2024 Summer Program Finance Policy | Amigos de las Americas Help Center

Applies to National & Local Chapter Volunteers

This Finance Policy outlines the various payment, refund, and other financial policies that apply to AMIGOS. By submitting a Program Deposit, you consent to the Finance Policies described in this document. If you have any questions or concerns, please email admissions@amigosinternational.org.

Program Fees

Application Fee

All applicants must submit a $75 application fee to complete their application. This Application Fee is nonrefundable and is not included as part of the listed Program Fee. This Application Fee reserves a spot on one of your preferred projects while you complete the application and deposit process.
In specific circumstances, the Application Fee may be waived. If you have communicated with AMIGOS staff and your application fee has been waived, select “my fee has been waived.” If you have questions about waiving your application fee, email admissions@amigosinternational.org.

Program Deposit

All applicants must pay a $425 program deposit. This payment is due within the timeframe communicated to you by AMIGOS staff (typically one or two weeks) to reserve placement in the program.
The Program Deposit shall be credited towards the applicable Program Fee and is deducted from any future billing statements.

Program Fees The below table indicates the Program Fees for all projects before any financial assistance or discounts. Program Fees vary based on the length and location of your project.

What does my Program Fee include? Your Program Fee includes the following:

All pre-departure training & volunteer onboarding
Travel support
On-site training & orientation
In-country food, lodging, and transportation costs
Full-time program staff
24-Hour On-Call safety team
Program excursions
Credit for service hours

What is not included in my Program Fee? The following items are not included in your Program Fee:

International and domestic airfare (learn more about travel support and flight costs here: https://amigosinternational.org/flights-and-travel-information/)
Transportation to/from your home airport
Airline baggage fees
Airline unaccompanied minor fees (applies to some volunteers young than 15 at time of project start)
Notary fees
Required immunizations and medical examinations
Passport/Visa Fees
Personal equipment (this may include a mosquito net, backpack, water purification bottle, additional clothing, etc.)
Food and discretionary purchases during travel to and from the project site (this may include souvenirs or food/snacks outside of provided meals)
College Credit
Supplemental Health Insurance
Travel and/or Program Fee Protection Insurance fees

Airfare Fees

As mentioned above, airfare to and from your AMIGOS Project Location is not included in your Program Fee. Airfare fees include the direct cost of airfare, a booking and support fee, and various Unaccompanied Minor fees for some volunteers younger than 15 at time of project start (if applicable).

Airfare Deposit

In addition to your AMIGOS Program Fee, all volunteers must submit an airfare deposit in the amount of $800. For volunteers accepted by March 15th, this Airfare Deposit is due on April 1st along with Part 2 Paperwork. Volunteers accepted after March 15th must submit their Airfare Deposit according to the deadline communicated to them by the Admissions Team.
Flight itineraries will be held until airfare payment is received in full and all paperwork requirements are complete. You should expect total airfare costs (deposit, remaining payment, and fees) to range between $1,100 and $1,600.

Airfare Booking and Support Fees AMIGOS books international flights as group reservations to ensure that all volunteers travel together to their project country. These group flights allow us to ensure that we have enough seats for the entire group to travel together and help to ensure that in the event of itinerary changes, the group is not separated.

Because of the level of support provided by AMIGOS for volunteer booking and travel, you will be subject to a $200 administrative fee which covers such services as: group travel booking, domestic airfare booking, travel day support at gateway airports, unaccompanied minor pickup services at gateway airports and/or international flight chaperones where applicable, and the 24-hour Travel Hotline.
For more information about travel policies and procedures, visit this page

Payments and Billing

Payment Instructions

You will receive your AMIGOS Billing Statement via email from admissions@amigosinternational.org. The first billing statements will be sent on February 1, 2024. Volunteers accepted after that date will receive their billing statement on the 1st or 15th of the month following their acceptance (whichever falls first).

Payments may be paid by four different sources:

The volunteer or their family members (credit card payment)
The volunteer or their family members (529 plan)
Individual donors, or
Third party organizations

Payments should be made by credit card (there are no processing fees for payment via credit card). Payment can made at the following link.

