Student Experiences (ISE).
As we plan together, questions arise surrounding the “new normal” of a post-COVID language immersion experience. We have some answers, but not all, because we are still in the midst of a quickly evolving international travel environment.
At Xperitas, we are committed to providing high quality language immersion programming for our teachers and students in 2022 and beyond. The safety, health and security of our travelers and teachers is our primary concern. We continue to work closely with our partners abroad to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on their communities and determine how to move forward with travel safely. As always, we look to the U.S. State Department, World Health Organization, and the CDC for guidance on travel safety.
As destinations have opened for travel, COVID-19 has continued to create some limitations and uncertainties. Because of this, we have adjusted our policies for 2022 travel programs to provide additional enrollment and cancellation flexibility for groups, extending the period in which participants can cancel for a full refund. We have also made every effort to be absolutely clear regarding the point at which travelers will be assuming non-refundable financial obligations. Refer to your travel season below to find more details about these, and other, adjusted policies and deadlines.
Sincerely,
Leslie Gale, Executive Director
Please read to the end so you don't miss important information and reminders!
Vaccination Requirement
Due to rapidly changing worldwide COVID-19 vaccination requirements, all participants in Xperitas 2022 travel programs will be required to submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
The primary factors that have led to this decision are:
- Xperitas Family Stay Coordinators in Europe and Latin America providing The Family Stay Experience™ have advised that host families will host only students who have been vaccinated.
- Some destinations are requiring proof of vaccination to enter the country without a quarantine period.
- Some destinations are requiring proof of vaccination to enter hotels, restaurants, museums, and other cultural destinations
Xperitas prioritizes student safety while providing a high-quality, second-to-none language immersion experience. Careful analysis of international travel mandates and our own program requirements dictates that we must implement this COVID-19 vaccination requirement in order to deliver a program that meets our rigorous safety and quality standards.
Spring Program Information | Payment and Cancellation
Spring Programs Payment Schedule* (programs departing in March and April)
June 15 | Early Bird deadline | $500 deposit
November 1 | Final enrollment deadline | $500 deposit due at the time of enrollment
November 1 | $800
December 1 | $800
January 15 | Final balance due
*If you signed up for automated payments, your payments will continue to be processed on the same schedule
Mandatory Cancellations or Postponements
If on November 30, 2021, the U.S. Department of State is at a travel advisory level of 3 or 4 or there are destination-government imposed restrictions, a program cancellation will be initiated by Xperitas, and participants will receive a full refund. As an alternative option, the group leader could elect to postpone the program to Summer 2022. This may cause an increase in the program price. If the group leader decides to postpone their program to Summer 2022, enrolled students have until December 31, 2021, to cancel their enrollment for a full refund in case they are unable to travel on the new program dates. New students can enroll until December 31, 2021. Family stay applications are due January 15, 2022, for any newly enrolled participants.
Voluntary Cancellations or Postponements
If on November 30, 2021, the U.S. Department of State travel advisory is at a level 1 or 2, there are no destination-government imposed restrictions and the program has not been cancelled by the group leader or school administration, the program will proceed to run as planned. As an alternative option, the group leader could elect to postpone the program to Summer 2022. This may cause an increase in the program price. If the group leader decides to postpone, enrolled students have until December 31, 2021, to cancel their enrollment for a full refund in case they are unable to travel on the new program dates. New students can enroll until December 31, 2021. Family stay applications are due January 15, 2022, for any newly enrolled participants.
After November 30, 2021, if a cancellation is initiated by either Xperitas, an individual, the group leader, the school administration or district due to a U.S. State Department advisory level change or destination-government imposed restrictions, the spring cancelation schedule below would be followed. IMPORTANT: Please note that after November 30, 2021, a portion of the payment is non-refundable. In addition, there will be no postponement option after this date.
2022 Spring Cancellation Schedule
Spring Programs: March and April, 2022
(Varies by program and cancellation date)
Cancellations received through November 30, 2021 | Full refund – No administrative fee charged
December 1, 2021, or later | Refund of all money paid MINUS a $500 administrative fee** AND any air/land expenses incurred by Xperitas
30 days prior to departure | No refund possible
**This fee is to help cover the cost of organizational resources incurred in the planning of the language/cultural immersion experience
If a Spring 2022 group decides to postpone their program to Summer 2022, your Program Manager will contact the group regarding their adjusted Summer 2022 payment and cancellation schedule.
Summer Program Information | Payment and Cancellation
Summer Programs Payment Schedule* (programs departing May - August)
Postmark Deadline June 15 | Early Bird deadline | $500 deposit
November 1 | Final enrollment deadline | $500 deposit (no payment due for Early Bird registrants)
November 15 | $1,000
January 15 | $1,000
March 15 | Final balance due
*If you signed up for automated payments, your payments will continue to be processed on the same schedule
Mandatory Cancellations or Postponements
If on or any time after April 1, 2022, the U.S. Department of State is at or elevates to a travel advisory level of 3 or 4 or there are destination-government imposed restrictions, Xperitas reserves the right to cancel travel to these regions and destinations. This includes travel advisory level changes due to unforeseeable world events, such as terrorism, violence, natural disasters and pandemics. Travel restrictions or bans issued by the destination government, including Tribal Governments, would be subject to the same cancellation policy. Voluntary Cancellations or Postponements
If on or any time after February 1, 2022, a cancellation is initiated by either Xperitas, an individual, the group leader, the school administration or district for any reason, including a U.S. State Department advisory level change or destination-government imposed restrictions, the Summer 2022 cancellation schedule below will be followed. IMPORTANT: Please note that after January 31, 2022, a portion of the payment is non-refundable. In addition, there will be no postponement option.
2022 Summer Cancellation Schedule
Summer Programs: May, June, July, August, 2022
(Varies by program and cancellation date)
Cancellations received through January 31, 2022 | Full refund | No administrative fee charged
February 1, 2022, or later | Refund of all money paid MINUS a $500 administrative fee**AND any air/land expenses incurred by Xperitas
30 days prior to departure | No refund possible
**This fee is to help cover the cost of organizational resources incurred in the planning of the language/cultural immersion experience
Other Deadlines to Remember
Financial Aid
Financial Aid applications for Spring and Summer programs are due on November 1st, 2021. Applications that are incomplete or submitted after the due date will not be considered.
Family Stay
Family Stay applications (if applicable) for Spring and Summer programs are due by November 1st, 2021. Applications that are incomplete or submitted after the due date will incur a $40 late fee.
Vaccination Card Submission!
Participants must submit their COVID-19 vaccine information and card copy via their Xperitas portal by January 1, 2022, for spring programs and March 1, 2022, for summer programs. Failure to upload vaccine information by the deadline will result in cancellation from the program and our cancellation policy will apply.
Delays in Passport Processing!
The U.S. State Department is experiencing significant delays in processing passport applications. It may take up to 18 weeks to receive a passport from the time the application is submitted. It will be important for all participants, leaders and students alike, to submit their passport applications early if they don't have a passport or need to renew. As a reminder, passports should be valid for at least 6 months past the return date of the program.
Participants must submit their passport information and copy via their Xperitas portal by December 1, 2021, for spring programs and February 1, 2022, for summer programs. Applications that are incomplete or submitted after the due date will incur a $40 late fee.
Let us assist in planning your next immersion experience and help make it accessible to all of your students! We have many destination options for Language Immersion programs worldwide. Necessary traveler protections for teachers and students are already integrated into our programs too! Contact us today!