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Health & Safety Response: COVID-19

‌SFS Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The SFS Safety and Student Life team continues to closely monitor the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) both globally and locally.
 
SFS has comprehensive risk management plans in place and our safety systems are a guiding principle for all decisions about programming. We closely follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and U.S. Department of State recommendations. There are many logistical and academic considerations, including travel restrictions, that we will be taking into account when evaluating potential program changes. We will continue to make updates to this page with relevant information.
 
Learn more about SFS Health and Safety.
 
 


 
 

Contact Information

Please note that all U.S.-based SFS staff are currently working remotely. Email is the best way to reach us at this time and you can find a list of contact information HERE.

Contact Us

 
 


 
 

‌Program Updates & Suspension Notices

 

SPRING 2020

All Spring 2020 programs were suspended.
 
All Spring 2020 students arrived home safely. Students received detailed instructions from the SFS Office of Academic Affairs regarding the completion of their courses and access to the online academic delivery modules.

Spring 2020 Refund Policy


The outbreak of COVID-19 has created a global crisis, the likes of which most of us have not seen in our lifetime, with sudden and sweeping impacts to the health sector, the economy, supply chains, jobs, and security. The impact on Higher Education and within it, Study Abroad, is no exception.

Through the rapidly changing landscape of border closings, quarantines, and canceled flights over the initial weeks of the pandemic, SFS’ priority and primary commitment was the safety of our students and staff and returning our students home.

These unprecedented circumstances have required us all to adapt, change, and respond in ways none of us could have ever anticipated. Our responsibility is to be transparent and to fulfill our commitments to students and families, our staff, and our neighbors and partners in the local communities around the world to the best of our ability. Those commitments guided our decision making regarding our refund policies for the Spring 2020 semester, indicated below.
 
TUITION
Faculty will be engaged throughout the remainder of the semester finishing the delivery of courses online, and students will be able to complete a full semester of credit. Thus, SFS will not be issuing any refunds for tuition for the spring 2020 semester.
 
ROOM & BOARD
SFS maintains long term leases and other contractual agreements and partnerships within the communities where we welcome students each semester. These communities are being impacted greatly by this pandemic and its aftermath and will feel the full brunt of the economic downturn which may follow. In this time of global crisis, it is also our responsibility to maintain our contractual commitments to these community partners and continue to honor these agreements as is reasonable. To refund Room or Board, SFS would be required to break leases and other long-term contracts with our community partners. Because of this, SFS is unable to offer a refund for Room or Board.
 
TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT POLICY
In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, it was our singular priority to get students home in the safest and most expeditious manner possible. Each day brought new border closures, restrictions, grounded airlines, and canceled tickets. As SFS navigated these shifting variables, we recognize that some students incurred unexpected expenses in securing their travel home. SFS would like to do what we can to provide students with some financial relief. If you are one of the students who incurred unexpected expenses due to return travel home and would like to request a reimbursement, please proceed through the following process:

Airlines: First, check with your airline as many have waived change fees and rebooking fees for certain countries or within certain dates. If you are working with Advantage Travel, they will assist you in doing so.
Travel Insurance: If you have purchased travel insurance, please contact the company directly and proceed with the reimbursement protocol.
Home School: Some sending schools are providing financial assistance for change fees and waivers. Please contact your home institution directly to inquire about their policies and how to apply for reimbursement.

If you do not receive any reimbursements from the airline, insurance, or your home school, please provide SFS with the following documentation and SFS may be able to offer assistance. Please provide the following:

  1. A letter from your home school stating that they are not offering financial assistance for rebooking and change fees.
  2. A copy of the itinerary and price of your original ticket, the new ticket, and the invoice outlining the difference in cost and change fee.
  3. In your email, please include your name, contact information, and home mailing address.

Documentation should be submitted no later than April 30, 2020, to operations@fieldstudies.org. Once all claims are submitted, SFS will review these requests and determine what assistance may be available. SFS has a limited pool of resources and in many cases may not be able to offer a full reimbursement. We want to assure you that we are committed to doing what we can to help alleviate this difficult time for our students.

SUMMER 2020

All SFS summer programs were cancelled as of April 17, 2020.

Summer 2020 Refund Policy


SFS will issue a full refund including deposit, or a student may apply the amount paid to a different SFS program, dependent on available capacity. SFS can only refund payments including the Program Commitment Deposit, tuition, and room & board. SFS cannot offer refunds for any personal costs incurred associated with the program, including but not limited to, flights, other transportation, visas, immunizations, etc.

