Travel Policy

For Students in High School or Younger

Note: This policy is subject to change at any time. Please check all SRS Homestay Policies on a regular basis for updates.

StudentRoomStay Homestay (SRS Homestay) has the following policy to provide a safe travel experience for Students. Travel violations are considered serious offenses as they impact Student safety.

Travel requests must be submitted by Students to their SRS Homestay Support Staff.

Approvable Methods of Transportation:

Please note that ride sharing services or apps are not permitted for unaccompanied Students under the age of 18. Unaccompanied Students 18 years of age or older may use ridesharing services provided they are otherwise in compliance with the below policy.
Unaccompanied Students can use licensed taxi services provided the travel is otherwise in compliance with the below policy and the policies of the taxi service provider. This refers to taxi services where the drivers must have an operator's license, which is nearly all of them. If you are unsure, ask the provider.
Students can travel with host siblings or peers who have a valid driver's license, provided they have their host family's approval and the travel is otherwise in compliance with the below.
Public transportation around the local area (within 60 miles) is approved provided the host family and SRS Homestay Support Staff are comfortable with the Student's ability to ride responsibly. Host families should educate Students about safe use beforehand and ideally accompany the Student to practice before the Student rides alone.

School Managed Travel:

No documentation is necessary unless the Student will be traveling overnight or taking a flight.
For overnight travel or travel involving a flight, Students must submit and receive approval for either: An SRS Homestay Travel Form, or the school's permission document.

Documentation Required:

Documentation and travel approval from SRS Homestay via an approved Travel Request is required IF:

The Student is missing class-time, or
The Student plans to travel independently, or
The Student plans to travel with their natural parents or any adult other than their host parents more than 60 miles away from their host family home, or
The Student plans to take a flight, or
The Student plans to travel internationally, or
The Student will be unsupervised overnight during travel other than on their return trip home at the end of the school year.
Travel requests are required for Students to travel home other than for their return trip home at the end of the school year. For their return trip home at the end of the school year, Students must submit their travel plans before the end of the school year.

Student Traveling WITH the Host Family:

If the host family is taking the student to travel, no school will be missed, and no flights will be taken, the host may simply inform SRS Homestay of the travel dates and travel plans (address, contact information, etc.), and no travel documentation is required.

POLICY AND APPROVAL PROCESS

Students must notify their host family and SRS Homestay of any plans to travel, as well as any changes to previously approved travel.
Winter Break: Travel documents for Winter Break should be submitted by December 1st to allow for review and approval. For travel involving flight, the Student must notify the host family of the flight details (date/time/flight number) and receive travel approval from SRS Homestay PRIOR to purchasing tickets.
Fully completed Travel Request Forms must be submitted at least 14 calendar days prior to travel to allow for processing.
SRS Homestay will approve or deny Student travel requests based on a reasonable understanding of the safety and well-being of the Student, education partner rules, wishes of the Student's natural parents and host parents, government travel advisories, and applicable law.
Travel Request Forms must be signed by the natural parent, by the Student's Host Parent, the SRS Homestay Support Staff, and SRS Homestay Operations Manager or Director of Operations.
If the travel form is not completed and submitted to your SRS Homestay Support Staff before the 14 day advance deadline, permission to go on the trip may be denied. No Student should be allowed to travel until SRS Homestay has approved it in writing, but submission of the Travel Request form does not guarantee permission to travel. Permission to travel will be at the discretion of the host parent and SRS Homestay.

OTHER TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Travel with Approved Adults:

Students who are not approved to travel independently must be accompanied by an Approved Adult. Students are not permitted to stay overnight outside of the local area by themselves or with just their peers. Approved Adults may be the Student's host parents, natural parents, or another adult approved through the process below:

Students must turn in and receive approval for SRS Homestay Travel Request Form and a 3rd Party Travel Form. 3rd Party Travel Forms must be collected by SRS Homestay directly from the 3rd Party, and must include:

All contact information for the adult (address, email and phone number)
Copy of picture ID
Signature
If a Student is not able to find an Approved Adult to travel with, they may contact SRS Homestay to see if a chaperone can be arranged.
Approved Adults must be 25 years of age
A background check will be performed on the any adult accompanying the student during their travel unless the trip is a school-sanctioned trip. The accompanying adult will be considered a temporary host parent responsible for the student.
Approved Adults within 60 miles of the host family's home must pick up the student from the host directly

Independent Travel:

Independent Travel refers to student travel not chaperoned by the student's host parents, natural parents, SRS Homestay or another Approved Adult. Independent Travel may only be approved IF:

The Student is 18+, and
The travel is for a positive, reasonable purpose that enriches the Student's study abroad experience
The Travel Request is approved by the host parents, the natural parents, and the SRS Homestay Support Staff and Director.
Students who are 18 years or older who have an approved travel request may stay in hotels or Airbnb accommodations. Their travel request must include this information and be approved.

VIOLATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES

Violations of this policy are considered serious as they impact the safety and wellbeing of students. Violation of the policy will result in consequences including suspension of travel privileges and possible dismissal from the school and the SRS Homestay program. The period of travel privilege suspension will depend on the severity of the violation. Typical periods of suspension are one month for minor offenses and one semester (or up to one year) for severe offenses.

In addition, SRS Homestay and the Student's host family will determine the appropriate follow-up education and consequences depending on the severity of the violation. Students who violate the policy will be provided with and required to sign a written version of the policy and a contract recommitting to program rules. Students who refuse to recommit to program rules following a violation of travel policy may be dismissed from the school and the program.

Factors that affect the severity of the violation are:

Whether the Student notified SRS Homestay staff and their host families that they were traveling without approval
Whether the student-maintained communication with their hosts and program team members during their unapproved travel
The distance and length of time of the unapproved travel
The nature of activities during the unapproved travel
The number of occurrences of unapproved travel
The reasons the travel was not approved
Other parties involved in the unapproved travel

Violations of this policy must be documented by SRS Homestay team members as soon as possible. SRS Homestay team members should contact their supervisor immediately when violations of this policy occur.

Updated October 15, 2021