• Students can participate in ONE trip per year.
• Academic, attendance and behavior records are taken into account to determine a student's eligibility for a trip.
• Families must also make sure they are in good standing with payments owed to the School before applying for any trip.

In some cases, eligible students may not be able to participate in the trip of their choice. If this is the case, the School will try its best to ensure that, whenever possible, eligible students who have not been selected for the trip of their choice are given the option to participate to a different eligible trip where space is available:

If the number of applicants is higher than the maximum number of participants listed for a specific trip, the School will try its best to ensure that all eligible participants are able to go. However, the School might sometimes be required to make a selection (e.g. limited airline/hosting capacity). Priority will be given to students whose academic results are expected to benefit most from participating in the trip. If the number of applicants is lower than anticipated (e.g. less than 8 applicants), the trip might not be financially viable and the school may be required to cancel.

Families applying for an exchange MUST commit to host a visiting student, and have their child present in NYC to host the student he/she has been paired with during the entire stay. Please check the calendar to make sure there are no conflicts for when your child hosts a student visitor.

Passports:

• Your child's passport must be valid at least SIX months after the trip
• If needed, apply for a new passport as early as possible
• Non-US citizens must have a valid US visa or Permanent Resident Card for re-admission into the United States
• Families are required to obtain all necessary visas at their expense

Insurance:

Trip participants are required to purchase Trip-Cancellation Insurance that will be included in the cost for all trips. The student and his/her family are responsible for any medical expenses incurred during the trip and should first submit any claims to their primary insurance provider. Should the school and its chaperones have to pay for any medical expenses on behalf of your child during the trip, we will then bill you for these expenses and mail you the receipts so that you may seek reimbursement from your primary insurance provider.

The actual cost of the trip may vary ± 10% (depending on number of participants, airfare at time of purchase and other factors) and will be confirmed as soon as the number of participants has been finalized.

Non-refundable deposit

• An initial deposit covering half the trip cost is REQUIRED and must be received by the stated date in order to secure the ticket.
• Your deposit check must be made to the order of "UNIS” and must clearly state (1) the name of your child and (2) the trip for which your child is applying for and (3) UNIS student account number.
• Checks are NOT deposited until your child's application has been confirmed to you. Once your child’s participation has been confirmed to you, the check will be deposited and the amount will become non-refundable.

Remaining balance

Once the deposit has been paid, the remaining balance billed by the school will appear on your regular school invoice.

The safety of the group is our primary concern and we monitor very closely the situation in the countries where students are traveling. In the unlikely event where conditions in a country would deteriorate abruptly and unexpectedly (e.g. natural disaster, civil unrest), the School might be forced to cancel part or all of the trip; while the school would seek to obtain the maximum refund possible from the airline and other intermediaries, a full refund might not always be possible.

Students selected for a trip must follow the rules listed below. Failure to comply with these rules or with any of the chaperones’ instructions may result in the immediate return of the student at the parents’ expense and/or further sanctions by the school including possible suspension. Parents MUST spend time discussing the trip recommendations found on this site before any school trip. Safety/behavior rules include the following:

Attendance:

Attendance at the cultural/educational activities is mandatory (including classes on some trips). Students are not allowed to leave class without the permission of a chaperone.

Local Customs:

Students traveling to foreign countries must be sensitive to local cultural differences and are expected to be good ambassadors of the school.

Safety:

Students must follow the rules established by the chaperons for their safety at all times including curfews. PROHIBITED ITEMS: Students are not allowed to carry/purchase the following prohibited items under any circumstances during the trip and regardless of local regulations: ALCOHOL, DRUGS, FIREWORKS, LIVE ANIMALS, LIGHTERS, WEAPONS (even as a tourist artifact).