FALL 2020

All Fall 2020 programs were cancelled as of July 13, 2020.

Fall 2020 Refund Policy


SFS will issue a full refund including deposit, or a student may apply the amount paid to a different SFS program, dependent on available capacity. SFS can only refund payments including the Program Commitment Deposit, tuition, and room & board. SFS cannot offer refunds for any personal costs incurred associated with the program, including but not limited to, flights, other transportation, visas, immunizations, etc.

WINTER 2021

All SFS winter programs were cancelled as of September 10, 2020. Students are welcome to defer to a Winter 2022, or another program term. Students should contact SFS Admissions to coordinate this change.

Winter 2021 Refund Policy


SFS will issue a full refund including deposit, or a student may apply the amount paid to a different SFS program, dependent on available capacity. SFS can only refund payments including the Program Commitment Deposit, tuition, and room & board. SFS cannot offer refunds for any personal costs incurred associated with the program, including but not limited to, flights, other transportation, visas, immunizations, etc.

SPRING 2021

All SFS spring programs were cancelled as of October 16, 2020. Students are welcome to defer to a Fall 2021 or Spring 2022, or another program term. Students should contact SFS Admissions to coordinate this change.

Spring 2021 Refund Policy


SFS will issue a full refund including deposit, or a student may apply the amount paid to a different SFS program, dependent on available capacity. SFS can only refund payments including the Program Commitment Deposit, tuition, and room & board. SFS cannot offer refunds for any personal costs incurred associated with the program, including but not limited to, flights, other transportation, visas, immunizations, etc.

UPCOMING SESSIONS: SUMMER 2021 | FALL 2021

We continue to actively assess the global outlook for international travel and study abroad. We are closely monitoring COVID-19 developments from the U.S. Department of State, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and our local contacts. Our highest priority is the health, security, and wellbeing of students, staff, and the local communities in which our programs are based. Program itineraries will be subject to change based on the current conditions and advisories in both the host country and the U.S at the time of the program.

We are mapping out revised campus safety protocols based on host country, CDC, and WHO guidelines in addition to any changes we may need to make to programming due to the status of the pandemic at the time of active programming. We anticipate some changes to levels of community engagement, independent travel, and travel to certain regions and program activities that may not be available.
 

SUMMER 2021

SFS will be offering a revised list of programs. Adjustments include shifting some programs originally scheduled for Summer I to Summer II, and cancelling several programs. SFS will not be offering students the option to “mix and match” Summer I and Summer II programs. There could be too many factors at play with mandatory quarantines, testing requirements, or immigration restrictions. Therefore, if students wish to enroll in two sequential summer programs with SFS, their options are Bhutan, Kenya, or the Turks & Caicos Islands. In consideration of COVID-19, SFS has amended the refund policy for Summer 2021 programs (outlined below).

Cancelled Summer 2021 Programs

  • Australia/New Zealand: Rainforests of New Zealand and Australia
  • Cambodia: Freshwater Ecology and Conservation
  • Kenya: Primates of the African Savanna

Summer I Program Options

  • Bhutan: Forests in the Land of the Thunder Dragon
  • Kenya: Fundamentals of Wildlife Management (NOTE: This program will operate in Kenya only and will include extra components on primate studies due to the cancellation of the primates special topics course for Summer 2021.)
  • Turks & Caicos Islands: Fundamentals of Marine Conservation

Summer II Program Options

  • Australia: Watersheds of the Wet Tropics
  • Bhutan: Big Cats of the Himalayas: Tracking and Conservation
  • Cambodia: Elephants of the Cambodian Highlands
  • Costa Rica: Biodiversity and Sustainable Food Systems
  • Kenya: Carnivores of the African Plains (NOTE: This program typically operates in Tanzania but will be based at our Kenya Center for Summer 2021. It will resume in Tanzania in Summer 2022.)
  • Panama: Tropical Island Ecosystems: The Human Impact
  • Turks & Caicos Islands: Marine Megafauna

Summer 2021 Refund Policy


SFS can only refund payments including the Program Commitment Deposit, tuition, and room & board. SFS cannot offer refunds for any personal costs incurred associated with the program, including but not limited to flights, other transportation, visas, immunizations, etc.

In the event that SFS cancels the program

  • If program cancellation occurs before the start of the program, SFS will issue a full refund including deposit, or a student may apply amount paid to a different SFS program, dependent on available capacity.
  • If program cancellation occurs after the start of the program, SFS will issue a partial refund prorated based on the week of cancellation (refund amount is dependent on the itinerary specific to that program).

