Congratulation on your acceptance to Santa Clara University's Casa de la Solidaridad in El Salvador. You are about to join a small but expanding community of students from around the United States who have participated in this unique and life-changing study abroad experience. In preparation for your arrival, please take time to review all information on this page and complete all required documents on time. In the coming weeks, Kevin and Trena Yonkers-Talz, co-directors of the Casa program will be in touch with via email to introduce the rest of the participants and provide additional instructions. We look forward to welcoming you to the Casa.
Now that you have received your acceptance e-mail from Santa Clara University, we need you to download and complete the following 3 required forms and send them to the address below by the deadline indicated in your acceptance email.
CONFIRMATION / DEPOSIT FORM:
To confirm and secure your spot on the roster, we need you to complete this form and send to Lori Johnson, International Programs, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053 with a deposit of $500 no later than the following deadlines (For Summer - April 15th, For Fall - April 30th, For Spring - November 1st). Make your check payable to Santa Clara University and this amount will be credited to your tuition & fees on your eCampus account. Check with your home university's study abroad office if the $500 deposit is covered in their contract with Santa Clara. (Santa Clara students do NOT need to submit the $500 deposit, but do need to submit the form).
SAFETY COVENANT FORM:
This Safety Covenant covers behavioral and safety standards of the Casa de la Solidaridad. Please read and understand this document carefully before signing it and returning to Vidalino Raatior at the same address above by the same confirmation / deposit deadlines above.
MEDICAL FORMS:
This two-part Medical Form needs to be completed by you and your personal physician or at your home university's health center. Make a copy of the completed and signed documents and bring a copy of it to El Salvador. Send the original to Vidalino Raatior at Santa Clara University at the same address above no later than the following deadlines ( Summer Students - May 15th, Fall Students - July 1st, Spring Students - December 1st).
Please contact Vidalino Raatior (vraatior@scu.edu) if you are unable to meet any of the deadlines.
Important Notices
eCampus Account: Please be aware that Santa Clara University no longer issues paper invoices to students. All students including participants in the Casa de la Solidaridad program are billed online via their ECampus account. You should have received an email from ecampus@scu.edu with your ecampus account login information. Please check your spam/quarantine files in case it was misdirected there.
If you have not received it, then email the University Assistant Registrar, Carol Bonney (cbonney@scu.edu) who can help you. It is very important that you have access to your eCampus account as your invoice and grades will be posted there. It is also there that you will request your official Casa transcript at the end of the program.
Billing / Payment Methods: All students will be billed via eCampus except for students from institutions that have set up a consortium / direct billing contracts with Santa Clara University. Check with the study abroad office at your home institution if they have a direct billing contract with Santa Clara. Students from schools with direct billing contract with Santa Clara University will be billed via their study abroad office or the appropriate office on their home university. Please be aware that your home university may charge you a different amount based on their stated policy/cost schedule. Regardless of billing method all students will be billed on the following dates: Fall: August 1st; Spring: December 1st; Summer - June 1st and all payments due on the 21st of each months before a $75 late payment fee is automatically assessed every month thereafter. Students will have the capability of downloading a hard copy of their statement or forwarding it electronically to any third party of choice for remittance. All others will be fully responsible for all payments via eCampus. For more information, please visit the Bursar’s website: www.scu.edu/bursar
Travel Arrangements: Students are responsible for their own travel arrangements. Please plan on arriving at and departing from the El Salvador International Airport on the program dates listed below. When you have finalized your travel plans, be sure to e-mail your arrival information (airline, flight number, arrival time) to Trena Yonkers-Talz (tyonkerstalz@scu.edu) and Casa staff members will meet you outside baggage claim in El Salvador. Trena will be in touch with you in the coming weeks/months for other important information. You do NOT need a student or travel visa prior to arriving in El Salvador.
Pre-Departure Handbook: We look forward to working with you in the following months to prepare you for your time in El Salvador. You can download the Pre-Departure Handbook below. The pre-departure handbook covers information about El Salvador as a country, health and safety considerations, community guidelines, suggested reading preparation list, etc. Please plan to spend some time preparing for your semester with the Casa by going through these materials. Download Now
Refund Policy:Students will receive a full refund of their deposit, tuition, room & board, and other fees if they provide written notification to Santa Clara University sixty (60) days prior to the commencement of the Casa de la Solidaridad program. Students withdrawing less than 60 days before the published start date will be charged the $500 deposit. Since virtually all funds are committed once the program begins, no tuition, housing, or other fees are returned if the withdrawal occurs on or after the program start date. To officially withdraw, please email either Trena or Kevin Yonkers-Talz and copy studyabroad@scu.edu.
Preparation Materials
We look forward to working with you in the following months to prepare you for your time in El Salvador. Please plan to spend some time preparing for your semester with the Casa by going through the following materials.
Pre-Departure Handbook: We look forward to working with
you in the following months to prepare you for your time in El
Salvador. You can download the Pre-Departure Handbook below. The
pre-departure handbook covers information about El Salvador as a
country, health and safety considerations, community guidelines,
suggested reading preparation list, etc. Please plan to spend some time
preparing for your semester with the Casa by going through these
materials. Download
Now
Health & Safety Overseas: It
is very important that you review the U.S. State Department's website
for all required and recommended information for Americans traveling to El Salvador. (www.travel.state.gov).
ACE Travel Insurance: Please note that Santa Clara
has changed its travel insurance carrier from CISI to ACE. All accepted
students in the Casa de la Solidaridad program are automatically covered under
Santa Clara's supplemental travel insurance policy through ACE with no
additional fee. Please review the ACE International Travel ID card below
which describes the coverage. The section below the dotted line may be
placed in a wallet or kept on your person at all times. Please discard
any documents referring to the CISI program.
You may now make flight arrangements to arrive and depart on the following dates. You will not need to apply for a visa prior to arriving in El Salvador. Please check back later for other important dates to note. Be sure to email your itinerary to Trena Yonkers-Talz (tyonkerstalz@scu.edu) and a staff will meet you outside of baggage claim.
Summer 2010
Arrival: June 15, 2010
Departure: July 17, 2010
Fall 2010
Arrival: August 18, 2010
Departure: December 15, 2010
Spring 2011
Arrival: January 12, 2011
Departure: May 11, 2011
Requesting Your Casa Transcript
Approximately 2-3 weeks after your final examination, your professors will forward all grades to the International Programs Office at Santa Clara University to be posted to your ecampus account for your viewing pleasure on your ecampus account. Once all your grades are posted, you can request your official transcript to be sent to your home institution and/or yourself free of charge.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Vidalino Raatior (vraatior@scu.edu) or Trena Yonkers-Talz(tyonkerstalz@scu.edu) and Kevin Yonkers-Talz (kyonkerstalz@scu.edu). Again, congratulations and welcome to the Casa de la Solidaridad!
