Payments, Cancellations and Refund Policies
All applicants who are accepted into the program are subject to the following withdrawal and refund policies. Please note that Umbra considers your acceptance as commitment to the program as we are unable to issue your acceptance until we receive approval from your home institution. You may have a separate commitment and withdrawal process or timeline through your study abroad office so it is important that you communicate with them as well as with Umbra regarding any changes in your enrollment status or decision. Changes in enrollment may also impact financial aid and should be communicated to your relevant home campus directly as Umbra will not communicate such changes on your behalf. Umbra’s policies are only relevant to fees charged by the Institute and may vary from your home institution or provider. Students enrolling through their home university or through a program provider should consult their university’s study abroad office or the provider for applicable refund policies for Umbra programs.
Program Fees & Financial Obligations
There are several ways fees are paid for the program. In all cases cancellation policies and fees apply.
- ISI Abroad partner schools have a special payment arrangement in which students pay the full cost to their home school.
- In some cases, ISI Abroad partner schools will require the student to pay the program fees, or a portion of the program fee directly to ISI Abroad. Students from these institutions may receive exclusive discounts or scholarships thereby reducing their program cost.
Payment Methods
Payments for program fees made be made by:
- Personal check, money order or cashier’s check made payable to Institute and mailed to the US address. See invoice for name and address of the Institute. Be sure to note the student’s full name on the check.
- Bank wire transfer. See invoice for wiring instructions.
Confirmation Deposits (non-refundable)
Students whose home institution requires them to pay program fees directly to ISI Abroad must submit a deposit confirming their intention to enroll. Any delay in deposits may affect course and housing preferences. The student’s place in the program is not confirmed until this payment is submitted. The confirmation deposit amount is deducted from the final program cost. Failure to pay by the deadline will result in the application being canceled.
Special Program Costs
Students enrolled in a special program that incurs a supplementary fee (ex. the Program in Food, Sustainability and the Environment, or the Multicultural Psychology Program) are not eligible for a refund of that supplement after arrival to the program. This is applicable both in instances of withdrawal from the Institute or when switching programs/academic tracks (ex. Dropping the Multicultural Psychology Program to join the General Studies Program).
Housing Supplements
Students choosing to upgrade housing (including private bedroom or homestay) will be subject to a housing supplement. Special housing requests are not guaranteed, and fees will only be applicable upon confirmation.
Returned Payments
Payments made via check or echeck that are returned due to inaccurate information or insufficient funds will be charged a $35 fee for processing.
Late Payments
ISI Abroad reserves the right to move an application to inactive or canceled status if payment deadlines are not met. Cancellation policies and fees apply.
Payment Plans
Students may request a payment plan from the Institute. However, the full program costs must be paid in full prior to the student’s arrival in Italy so payment plans must be requested and finalized at least 60 days prior to the start of the program.
Financial Aid
In some cases, students who are required to pay the Institute directly and utilize financial aid from their home school may need to defer payment until the financial aid is processed. Students must communicate with the Institute and their home university if they believe that financial aid payments will be disbursed after the payment deadline and may defer up to 50% total program fees.
Cancellation and Withdrawal Policy
Direct Applicants
All applicants that are accepted into the program are subject to the withdrawal and refund policies below. Students that withdraw more than 75 days before the arrival day will receive a full refund. If a student withdraws from a program withing 75 days of the arrival date, they remain liable for any unrecoverable costs and penalties according to the following schedule – this includes students enrolled through Institute providers and partner colleges and universities. Housing is secured in advance of each semester and summer session, and fees paid in full by the Institute to agents are non-refundable under any circumstances. There are no refunds after arrival for summer sessions, custom*, and other non-semester programs.
Applicants from Partner Institutions
All applicants of partner institutions who are accepted into the program are subject to the following withdrawal and refund policies. Please note that Umbra considers communication from the home institute for acceptance of any student as commitment to enroll in the program. The Institute is unable to issue acceptance until it receives approval and enrollment confirmation from the home institution. Students will be responsible for cancellation fees if they decide not to attend within 75 days of the start of the term.