In the event that a student chooses to withdraw from the program of their own accord or because their home institution requires it:

  • If withdrawal occurs 20 or more days prior to the start of the program, SFS will issue a full refund excluding the deposit, or a student may apply amount paid to a different SFS program, dependent on available capacity.
  • If withdrawal occurs up to 19 days prior to the start of the program, SFS will issue a 50% refund excluding the deposit.
  • If withdrawal occurs after the start of the program, SFS will not issue a refund.

FALL 2021

All Fall 2021 programs, except Peru, are scheduled to take place at this time. SFS is monitoring an active dengue breakout in the Iquitos region of Peru and will make a decision in the coming months about running a fall program there.
 
Last updated November 12, 2020.
 
 


 
 

‌FAQs

What is SFS’ current risk assessment for COVID-19 at SFS program locations?

SFS suspended the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester programs and cancelled all Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, and Spring 2021 programs. SFS continues to actively assess the health and safety risks from COVID-19 at all our global locations as we look to the Summer 2021 and Fall 2021 programs and onward. The decision to resume operations of our international study abroad programs will be determined by many factors, including guidance from the U.S. Department of State, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), current international levels of risk, and our ability to mitigate and manage those potential risks for our participants and staff in the field.

How does SFS assess risk?

SFS is an industry leader in risk management. We have a structured risk management approach that enables us to adapt to the dynamic changes of the natural and political world to both prevent and respond to risk quickly and soundly. SFS adheres to the Forum on Education Abroad Standards of Good Practice and continually monitors global risk and security using a variety of external resources, including the U.S. State Department, Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and partner health and safety professionals in higher education (PULSE).

Each SFS Center has a Risk Assessment and Management Plan (RAMP) that comprehensively documents emergency response protocols and contingency plans. The protocols list the locations and contact details for nearby medical clinics, advanced medical care, and emergency evacuation services while also providing our staff, who are trained in wilderness medicine, with guidance on how to respond to incidents or emergencies.

How will SFS communicate information regarding program cancellations or suspensions?

If SFS determines that we need to temporarily suspend operations on a currently running program, we will immediately notify students, their home institutions, and their emergency contacts. Our site staff will oversee the safety and well-being of the students by assessing the situation and taking appropriate precautions.

For students enrolled for an upcoming program at a suspended location, we will notify students and their home institutions. We will work with students to determine if there is an alternative SFS program that would meet their academic needs and interests.

Does SFS have Emergency Medical Evacuation Insurance?

SFS maintains a blanket accident insurance policy through AIG insurance administered by AIG’s Travel Guard program. The policy includes coverage for accidental medical expenses, emergency medical evacuation, and security evacuation. At this time, the existence of COVID-19 in a country where SFS operates does not meet AIG criteria to initiate emergency or security evacuation. However, in the event a student receives a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, then SFS and AIG Travel Guard will assist and advise on best options for medical care, and evacuation to home of record at the appropriate time. Coverage is determined by AIG at its sole discretion via a review process based on the specific facts of each submitted claim.

A summary of coverage connected to this policy can be found here.

What is SFS’ refund policy for Summer 2021 and Fall 2021 programs?*

In consideration of COVID-19, SFS has amended the refund policy for Summer 2021 programs. The standard SFS refund policy applies to Fall 2021 and all future programs.
 

SFS refund policies for Summer 2021 programs

SFS can only refund payments including the Program Commitment Deposit, tuition, and room & board. SFS cannot offer refunds for any personal costs incurred associated with the program, including but not limited to flights, other transportation, visas, immunizations, etc.

In the event that SFS cancels the program

  • If program cancellation occurs before the start of the program, SFS will issue a full refund including deposit, or a student may apply amount paid to a different SFS program, dependent on available capacity.
  • If program cancellation occurs after the start of the program, SFS will issue a partial refund prorated based on the week of cancellation (refund amount is dependent on the itinerary specific to that program).

In the event that a student chooses to withdraw from the program of their own accord or because their home institution requires it:

  • If withdrawal occurs 20 or more days prior to the start of the program, SFS will issue a full refund excluding the deposit, or a student may apply amount paid to a different SFS program, dependent on available capacity.
  • If withdrawal occurs up to 19 days prior to the start of the program, SFS will issue a 50% refund excluding the deposit.
  • If withdrawal occurs after the start of the program, SFS will not issue a refund.

*Updated November 12, 2020.

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