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. We have several programs for special populations that receive full tuition scholarships. If you are receiving a full scholarship tuition or your course is paid by a grant some information does not apply.
General Policies
The Application Fee and Transportation Fee are in addition to the published tuition. The Application Fee is non-refundable. The Transportation Fee covers travel to and from the course start and any on-course transports.The Application Fee is non-refundable unless you are applying for a scholarship and do not receive enough money and for that reason choose to cancel. It is also refundable if you are on a waitlist and Outward Bound informs you that a spot will not open up or if we cancel the course you are enrolled in.
If your Application is not accepted we still keep your Application Fee. We will only refund your tuition and the Transportation Fee if applicable.
Full payment for a course is due 60 days before the course starts.
Outward Bound requires timely return of the Application. Late return of the Application will delay the review of other customers' applications and will jeopardize your spot on course. Return your Application Packet and forms by the due date assigned. We will not accept forms that have been altered or edited by the applicant. If your Application or tuition is past due your spot may be made available to other applicants. Application materials more than 30 days overdue may constitute a cancel and cancellation penalties will apply.
Failure to provide accurate complete information could compromise your child's 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.
Please report injuries, illnesses, new medications or changes to your prescription to your course advisor. If you arrive on course with an unreported medical condition or other diagnosis or if you have changed the type or amount of medications since submitting your medical form, you may not be allowed to begin your course!
Outward Bound recommends that you delay purchasing airline tickets until you are medically approved and have received confirmation that your course has adequate enrollment to meet our minimum group size (typically 5 participants). You may elect to purchase tickets before receiving that information BUT if you do and your course is cancelled, Outward Bound will not be responsible for your un-used airline ticket. However, if you wait to purchase until we HAVE approved you and your course is cancelled we will reimburse you up to $150 to assist with the change fees so you can use the airline ticket in the future. Documentation is required. We do not reimburse you for gear or clothing you have purchased, hotels, or other expenses.
Cancellation
If you cancel inside the 60 day mark, the cancellation penalties listed below, will apply to the full published tuition or full amount due (if any) for scholarship recipients. The penalty IS NOT based on the amount paid to date on the day you cancel. Outward Bound offers a Tuition Protection Plan to protect your tuition from the penalties associated with certain types of cancellations.The Tuition Protection Plan:
The plan protects your tuition only for cancellation due to documented family emergencies, illnesses or injuries. It does not cover non-emergency cancellations. With proper documentation received in writing within 45 days of the cancellation, you will receive a 100% refund of your Tuition and transportation fee. The Plan must be purchased 30 days prior to the course. The cost to purchase the Tuition Protection Plan is based on course length and is as follows:
4-11 days $75
12-27 days $125
28-59 days $175
60+ days $225
Cancellation Penalties:
If you cancel voluntarily (i.e. a change of mind or schedule etc.) less than 60 days before your course AND have not purchased the Tuition Protection Plan the following penalties apply:
60-45 days - 25% tuition penalty
44-15 days - 50% tuition penalty
14-0 days - 100% tuition penalty
Voluntary Early Departure - 100% tuition Penalty
Early Departures
If you are expelled from course, leave due to and undisclosed pre-existing condition or choose to leave voluntarily, there is no refund or course credit.For early departures due to illness, injury or family emergency; if you purchased the Tuition Protection Plan described above, you will receive a pro-rated refund. If you did not purchase the Plan, but the early departure was due to illness, injury or family emergency a pro-rated credit towards a future course will be given.
Transfers
You may transfer form one course to another one time for no penalty if it is more than 45 days from course start. A $100 transfer fee will apply to subsequent transfers outside 45 days from the course start. If you transfer inside 45 days additional penalties will apply, please see chart below:46 days or more from course start - No penalty for first transfer, $100 for subsequent
15-45 days from the course start- You lose 50% & the other 50% is a credit towards a new
14 days or less - No refund or credit
Waitlists
If enrolled on the waitlist for a course we will still require the $100 application fee and a $400 deposit and you must submit a complete Application. If a spot opens, we will offer it to the applicant who returned their paperwork first, NOT to the applicant who enrolled first. You will have 24 hours to respond. If you elect to drop off the waitlist, we will refund the $400 deposit but not the $100 application fee. If a spot has not opened by 21 days out we will refund both the application fee and deposit if you wish to drop off at that time.Other Information
Your course itinerary may vary. Depending on weather, the skill level of your group or other conditions, certain high-impact activities like rafting, rock climbing, peak attempts, or ropes courses may not be possible. Change in the published itinerary does not constitute a change in the promise of the product sold and will not result in a refund.
Students may be charged for lost or damaged gear.
You will be traveling with a group of diverse individuals. All students are thoroughly screened and we make every effort to ensure that every participant is capable of attending course. However other students may adversely affect the experience by being less fit, less articulate, or less pleasant than you or your child. This is the nature of the experience and cannot be prevented.
All courses are co-ed unless otherwise published. However there is no guarantee that the course will attract a mixed gender group. Students on courses with a maximum age of 18 or younger will sleep in single gender groups with the instructors near by. All other activities occur in co-ed groups with varying degrees of instructor supervision, depending upon the activities, age, and length of the course.
Our purpose, our intent, is to help and support students so they can successfully complete their course. With that said, if a student is determined to leave the course we simply cannot and will not make them stay for their personal safety and that of the group. You will be contacted to arrange for your child's travel home.
You (or your child) may be expelled from course and required to leave if we determine that you (or your child) are:
Unwilling or unmotivated to participate and shoulder your 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
If a student is exhibiting these behaviors on course, instructors start by working with the student to be successful, then contacting the base camp for additional resources or calling a parent, then removing the students from the field. While we do train our staff in managing teen behaviors and design the courses to support positive behaviors, our instructors' priority is wilderness risk management, not student behavioral management. Repeated misbehaviors may result in expulsion even if they do not meet the specific criteria listed above.
Divorced parents and third party payers; we only require one legal guardian signature. It is up to you to fulfill any obligations or decision-making agreements with your former spouse. Similarly, you are responsible for informing a third party payer of the cancellation penalties and any subsequent financial obligation is yours.
Courses with numbers starting with an 'N', 'I', 'X' or 'Y' are operated by North Carolina Outward Bound, an Outward Bound chartered affiliate. Course tuition credits issued by Outward Bound do not apply to courses operated by North Carolina Outward Bound.
Courses taking place in the Boston area are operated by Thompson Island Outward Bound, an Outward Bound chartered affiliate. Course tuition credits issued by Outward Bound do not apply to courses operated by Thompson Island Outward Bound.
