Our trip will take us to Costa Rica in May 2013. Costa Rica is a beautiful tropical country and is known as "the happiest country in the world"!
The Georgia Highlands College Costa Rica trip is through a company called EF College Tours. See below for an itinerary of our trip:
http://www.eftours.com/educational-tours/tour-detail.aspx?code=COB
Cost of this trip: $2,300 for those under 30
$2,560 for those over 30
*For a full explanation of trip cost, see the section at the end of this page
How do you sign up and pay for this trip?
The first step is to enroll with EF Tours and pay EF a $95 enrollment fee. Please be sure to give EF the tour number for the GHC Costa Rica trip, which is 1198162. You may contact EF either by calling them at 1-800-766-2645 or enrolling online at their website:
http://www.efcollegestudytours.com/
After you enroll with EF, it is a good idea to contact one of the Costa Rica faculty trip leaders. The faculty trip leaders will put your name on their list. They will be happy to answer any further questions that you may have. They will also help you prepare for the trip. Their contact information is as follows:
Alex MacMurdo, amacmurd@highlands.edu
Jasmine Olander, jolander@highlands.edu
Once you have enrolled with EF, you will make all other payments at the Georgia Highlands College Business Office, NOT with EF Tours. It is very important for you to pay with the Business Office to avoid confusion with the college as to the balance of your bill. The Business Office has locations on each Georgia Highlands College campus. You may pay in person with a check or credit card.
You may also use a credit card to pay online with the Business Office under the link on the GHC homepage under Student Interests labeled PAY YOUR ACCOUNT. When you choose what term to pay, it should be labeled PARKING/STUDY ABROAD. As long as you pick this term, your payment will be applied to their trip. The link for on-line payment is as follows:
http://www.highlands.edu/site/payment-intro
Students may pay for all of the trip at once. Another option is to make payments for the trip over the course of the academic year. The payment schedule for the Costa Rica trip is as follows:
Under the age of 30, four payments of $575
Over the age of 30, four payments of $640
Payment deadlines: November 5, January 18, February 18, March 22
Students who make payments should pay careful attention to the payment schedule above. Failure to make payments on-time may ultimately lead to fees or problems with trip reservations. Students who enroll in the trip after first payment deadline on November 5 will need to make two payments on the January 18 deadline. Likewise, students who enroll after the second payment deadline on January 18 will need to make three payments on February 18.
For cancellation information, including fees for cancellation, which depend upon the date of cancellation, please see the EF website as follows:
http://www.efcollegebreak.com/pdf/2012_booking_conditions.pdf
Explanation of trip cost:
There are several costs associated with study abroad. First, students should keep in mind that the cost of going on the trip itself is separate from the cost of the courses associated with the trip. Students are encouraged, but not required to take the courses associated with the trip. These courses should be paid in the same manner as students pay tuition and fees for all other courses at GHC. Students may use financial aid for these courses.
The cost of the trip itself include several elements. A breakdown of these costs is found below:
$95 Enrollment Fee
What this covers: Fee to enroll on the trip itself per the enrollment instructions above, to be paid with EF Tour in one payment.
$2,027 cost of the trip with EF for those under 30
What this covers: This includes round-trip airfare to Costa Rica, accomodations, transportation in country, activities, some meals and tour guides.
$273 charge for trip reserve, in addition to EF charges
What this covers: State regulations require the college to mantain an account reserve for each trip. For study abroad trips at GHC, an additional trip reserve charge is added to the cost of the trip in order to build this account reserve. The college can use this reserve at its discretion to pay for a number of expenses whose prices cannot be accurately calculated or fully anticipated at the beginning of the academic year. For instance, the reserve can be used to cover increases in EF's departure fees, which include airfare and customs entrance fees. As airfare, particuarly due to the cost of fuel, and customs fees often increase at some time between the beginning of fall semester and the departure of trips in May, the trip account reserve creates a cushion for the trip. In most cases, it allows the college to give students one total price at the beginning of fall semester that remains stable throughout the academic year. In addition to providing a cushion for increases in departure fees, the reserve can also be used to on the trip itself to pay for the group's tips to tour guides and bus drivers. In many countries, there is a cultural expectation of tips for guides and drivers. Finally, the trip reserve can be tapped in the event of an emergency.
Total cost of the trip, cost with EF for those under 30 and charge for trip reserve=$2,300
$2,267 cost of the trip with EF for those over 30
What this covers: This includes round-trip airfare to Costa Rica, accomodations, transportation in country, activities, some meals and tour guides. Please note that EF charges a $240 room supplement for those over 30 years of age so that they will have private rooms during the trip.
$293 charge for trip reserve, in addition to EF charges
What this covers: State regulations require the college to mantain an account reserve for each trip. For study abroad trips at GHC, an additional trip reserve charge is added to the cost of the trip in order to build this account reserve. The college can use this reserve at its discretion to pay for a number of expenses whose prices cannot be accurately calculated or fully anticipated at the beginning of the academic year. For instance, the reserve can be used to cover increases in EF's departure fees, which include airfare and customs entrance fees. As airfare, particuarly due to the cost of fuel, and customs fees often increase at some time between the beginning of fall semester and the departure of trips in May, the trip account reserve creates a cushion for the trip. In most cases, it allows the college to give students one total price at the beginning of fall semester that remains stable throughout the academic year. In addition to providing a cushion for increases in departure fees, the reserve can also be used to on the trip itself to pay for the group's tips to tour guides and bus drivers. In many countries, there is a cultural expectation of tips for guides and drivers. Finally, the trip reserve can be tapped in the event of an emergency.
Total cost of the trip, cost with EF for those over 30 and charge for trip reserve=$2,560
Other expenses with the trip:
Travel insurance:
Students are required to purchase travel insurance before the trip departs. This is so students will have health insurance while abroad. Depending on the policy, travel insurance may also cover lost luggage and other such expenses. Students may purchase insurance directly with EF Tours for $145. EF Tours offers all-inclusive travel insurance. Details on EF travel insurance may be found on their website.
Students may also purchase travel insurance directly with Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI). This company has a strong relationship with the University System of Georgia (USG) and provides travel insurance for study abroad trips offered by USG institutions. CISI has policies that range between $31 and $122 for those between the ages of 18 and 50. The price of each policy varies by age and the extent of coverage desired. Younger people pay less, as do those who choose less comprehensive insurance policies. Details on CISI policies may be found at their website as follows: http://www.culturalinsurance.com
Passport:
If you do not have a passport that will be valid for the duration of the trip, you will need to obtain one with the United States Department of State. Please keep in mind that it may take several weeks to obtain or renew your passport. Information on passports can be found at the following website: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
Spending money:
You will need a few hundred dollars, depending on your on personal spending habits, to pay for some meals, tips and souvenirs. Students should consult with faculty trip leaders in order to estimate spending money for the trip.