Policy on Withdrawal, Refunds and Program Cancellation

If you plan on withdrawing from an Exploration Seminar for which you have already turned in a payment contract, please read the following carefully:

For all Exploration Seminars, there is a $350 non-refundable deposit. A commitment to pay this deposit is made when a signed program contract is submitted. This deposit will be charged to your UW account after turning in a contract, and is non-refundable and non-revokable once a program contract is submitted. As the start date of programs draws closer, the university begins to make payments and commitments on behalf of students who have submitted contracts. For this reason, we are unable to refund certain payments that may have been made, or to exempt students who have signed contracts from future program charges that have been committed on their behalf, depending on when they withdraw.

The following table explains your financial responsibilities if you choose to withdraw after submitting a signed program contract. *Please note that a withdrawal date is considered the business date that withdrawal paperwork is received by the Exploration Seminar Office.

This information is also explained in detail in the program contract. Consult your program contract for details.

If you wish to withdraw from the program or exchange you may do so by submitting a request in writing for withdrawal to the Exploration Seminar office by the deadline stated above.  At any point, the only way to withdraw from an Exploration Seminar is to submit a signed withdrawal form to the International Programs office, 459 Schmitz Hall . Petitions for emergency withdrawals may be made by using the following Emergency Withdrawal Form, along with required supporting documentation.

Switching Programs
(read carefully if you are considering switching from one Exploration Seminar to another)
If you turn in a contract to participate in a program, and subsequently choose to switch to another Exploration Seminar program that you have been accepted to, you must first withdraw formally from the first program. You are STILL responsible for the $350 non-refundable deposit for the the first program, which cannot be applied to the new/second program unless and until your slot in the first program from which you withdraw is filled by another student. This means you may be responsible for paying TWO $350 non-refundable deposits. Deposits can not be transferred to any other non-Exploration Seminar program at the UW or elsewhere.

Program Cancellation
Every Exploration Seminar program depends on a minimum number of participants, and while every effort will be made to ensure that each program moves forward, programs may be cancelled at any time due to under-enrollment. Programs may also be cancelled due to other unforeseen circumstances out of the university's control.

In the event a program is cancelled:

• participants will not be responsible for paying any program fees to the University
• participants will not be entitled to compensation for any personal expenses or losses incurred in association with the program (including airfare, passport or visa expenses, immunizations, or any other purchases or expenses).

As such, the University of Washington strongly recommends purchasing trip cancellation insurance to safeguard against the possibility of trip cancellation by the University or participant.