Refund Policy for Payment for Students Paying for the Full Academic School Year - 42 Weeks
Note: This policy is subject to change at any time. Please check all SRS Policies on a regular basis for updates.
StudentRoomStay Homestay (SRS Homestay) is responsible for managing the expectations of the student, host and other related parties with respect to maximizing the opportunity for a successful Homestay Placement.
It is important that all parties are clear on the relevant refund and associated policies regarding these processes.
Homestay fees for our full Academic Year High School Program are generally made up of a service fee deposit (equal to 42 weeks of service fees) and a balance (equal to 42 weeks of host stipend). The deposit invoice must be paid for us to start the matching process and provide 2 host choices. Once a host has been chosen, we will issue an invoice for the balance which must be paid in full at least 4 weeks before the student’s arrival into homestay.
If we are unable to provide 2 host options within 60 minutes travel of your school, we will refund your deposit in full. If we provide 2 host options* and you are unable to make a suitable host selection from the choices provided by SRS Homestay we will refund your deposit less a $350 administration fee to cover our expenses.
*Requests for additional host family profiles may result in additional fees. SRS Homestay does not discriminate against any host families in our registry based on age, race, color, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, and marriage or family status.
Once a host match has been confirmed the following fees will apply to any cancellations or changes.
Pre-arrival Cancellations:
If the Student cancels their placement and provides more than two weeks written notice prior to arrival, SRS Homestay will refund your service fee deposit less a $350 administration fee to cover our expenses. All remaining homestay fees will be refunded in full.
If the Student cancels their placement and provides less than two weeks written notice prior to arrival, the student will forfeit the 42 weeks of service fee deposit. All remaining homestay fees such as the host family stipend amount will be refunded in full.
In the event a student does not arrive to the US due to a visa rejection (proof of school admission and at least three attempts of visa interview required), the weekly Fees and matching fee will be refunded if the Student has provided a minimum of three business days’ notice. If the required notice is not provided, SRS Homestay will retain the Matching Fee and two weeks’ payment of the weekly fees. Any remaining funds will be refunded.Pre-arrival Changes or Delays:
If a student is unable to arrive by their intended start date due to a Visa delay or course change, the student may defer their placement until Visa approval is granted, or the course is rescheduled.
If SRS Homestay is advised in writing of these changes a minimum of three business days prior to arrival, there will be no charge for this change. All fees will be transferred to the new placement.
If SRS Homestay is not advised in writing of these changes a minimum of three business days prior to arrival, the student may be required to pay additional fees equal to two weeks of service fees and two weeks of homestay stipend to secure a new placement.
All other changes or delays will be subject to the same notice periods and penalties as detailed in the cancellation policy.
Cancellations after Arrival:
Once a homestay placement has commenced, SRS Homestay cannot refund any fees if a student is unable to complete the homestay program. We are also unable to transfer the balance of any fees paid as a credit for students who return the following academic year.
Note: Students must obtain approval from the parents and Designated Guardian in the USA prior to leaving the program.
Changes after Arrival:
If a student is unhappy with their chosen homestay family, they should contact SRS Homestay to discuss.
SRS Homestay will liaise with the student and host to try to rectify any concerns and assist through the initial two week ‘settling in’ period.
After SRS Homestay mediation, if it is deemed necessary to move the student to another host family, SRS Homestay will take all reasonable steps to make this process as easy as possible. In most cases it will be necessary to give the current host two weeks’ notice before moving a student, this also gives SRS Homestay enough time to find a suitable alternative. The student will be charged a $350 Matching Fee for SRS Homestay to find a new homestay. This applies to each new placement a Student requests.Fees equivalent to the notice period may apply if adequate notice is not given.
If a homestay placement needs to be cancelled due to an SRS Homestay policy breach by the Host, SRS Homestay will arrange placement with a new Host family.
If SRS Homestay is required to transfer a Student’s homestay placement more than three times and there has been no SRS Homestay policy breach by the Host/s, SRS Homestay reserves the right to discontinue its services for the Student.
Approved Refunds
No cash refunds will be processed.If the original payment was made by credit card, we will refund back to the same card. Credit card and third party processing fees will be deducted from the refund total and are non-refundable. If no American bank account is available, we will refund via wire/telegraphic transfer to a foreign account. A $45.00 US service charge will be deducted from refund total.
Airport Pickup/Drop Off Policy
- The Student is required to contact SRS Homestay as soon as they are aware of delays to their scheduled flight and/or their arrival information.
- SRS Homestay tracks the flights online: if they are made aware of a flight delay at least an hour before the original flight landing time, they will wait another two hours (or until the delayed plane lands at the airport.)
- If airport pickup has been booked and the Student misses their flight or fails to provide updated arrival information, then there will be no refund or credit for the unused transportation. After business hours* this notice must be provided via phone and email.
- There will be no charge for changes if notice is given at least an hour before the original flight landing time. After hours this notice must be provided via phone and not email.
- The Student will need to pay for a new booking if pick up is required at another time.
- The instructions for meeting the driver at the airport will be detailed on the Student's arrival report. If the Student has not met the driver at the designated location within the expected time frame, the driver will leave the airport and the cost of the pre-paid APU will be non-refundable. The Student will be required to pay again if the driver needs to return to the airport to pick them up.
- If the Student finds an alternate way to/from the homestay, there will be no refund or credit given for unused airport pick up services.
*Note: Business hours are between 9.00am and 5.00pm in the local time of the SRS Homestay office the Student is assigned to.Late/Early Arrival/Departure Fees will apply for airport transport before 8am or after 8pm. Late Airport Notification Fee will apply for arrivals and departures given less than 2 weeks notice.
Damage Deposit
The damage deposit is fully refundable if the placement is ended without any damages. If damages are incurred during the placement, the damage deposit will be used to fund the damage charges in part or in full depending on the cost. If damages are incurred that are less than the damage deposit, the difference will be refunded after the placement has ended.
The homestay refund policy also applies to students enrolled in the Academic Year High School Program. To view the standard refund policy please click HERE.
Updated May 26, 2022