ADMISSIONS AND CANCELLATION POLICIES
Our investment in planning, staffing, and provisioning cannot be recovered in the event of short-notice cancellations and transfers. Penalties do apply and are described below. By applying for an Inner Guide Expeditions course you are accountable for and subject to the information contained on these pages.
DEPOSIT
Inner Guide Expeditions requires a $500 deposit submitted with a completed enrollment form to reserve your spot on course. The $500 deposit is applied toward the total cost of tuition and fees for the course and includes a $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee.
DEPOSIT REFUND POLICY
The deposit includes a $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee and the remaining $350 deposit is refundable if you cancel your enrollment more than 90 days from the course start date.
- If you are waitlisted and a spot on the course does not become available, Inner Guide will refund the full $500 deposit.
- In the event you are not cleared to participate on the course, Inner Guide will retain the $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee and refund $350 of the deposit.
- If you are cleared to participate and cancel less than 90 days from the course start date, Inner Guide will retain the full $500 deposit.
- If you are more than 30 days past due on paying the balance of your course, Inner Guide will cancel your enrollment and retain the full $500 deposit.
TUITION & FEES
The total cost includes all tuition and fees for the course. Tuition covers the cost of food, instructors, permits, gear, and equipment while on course. Not included in this total cost are personal expenses such as clothing, insurance (health and travel), airfare, and baggage fees.
Fees for the course include a $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee.
Full payment is due 90 days before the course start date. Be prepared to pay the balance due at this time even if you have yet to submit your completed enrollment packet or have yet to be cleared to participate on the course.
If your payment is not received by the deadline, this may be considered a cancellation and you will risk losing your spot on the course and your $500 deposit.
TUITION & FEES REFUND POLICY
In the event your enrollment packet is not cleared for participation on the course, Inner Guide will refund your payment for the course with the exception of the $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee.
The $150 enrollment processing fee is refundable only if:
- Inner Guide cancels your course
- You are waitlisted and a spot on the course does not become available
- You do not qualify for financial aid and need to withdraw your enrollment on the course
CANCELLATION POLICY
Inner Guide cannot refund the cost of the course in the event you are unable to attend or complete the course due to unexpected events, illness or injury.
There are no penalties if you cancel more than 90 days before the course start date. With the exception of the $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee, Inner Guide will refund $350 of your deposit and 100% of your payment.
There are penalties for canceling less than 90 days before the course start date and a graduated system of penalties apply.
For cancellations between:
- 89 and 75 days from the course start date, Inner Guide will retain the full $500 deposit and refund the remaining balance.
- 74 and 60 days from course start, Inner Guide will retain the $500 deposit and refund 75% of the remaining balance.
- 59 and 45 days from course start, Inner Guide will retain the $500 deposit and refund 50% of the remaining balance.
- 44 days and less from course start, Inner Guide will not issue a refund
WAITLIST POLICY
If the course you selected is full, you may have the option to be waitlisted. If waitlisted for a course, in addition to submitting the enrollment form and $500 deposit, to maintain your waitlist spot, you will be required to submit a completed enrollment packet.
If a spot becomes available, it will be offered to the individual who returned their completed enrollment packet first; not to the individual who enrolled on the waitlist first. This individual will have 24 hours to decide to take the open spot.
If a spot does not become available, or you elect to be removed from the waitlist due to not having a spot on the course, Inner Guide will refund the full $500 deposit.
If a spot does become available on the course and you elect not to take it, the $150 enrollment processing fee will not be refunded.
COURSE TRANSFER POLICY
You may transfer from one course to another one time for no penalty provided it is more than 60 days from the course start date. A $100 Transfer Fee will apply to subsequent transfers more than 60 days from the course start date.
For transfers less than 60 days from the course start date, 50% of the payment is transferrable and you will forfeit 50% of your payment. Inner Guide will not issue refund for any transfers less than 30 days of the course start date.
PAPERWORK TIMELINE
In order to be fully enrolled, full-tuition must be paid AND the student medical record and required forms must be submitted, reviewed, and accepted. Deadline for complete enrollment is 90 days before course start. Inner Guide requires timely return of all paperwork. Late return of any paperwork will delay the review of other customers’ applications and will jeopardize your spot on course. Return all your paperwork by the due date assigned. If any paperwork is past due, your spot may be made available to other applicants and course deposit withheld.
ACCURATE INFORMATION
Failure to provide accurate complete information could compromise your or other participant’s safety and course quality. Our goal is for every student to have a successful course. By sharing all physical, emotional, or behavioral conditions we can help you choose the course that will provide you with the highest chance for success. Additionally, undisclosed conditions that result in early departure are not eligible for a refund (see Early Departures section).
Please report injuries, illnesses, new medications or changes to your prescription to the Admissions Department. If you arrive on course with an unreported medical condition, other diagnosis, or if you have changed the type or amount of medications since submitting your application without informing the Admissions Department you may be dismissed from course.
EARLY DEPARTURES
If you are expelled from course, expedition or Guide Council program, leave due to an undisclosed pre-existing condition or choose to leave voluntarily, there is no refund or course credit.
COURSE EXPULSIONS
Our purpose and intent is to help and support students so they can successfully complete their course. However, if a student is determined to leave the course we simply cannot make them stay. We are committed to coordinating the effort to keep the student on course through our instructional staff, administrative support, and parents. After these avenues are exhausted and if we find the student or the other students in physically or emotionally unsafe situations parents will be contacted to arrange for their child’s travel home.
Example Expulsion Situations:
- Unwilling or unmotivated to participate and shoulder responsibility as a member of a wilderness expedition team
- Posing a danger, through misconduct or unsafe practices, to yourself or others
- Defiant, harassing or otherwise compromising the emotional safety of others
- Using alcohol, drugs (including prescription medication not prescribed to you or sharing your medication) or tobacco products while on their course
- Engaging in sexual activity or sexual harassment of any kind
- Bullying, chronic lying, stealing, or other negative behaviors
If a student is exhibiting these behaviors on course, instructors typically start by working with the student individually, then contacting the base camp for additional resources or calling a parent, then, if the problems persist, removing the students from the course. However, students who break the law, threaten, or endanger others will be expelled immediately.
TRAVEL TO COURSE
Inner Guide recommends the following two criteria are met prior to you making travel arrangements:
- You are fully enrolled for course which includes: full-tuition must be paid AND the student medical record and required forms must be submitted, reviewed, and accepted.
- We’ve met adequate enrollment to meet our minimum group size (typically 5 participants). Inner Guide will notify you as soon as we are able regarding course cancellation due to low enrollment.
You may elect to purchase tickets before receiving that information BUT if you do and your course is cancelled, Inner Guide will not be responsible for your unused airline ticket.
