Explore: South Africa

Application Process

We will temporarily reserve a space for an applicant in a particular program upon receipt of the $500 Tuition Deposit, processed through the Givvor fundraising platform, through the link above. Note that a portion of your tuition is tax deductible, as a donation to the non-profit partner associated with the expedition.

For applications received after March 15, final payment is due within five business days after the initial payment is made. An applicant’s file is not complete and cannot be considered for admission until we have received a completed application, which consists of the $500 Tuition Deposit, Application with signed agreement and one completed Teacher Reference Form.

Eligibility and Expectations

Students who are entering or completing grades 10 through 12 are eligible to participate in our student expeditions.

As outlined in the Student Application, we set high standards for our students on expedition, and expect them to be capable, responsible and able to complete independent assignments in the field. The use of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco will not be tolerated. TEE reserves the right to dismiss students who act in a disruptive manner or irresponsibly or who violate the rules at their sole discretion, with no refund of tuition given. Parents are responsible for arranging for and bearing the cost of, and providing supervision for a dismissed student’s immediate travel home. Group Size Group size is generally 10 students and two Terra Explore Expedition Leaders.

Fees and Tuition

Tuition for Terra Explore Student Expeditions programs includes:

Meals, lodging, activities, excursions, ground transportation, taxes, gratuities, and pre-trip materials. 

Tuition excludes:

Airfare, costs associated with passports or visas, baggage charges, trip cancellation/travel insurance and personal expenses. Terra arranges an escorted round-trip group flight departing from New York City, and will provide information about these flights to book through a Terra designated agent. Travel Fees: If you do not travel on the group flight and your arrival to or departure from the program destination requires additional days/nights of accommodation, special travel arrangements or coordination, you will be charged a minimum of $200. If your arrival to or departure from the U.S. gateway airport falls outside of the designated window(s) indicated in pre-trip materials and you miss the group flight and/or your connection because of this, you will be charged a minimum of $200 to cover the cost of logistics. Many major airlines have policies that require students under a certain age who are flying alone to register as an “Unaccompanied Minor.” If your child is flying alone and is required to register as an Unaccompanied Minor, the airline will require that an adult escort them to the departure gate and meet them at the arrival gate. 

Transportation Details

International and domestic airfare and any internal flights during the expedition are not included in the cost of tuition. We have arranged for an escorted round-trip group flight from New York City, and will provide applicants with information about these flights. On all programs, parents are responsible for making arrangements for students to get to and from the U.S. departure/return meeting points.

Terms of Payment

A $500 Tuition Deposit is required upon application. The deposit is credited to the tuition for accepted students. Payment must be made via the provided link, on the Givvor platform.

Final Payment: Final payment of the full tuition is due on March 15, 2020. For applications submitted after March 15, final payment is due within five (5) business days after the initial $500 payment is made. Final payment must be made to the expedition for Terra Conservation Initiative via the provided Givvor link. 

If an application is not accepted or if space is not available, the full $500 Tuition Deposit amount will be refunded, or if payment of the full tuition has been made, the amount of the full payment will be refunded.

Waiting List: Wait-listed applications must include the $500 Tuition Deposit, which will be fully refunded if space does not become available or if the application is withdrawn prior to acceptance. A wait-listed application must be completed to be considered for acceptance. Withdrawal: If the student withdraws from a program for any reason, either before or after his or her application is accepted, the following terms will govern any refunds. For a withdrawal on or before March 15, all payments will be refunded, less the Tuition Deposit. For a withdrawal after March 15, no refunds of the $500 payment, tuition, or (if applicable) group flight airline tickets will be made.

Cancellation: Terra Explore Expeditions reserves the right to cancel applications that are not completed in a timely manner; however, Terra Explore Expeditions will communicate with applicants to facilitate the admissions process prior to cancelling applications. Terra Explore Expeditions further reserves the right to revoke an acceptance when payment is past due. No refund of the payments made to date is provided in this circumstance. If Terra Explore Expeditions cancels an application on or before March 15, all payments will be refunded, less the Application Fee. If Terra Explore Expeditions cancels an application or revokes an acceptance after March 15, the $500 payment and, if applicable, any non-refundable airline tickets, will be forfeited. If Terra Explore Expeditions cancels an application or revokes an acceptance, written notification will be sent to the address provided on the application form. Leaving a program in progress, for any reason, will not result in a refund, and no refunds will be made for any unused portion of a program. Terra Explore Expeditions reserves the right to cancel any program because of inadequate enrollment that makes the program economically unfeasible to operate or because of good faith concerns with respect to the safety, health, or welfare of the students. If Terra Explore Expeditions cancels a trip prior to departure, a full refund of monies paid, except in the event the cancellation is due to a significant event that makes it infeasible to operate the trip as planned, in which case Terra Explore Expeditions will provide a refund and/or trip credit equivalent to monies paid. If Terra Explore Expeditions cancels the trip in progress, TEE will provide a prorated refund based on the number of days not completed on the trip. Terra Explore Expeditions will not be responsible for any refund for any expenses related to nonrefundable airline tickets.