Financial Aid
If you intend to use financial aid to cover part or all of your AHA program costs, you must make necessary arrangements before you leave in order to have your aid disbursed and keep your account in good standing. Most financial aid funds are not released until after your study abroad program begins, so it is essential that you arrange with your university or lender to release funds directly to AHA or, if direct release is not possible, sign a power of attorney that grants authorization to someone you trust to release aid funds for you. Campuses have different policies for financial aid release, so you must contact your financial aid office for appropriate procedures. In all cases, it is your responsibility to ensure that your financial obligations with AHA will be met and all arrangements are in place before your departure. In the event that you have an outstanding balance at the end of a program, your grades will not be released and a hold may be placed on your campus account until payment is received in full.
If your school sends your financial aid directly to AHA International, please do the following:
Send or fax a copy of your financial aid award letter to AHA. This should be done as soon as you receive your award letter.
Make arrangements with your financial aid office for your aid to be disbursed directly to AHA. This usually requires meeting with a financial aid adviser and signing appropriate documents.
Pay the remaining balance. Once AHA has received your award letter, we will defer the projected aid amount from the program charges. Generally, projected aid is not reflected in billing statements until it has been received and applied to your account, so it will be your responsibility to keep track of and pay any charges that your financial aid will not cover.
If your school does NOT send financial aid directly to AHA International, you are responsible for making payments according to the payment schedule, or arranging a special payment plan with AHA.
Outstanding balances: If the amount of aid received is less than your account balance, you will be notified and asked to pay the balance immediately.
Financial aid credits and refunds: If the amount of aid received is greater than your account balance, AHA will send a refund to your permanent address unless we are otherwise advised. If you are enrolled in a subsequent program and have a balance due, the aid will be applied to that program.
Aid from other sources: AHA is happy to provide additional program information and documentation for private scholarships or benefactors as needed. Neither AHA nor channel schools (the enrolling institution for students whose universities do not co-sponsor an AHA program) are a source of financial aid.
Payment Information
Invoices are sent to the billing address indicated on the student’s application.
The receipt of an invoice does not indicate acceptance into the program. Acceptance is determined by the student’s enrolling university. Prior to acceptance, it is recommended, but not mandatory, to make payments according to the schedule.
All students are required to make full payment prior to departure.
If a student has an outstanding balance at the end of the program, grades will be held until full payment is received, a hold may be placed on the student’s university account, and the balance may be turned over to a collection agency in accordance with the Payment and Participation agreement.
FINANCIAL AID: Students with financial aid should refer to the Using Your Financial Aid information sheet provided in the program packet for instruction on arranging aid disbursement. If appropriate arrangements are not made with AHA International, the student will be held responsible for paying all program costs outright.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
Please Note: The AHA Cancellation and Refund Policy is effective from the time a student submits an application, deposit, and application fee, regardless of application or acceptance status. It is essential to read this policy before a potential cancellation takes place, in order to understand the ramifications.
CANCELLATION DATE REFUND ISSUED Written notice received up to sixty days before program start date Complete refund of program cost Written notice received between thirty to sixty days before program start date 95 percent of program cost Written notice received less than thirty days before program start date 90 percent of program cost Written notice received on the start date or after the program begins None. Students will be held responsible for the full cost of the program.
Students who cancel or defer their participation must notify AHA in writing (fax or e-mail is acceptable). Verbal notification or notification given to the campus study abroad office is not sufficient.
The $50 application fee is nonrefundable.
A student who is denied acceptance into a program will receive a refund of all monies paid, minus the $50 application fee.
Students who defer participation to a later term within sixty days before the program start date and subsequently cancel, at any time, will have the original deferment treated as a cancellation and be penalized according to the above chart.
Students who enroll in a program within sixty days prior to the beginning of a program are still subject to the cancellation and refund policies as listed here.
If one of the above deadlines falls on a weekend or holiday, AHA accepts written notifications received on the following business day.
All AHA refund checks are made payable to the student unless otherwise requested.
