FAQ and REGISTRATION INFORMATION for STUDENTS: MFA SUMMER RESIDENCY 2016 What s included in the travel package? WorldStrides has created a ground travel package for our residency, including business hotel in central Rome with private bathrooms sightseeing trips (as noted in itinerary on WorldStrides registration website) entrance tickets to museums (as noted on WorldStrides itinerary) breakfast daily opening and closing meals a WorldStrides staff member who accompanies us for the entire trip air conditioned motorcoaches customary gratuities for bus drivers, local guides, and assistants for group activities as noted in the itinerary basic insurance coverage at no extra charge International flights are not included in the package, but WorldStrides can book those flights for you. See below for details. How much does the ground package cost? The student ground package costs $3,484, but students can save up to $350. See below for more information about the early bird discount. Flights are priced separately. What are the physical considerations for the trip? Participants should consider their stamina, comfort, and physical abilities when deciding whether to join the trip. Rome is hot in the summer, and we ll be walking over uneven pavement and up and down stairs. See the end of this document for further details. ENROLLMENT, PAYMENT, and INSURANCE What s the deadline to sign up for travel? What about the early bird student discount? Travel enrollment deadline and full payment are due to WorldStrides on March 20. For current students, a $350 early bird student discount extends through December 16. For incoming students, a $350 early decision student discount is available through March 10. Note: You won t see these discounts when you check out your statement will reflect the full price of the trip. Instead, your discount will be credited to your account in April. FAQ: Traveling with WorldStrides: The Essentials, page 1
What s due upon sign up? For students and guests paying their own way: At sign up, you ll pay a $200 deposit, plus the full cost of any optional items you ve chosen, such as a single room upgrade or optional excursion. Students paying with student loans, see below. What s due after that? Final payment is due March 20. You re welcome to make earlier payments to WorldStrides at your convenience to help spread the costs out over time. Can I pay my travel costs using student loans? Most students can use student loans to cover their travel expenses. It is your responsibility to ensure you have enough loans coming to cover the cost of travel. To check, contact Michelle Standridge at mstandridge@spalding.edu or 502 873 4333. (Toll free, dial 800 896 8941 x. 4333.) If your loans don t come through, you may still be responsible for the cost of the trip. Once you ve verified you can cover the cost with loans, you re ready to enroll for travel on the WorldStrides registration page. WorldStrides will invoice Spalding for your travel expenses, including the ground package, your airline ticket if you book through WorldStrides, and any optional items you select. (Exception: If you book additional pre night or post night stays at the hotel, you must pay WorldStrides directly for those nights upon sign up.) When you check out, you may see a total cost of $0. That doesn t mean your trip is free! It just means all of your costs will be charged to your Spalding student account. When your student loan money comes in, those funds will be used to cover your travel costs and tuition. I m graduating. Can I pay my travel costs using student loans? Yes, but be sure to inquire into your loan amount. Graduating students enroll in 5 credit hours, which qualifies them as part time students. The amount of financial aid awarded may vary. Questions? Contact Michelle Standridge (mstandridge@spalding.edu) or 800 896 8941 x 4333. What s included in the embedded insurance policy? 1. Medical Coverage = $7,500 (Primary) 2. Dental = $250 3. Emergency Medical Evacuation = $50,000 4. Repatriation of Remains = $25,000 5. Accidental Death & Dismemberment = $1,000 This insurance is included in your ground package. The policy does not cover travel outside the tour dates, nor does it cover air travel. Consider purchasing separate insurance for those items. What about Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) insurance? If there s a chance your plans may change, consider purchasing the CFAR policy for $199. For details, click the Cancellation Insurance tab on the online registration site. FAQ: Traveling with WorldStrides: The Essentials, page 2
FLIGHTS and TRAVEL When do we travel? We leave the U.S. on June 29 on overnight flights and arrive at Rome (FCO) on June 30. We depart from Rome on July 11, returning to the U.S. the same day. Should I book my air travel through WorldStrides? It s your choice. If you book through WorldStrides, you can use student loans to cover air travel costs. You can request a specific itinerary, and you can earn frequent flier miles for your flight. All air travel requests must be made no later than February 20. To make your request, fill out the flight request form found on the online registration page. Don t worry if your airport isn t listed just choose a nearby airport and type your preferred airport in the Comments section. A WorldStrides staff member will contact you to confirm your details before booking the flight. You may also book your own travel. WorldStrides will provide ground transportation at no charge from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. between the Rome (FCO) airport and the hotel on June 30 (arrival day) and July 11 (departure day). They can arrange your ground transportation for a fee if you arrive or depart on a different day. If you book your own air, we encourage you to purchase separate insurance for your flight. Is there any advantage to arriving in Rome a day