Please include your volunteer’s Customer ID when making payment. The Customer ID can be found on your AMIGOS Billing Statement.

You may choose to make a one-time payment or set up a recurring payment plan. Please note that if you set up a recurring payment plan, payment must be made in full by the final payment deadline. If you are choosing to set up a recurring payment, you may choose:

the recurring period length,
the day you would like your payment processed,
how many payments you would like processed, and
when you would like your payment to end

If you choose to pay via a 529 College Savings Plan, please see our section on College Credit below.

Payment Schedule and Deadline

Please see the table below that outlines payment deadlines based on your acceptance date to AMIGOS. If payment in full is not received by the payment due date, the volunteer will not be able to participate in the program.

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Airfare costs exceeding the $800 Airfare Deposit will be billed to families on a rolling basis according to your program start date, beginning in May. This remaining airfare balance will be due in full one week after billing. In the event your airfare is less than $800, we will refund the appropriate portion of the Airfare Deposit. However, all airfare estimates are higher than $800.

You will receive a billing statement once your deposit has been received. Any questions about partial payments or outstanding balances can be directed to admissions@amigosinternational.org. This statement will provide a record of the amount paid directly as well as any other credits (financial assistance, National Chapter fundraising, etc.). Please note that these statements may be a few days behind as it takes 3-5 business days for AMIGOS to process funds received and update statements. Please reach out to our team for clarification if you believe your statement is missing a payment or donation.

If payment in full is not received by the payment due date, the volunteer will not be able to participate in the program.

Additional Fees

Late Paperwork

If all volunteer paperwork is not received by the paperwork deadline*, a $100 Late Paperwork Fee will be applied to your statement.

Paperwork deadline is April 1st for volunteers accepted before March 1st . Volunteers accepted after April 1st have 30 days or less to complete onboarding paperwork (to be communicated by Admissions upon acceptance) depending on proximity to project start.

Volunteer Early Return

In the case of an early return related to a Standards of Conduct violation or if you choose to return to your home residence under your own volition, you will be responsible for paying the administrative fee of $350, as well as any costs associated with this travel to your home residence. For more information, please reference the Consent and Release Agreement.

Reimbursement for Medical Care

In the case of certain medical care expenses, you are responsible for reimbursement for all costs incurred in excess of $300. For more information, please reference the Consent, Release and Participation Agreement

Paying for your AMIGOS Program Fee with a 529 College Savings Plan

AMIGOS accepts funding from 529 College Savings Plans to pay for some or most of your Program Fee for eligible programs*. Airfare costs, program deposits, and other fees are not eligible for payment from a 529 College Savings Plan.

In order to pay via a 529 Plan, you must enroll to receive college credit for your AMIGOS experience with our partners at Western Colorado University. Please note that you do not need to be a current Western Colorado University student (or in college at all) to use a 529 College Savings Plan to pay for your AMIGOS Program Fee.

Two-week projects are not eligible for College Credit.

For more information about receiving College Credit through Western Colorado University, visit this link: https://www.amigos.fyi/college-credit-through-western-colorado-university

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance is available for AMIGOS applicants. In order to be considered for financial assistance, you must do the following:

Complete an Application for AMIGOS Programs
Complete the Financial Assistance Application on your AMIGOS Dashboard (available after completing your AMIGOS Application). This Financial Assistance Application includes:

Annual gross family income
Most recent 1040 tax form
Total dependents claimed by parents/guardians
Any special financial circumstances

Deadlines for financial assistance in the 2023-2024 program cycle are as follows:

December 5, 2023: Priority Financial Assistance Deadline for Local and National Chapter applicants
January 16, 2024: Final Deadline for Local Chapter applications
March 12, 2024: Final Deadline for National Chapter Financial Assistance applications

Award notifications vary based on whether you are joining AMIGOS through the National Chapter or your Local Chapter. Please see below.

You are not required to make a deposit or to begin making program fee payments until you are notified of your financial assistance award .