The home institution or provider may have a separate commitment and withdrawal process or timeline through their study abroad office, so it is important that students communicate with them as well as with the Umbra Institute admissions office regarding any changes in enrollment status once they have been approved and accepted. Changes in enrollment may also impact financial aid and should be communicated to the home campus directly as Umbra will not communicate such changes. The following fees and policies are applicable to the Umbra Institute – cancellation fees and withdrawal polices at the home university or provider may vary.
| Time of Withdrawal | Amount Due Summer Programs |
Amount Due Semester Programs |
| Within 75 days of the arrival date.(90 days for select partner institutions) | Total Housing Fees for Term Due | Total Housing Fees for Term Due |
| Within 45 days of the arrival date. | Total Housing Fees for Term Due plus a late withdrawal fee of $950.00 | Total Housing Fees for Term Due plus a late withdrawal fee of $2,000.00 |
| During the 1st week of arrival. | No Refunds | 50% of Program Fee Refunded |
| During the 2nd week of arrival. | No Refunds | 35% of Program Fee Refunded |
| During the 3rd week of arrival. | No Refunds | 20% of Program Fee Refunded |
| After the 3rd week. | No Refunds | No Refunds |
Note: These policies are only relevant to fees charged by the Institute and may vary from your home institution. Students are encouraged to consult their university’s study abroad office regarding their refund policies for study abroad.
*Custom Programs (ex. summer faculty-led programs) have separately defined refund and withdrawal deadlines and amounts. Consult with the appropriate office on your home campus for details.
Failure to Meet the Payment Deadline
If payment for the program including course fees or any other applicable fees is not received by the payment deadline, the Institute may contact your home and/or sending institution to notify them that payment has not been received. This may negatively impact financial aid and enrollment status. If you perceive that your payment will be late, it is important to communicate early with the Institute.
Payment Default
The Institute may choose, at its discretion, to handle unpaid fees either by reporting them to collections and/or dismissing students from the program including forfeiture of all payments made and coursework. ISI Abroad reserves the right to withhold grade reports and transcripts until all unpaid balances are cleared.
Transcripts
All ISI Abroad programs include one official transcript, which is issued electronically a minimum of four weeks from program completion. The Institute reserves the right to withhold a transcript in the case of unpaid balances due to the Institute, partners, or agents.
Some ISI Abroad partners will not accept electronic copies and require hard copies of official transcripts be mailed. These take longer to ship and process and will cause a delay in the timeline students expect seeing their final grades reported on their home school transcript.
When a transcript is required from ISI Abroad’s underwriter, additional processing time needs to be considered as the submission of grades to the student’s home school will be delayed by one to three months.
Enrollment Deferral Policy
ISI Abroad recognizes that various circumstances may change your plan to study abroad. Students wishing to defer enrollment to another term after having been successfully admitted to the program and subject to non-refundable fees, may do so according to the following policies.
A student can defer their application for up to twelve months from the term in which their original program was scheduled to start, and upon approval by ISI Abroad. All requests must be made in writing to [email protected] and no later than one month before the designated arrival date.
The student will be responsible for payment of any unrecoverable costs (see withdrawal policy) at the time of withdrawal. No refunds will be given and all remaining funds will be applied to the future term’s fees. Unused funds will be forfeited to ISI Abroad after twelve months.
Upon successful approval of a student’s deferral, the Admissions Office will transfer the student’s application to the following application cycle. Deferred students will not be expected to apply again. However, deferred students may be requested to submit updated copies of their application materials (including but not limited to their Official Transcript). Deferred students must also sign all policies, terms, and conditions of the new program.
Suspension of Classes
Suspension of In-Classroom Teaching Only
If the Institute finds it necessary to cancel live, in-class lessons temporarily, yet circumstances allow students to remain in Italy and in their apartments, the Institute will refund all unused in-person activities and field trip fees that cannot be attended. Students will however complete the academic program remotely (both synchronous and non-synchronous classes) while in Italy and receive full academic credit for all courses.
Suspension of All On-Site Programming and Services
If circumstances require that all live, in-class sessions are suspended and the Institute requires that all students must vacate student housing and return home, the Institute will refund all unused course activities, studio fees, and field trip fees. Students will complete the academic program remotely (both synchronous and non-synchronous classes) and receive full academic credit for all courses.
Note: Refunds are only relevant to fees charged by the Institute. Students should consult their university’s study abroad office regarding their home university’s refund policies.