or two early? Some students travel early so they can recover from jet lag and get familiar with the new city before jumping into residency. Traveling early also builds in a cushion in case of delays. It is your responsibility to purchase additional insurance for the extra days of your trip. HOUSING Where are we staying? We ll be staying at the Best Western Hotel Universo, near the Termini train station in central Rome. (Best Western hotels are typically more upscale in Europe than in the U.S.) Breakfast and free Internet are included. The hotel has a small fitness center, two restaurants, and a café. Most of our classes take place there. You can see more at http://www.hoteluniverso.com/en/home page.aspx How is the housing priced? The program price is based on a twin room with double occupancy. You can upgrade to a single room for $699. Can I book my own lodging elsewhere? No, everyone on the trip stays in the arranged housing. FAQ: Traveling with WorldStrides: The Essentials, page 3
GUESTS Can I bring a guest? Yes, students can bring guests (normally a maximum of two). The cost for a guest is $2,400. Guests are included in off campus activities such as walking tours and group meals as well as some classroom sessions. Students spend a lot of time in the classroom most days, including weekends, so guests should be comfortable spending time on their own. The minimum age for guests is 12. Guests aged 12 to 18 must be accompanied fulltime by an adult who is not an MFA student or faculty member. Guests must enroll through WorldStrides. If you have questions, please contact Lauren Manson at WorldStrides, 1 800 422 2368 or at laurenb@worldstrides.org. Guest travel costs cannot be covered with student loans. If you are using student loans and are bringing a guest, please consider these options: If you are paying your guest s charges, you can enroll your guest at the same time you register yourself. When you check out, your guest s $200 deposit will be due, along with any optional items your guest chose. If your guest is paying separately, he or she should enroll separately and choose the Alumni Ground Program. The cost for the guest is the same no matter which enrollment method is used. My family members are joining me at the end of the trip. Can they participate in activities? Yes, as long as you arrange it with WorldStrides in advance. Guests sharing your hotel room, attending the closing meal, taking a motorcoach, etc. If you would like to add a friend or family member to your hotel room or to other events, notify Lauren Manson at at WorldStrides, 1 800 422 2368 or at laurenb@worldstrides.org. WorldStrides must know about your plans in advance in order to ensure that your room has the right bed(s) in it. (Remember that in Europe, a single room might be equipped with just one twin bed.) Any extra charges for the additional guest, meals, etc., will be added to your WorldStrides account. Last minute additions. It may or may not be possible to add guests to the closing meal, to a hotel room, or to other events at the last minute. Guests in the classroom and at graduation. Family and friends are welcome to attend the graduation ceremony as well as most other classroom sessions, except workshop. FAQ: Traveling with WorldStrides: The Essentials, page 4
Considerations for those with limited mobility or special needs: Standards of accessibility customary in the U.S. are often not found abroad. Wheelchair accessibility is not the standard. Walking paths and streets may be unpaved or rough and irregular, and some required curriculum events involve extensive walking. Stairs are an inevitability. If you have special needs (e.g., limited mobility, heart condition, diabetes, asthma), the University requires you to describe them fully on the travel questionnaire you will complete after enrolling for the trip and to let us know what accommodations you think you might need. We will investigate to the best of our ability what accommodations can be made, but it is not possible for us to foresee every eventuality or guarantee that special accommodations will be available. Special arrangements such as taxis are made by the student at the student s expense. HOW DO I SIGN UP? To enroll for travel, go to www.worldstridescapstone.org/register. Note that the site is not accessible from a mobile or tablet device. - Students who are paying their own way enter the Trip ID 120115 - Students who are paying with student loans enter the Trip ID 120115S Then enter the requested security characters and click on the Register Now box. On the next page, review the summary page and itinerary tabs. Then, click Register in the top right corner to enter your information. You are required to accept the terms and conditions and click check out (even if your balance is $0!) before your registration is complete. A few things to keep in mind: 1. Registration requires your passport information. If you do not have that information, you can still complete the process and return to the site later to enter your passport details. 2. All rooms are based on shared twin occupancy (2 persons per room). You can go back in and select your roommate later keep your login info handy. Or, if you d like us to pair you with a roommate, leave the roommate selection blank. Single room upgrades are available. 3. The registration deadline and final payment is due March 20, but students are strongly encouraged to register early to receive the early bird discount. Note: You won t see the discount when you check out your check out statement will reflect the full price of the trip. Instead, your discount will be credited to your account in April. Feel free to drop me a line at kyocom@spalding.edu if you have questions. Or call WorldStrides at 1 800 422 2368 or email Lauren Manson at laurenb@worldstrides.org. See you in Rome! FAQ: Traveling with WorldStrides: The Essentials, page 5