Local Chapters

Local Chapters distribute financial assistance to volunteers within their local chapter area. Awards will be communicated to you directly by your local chapter, on a timeline that is specific to your local chapter. Final decisions will be shared no later than two weeks after the January 16, 2024 deadline.

Please contact chapters@amigosinternational.org if you have question about your specific chapter’s financial assistance process or notification timeline.

National Chapter

National Chapter volunteers are eligible for financial assistance distributed by AMIGOS Headquarters. Awards are distributed based on a family’s financial need and in accordance with our sliding scale found here

The first packages will be awarded after the Financial Assistance Priority Deadline (December 5th), and then on a rolling basis moving forward as funds permit.
Please contact admissions@amigosinternational.org if you are a National Chapter volunteer with questions about your Financial Assistance Application.

Fundraising

Fundraising options vary based on whether you are joining AMIGOS through our National Chapter or through your Local Chapter. If you are unsure whether you are a National Chapter or Local Chapter volunteer, please contact the Admissions team at admissions@amigosinternational.org. Please read the section that corresponds to your chapter type closely. Key differences between National and Local Chapter fundraising policies are outlined in the table below.

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Local Chapters

By joining the local chapter, you agree to participate in the chapter’s group fundraising. Specific details about this fundraising commitment are outlined in your Chapter Participation Agreement, which will be shared with you by your local chapter.

In order to join through the local chapter, full participation in all chapter fundraising activities is required. Group fundraising allows chapters to offset the cost of program fee and makes participation in AMIGOS programs more widely accessible.
Please note that funds raised through Local Chapter group fundraising are not applied directly to each individual volunteer’s program fee. Donations made to Local Chapter group fundraising campaigns are tax deductible.

National Chapter

Volunteers in the National Chapter are not required to fundraise, but AMIGOS encourages fundraising to offset the costs of your Program Fee. Any donation made to your personal fundraiser directly reduces the cost of your Program Fee.

Should you choose to fundraise for your AMIGOS experience, please reach out to admissions@amigosinternational.org for further instructions. We encourage volunteers to set up individual fundraising pages on CauseVox, a peer-to-peer fundraising platform which AMIGOS supports and administers.
Note that donations made for a particular volunteer are generally not tax deductible. Should you or your donors have questions regarding tax deductibility, please consult a tax professional for advice. It is the responsibility of each volunteer to notify their potential donors of these conditions prior to the submission of donations.
If you choose to use a third-party fundraising website other than CauseVox (such as GoFundMe), your account will only be credited with the amount received by AMIGOS (processing fees not received by AMIGOS will not be credited to your account).
AMIGOS can only credit the volunteer’s account for funds received by AMIGOS by May 15

Fundraising Refunds (National Chapter Only)

Fundraised donations are not refundable except in the case of Program Cancellation. If a volunteer fundraises for their AMIGOS experience and is later not accepted to the program or drops from the program, fundraising donations received on behalf of the volunteer will not be returned. However, if a volunteer is eligible to hold over funds per the Finance Policy, fundraised donations can be held to be applied to their Program Fee the following calendar year. Held funds must be used in the next calendar year for a program for which the volunteer meets the eligibility requirements or they will be forfeited to AMIGOS.

Over-fundraising (National Chapter Only)

For donations received by May 15: If a volunteer fundraises more than their Program Fee total, they may be eligible for a refund of payments made by their immediate family. This refund cannot exceed the family payment contribution and must be requested by July 31, 2024. To request a refund due to over-fundraising, please email admissions@amigosinternational.org with a filled-out copy of the Volunteer Refund Request Form.

Over-funded accounts will be notified ahead of your project start date. Refunds will be issued by September.

For donations received after May 15: Donations received after May 15 can either be converted to a general AMIGOS donation or can be refunded to the donor

Refunds

Program Deposit Refundability

$200 of the Program Deposit is refundable:

if requested within 30 days or
if you withdraw or are screened out for documented medical reasons at any time in the process.

$225 of the Program Deposit is nonrefundable.

Program Deposits received after April 1, 2024 are entirely nonrefundable due to the expedited nature of your onboarding process.

Personal Circumstances

In the case that a volunteer is unable to travel to their AMIGOS Project due to circumstances such as illness, injury, lack of passport (or visa, if applicable), family/personal matters, etc., refund options depend on the timing of notification to AMIGOS:

Before payment deadline: a refund is available for Program Fees paid to date minus incurred costs such as airfare, lodging deposits, excursion deposits. No refund is available for the Application Fee or Program Deposit.
After payment deadline: No refunds will be provided. Funds may be able to be held over –see Holding Over Funds for Future AMIGOS Programs below

Refund Related to Airfare

Airfare Refunds

The airfare deposit is refundable if the volunteer's airfare has not been booked. Once your airfare has been booked, the ability to receive a full or partial refund or flight credits is entirely dependent on airline policy and the timing of notification of cancellation. Where possible, AMIGOS will facilitate a refund or credit in the volunteer’s name and return this refund or credit to you.

Responsibility for Delayed or Cancelled Flights

AMIGOS is not responsible for delayed, diverted, cancelled, or otherwise interrupted flights or travel experiences which result in delayed arrival to your project site. No Program Fee refunds will be issued if your arrival is delayed for any reason. If you experience delays or cancellations but ultimately arrive at the project site, you may pursue compensation from the airline directly, should you choose.

Refunds for Volunteers Screened Out for Medical Reasons

Volunteers who are screened out for medical, mental health, behavioral health, or any other reasons may receive a Program Fee refund (including the Program Deposit) if your health paperwork was received by the deadline communicated to you by AMIGOS.

If your health paperwork is not received by the deadline communicated to you by AMIGOS, you are eligible for a Program Fee refund, less the full Program Deposit as well as incurred costs such as airfare, lodging deposits, excursion deposits. Please note that incurred costs increase closer to project start date.

If you have concerns about your medical, mental health, or behavioral health eligibility for the AMIGOS Program, please reach out to healthandsafety@amigosinternational.org before submitting payment. You may also review our General Health Criteria

Program Cancellation, Suspension, or Reassignment

AMIGOS reserves the right to suspend, relocate, or change a project for any reason, including, but not limited to, safety, health, political, natural disasters, weather, or force majeure related events. In the event that AMIGOS is unable to carry out a project for which a volunteer has been accepted, AMIGOS will make every attempt to offer, and the Volunteer agrees to make every effort to accept and participate in, an alternative option, within the same or the next available AMIGOS Service Program calendar year. In this event, volunteers may carry over any fees paid and funds raised to this alternative option or to another AMIGOS project in the current calendar year or the next available AMIGOS Service Program calendar year.
AMIGOS does not guarantee a refund in the event of a project's suspension, relocation, or change. This provision shall supersede any conflicting refund polices stated in this document.

Holding Over Funds for Future AMIGOS Programs

If you are unable to attend your AMIGOS project as planned, you may be eligible to hold over funds for the next available program cycle. Requests to hold over funds must be made in writing to admissions@amigosinternational.org no later than 30 days prior to your project start date, unless a project is cancelled within that period and at which point written requests shall be made within 30 days of notification of cancellation.

Please note the following:

Hold over funds must be used in the same or the next available calendar year.
Hold over funds are only applicable to the same volunteer or to another volunteer within the same household (i.e. funds may be applied to a sibling’s account).
Application fees and program deposits will not be included in the hold over fund amount and must be paid again in the following program cycle.
Airfare deposits may be held over if airfare has not yet been booked.
If airfare has been booked, airfare deposit and all airfare payments will not be held over. See Refund Related to Airfare above

Travel and Program Fee Protection Insurance

AMIGOS does not require volunteers to purchase travel or program fee protection insurance for their AMIGOS Program, however, families are welcome to purchase this insurance should they choose. These insurance plans may help mitigate the risks outlined above and be able to provide financial compensation when a refund is not available. For more information on these options please see here