The directors of Rustic Pathways deeply believe in the transformational power of experiential education. Every day, we witness cross-cultural learning change the way young people who travel with us view the world. These experiences create more informed global citizens. If it were up to us, every student would have the opportunity to join our transformative programs. Unfortunately, the costs associated with these programs leave them out of reach for many students. David Venning, the Chairman and Founder of Rustic Pathways, places special emphasis on our ability to offer exceptional and affordable programs to the broadest range of students possible. Please click on the links to the left of this page to explore our financial assistance options.
All Rustic Pathways applicants who sign up at least 94 days in advance of the trip start date are given the option of making interest-free installments. With this option, families can spread out their payments evenly with the final installment due 65 days before the start date of the program. This option is automatically available to all applicants.
Please note this is a sample intended for illustrative purposes only.
Country: Morocco
Program: Moroccan Wanderer - 16 days
Program Cost: $3,295.00
SUBTOTAL $3,295.00
Estimated International Airfare Arrangements for Africa: $1,795.00
Estimated Airline Fuel/Taxes/Departure Tax for Africa Airlines : $605.00
TOTAL $5,695.00
This sample student signed up on November 16, 2011 for the Moroccan Wanderer - a trip beginning on July 31, 2012. He has the option of making one lump sum payment of $5,695.00 or spreading out the payment over six installments with 0% interest and the remainder of the balance due 65 days before the trip begins.
If he chooses the payment plan, $814 will be due on December 1 (15 days after Acceptance Letter was issued) and on each month thereafter through May 1. The final balance of $945 is due no later than May 26, 2012 (65 days before the trip begins).
TOTAL PAID $5,695.00
Applicants will also be given the opportunity to enroll in Trip Cancellation Program at the time the Acceptance Letter is issued. A list of standard fees that may be incurred can be found here.
This powerful new initiative gives all students the opportunity to join Rustic Pathways programs at a discount of up to 27% off the total program cost (not including airfare). This option evenly spreads payments over time, is open to everyone, and offers an additional discount for students who sign up far in advance.
With the Student Saver Discounted Payment Plan, students who sign up between 12 and 18 months in advance of their travel date will receive a discount of between 18% and 27% (each month prior to program departure date earns 1.5% off of total program cost).
For example, signing up 12 months early will earn participants an 18% discount (12 months × 1.5% = 18%) and signing up 18 months early will offer a 27% discount (18 months × 1.5% = 27%) on the overall program cost. This plan is 100% risk-free, and summer program participants may cancel for a full refund at any time prior to March 15 on the year of the trip. For spring break programs, participants may cancel for a full refund any time prior to December 15 of the calendar year before their trip (e.g. December 14, 2012 for a spring break trip departing in April of 2013).
This discount can be applied to any scheduled high school program(s) or spring break program(s) on any date(s), but cannot be combined with other Rustic Pathways discount offers.
Taking advantage of this option allows students to lock-in program prices at current rates, thereby avoiding any future increases in cost that may occur due to changes in the global economy.
This option allows more students to plan ahead and save up, whether it is through work or fundraisers, in order to provide themselves with the life-changing experience that Rustic Pathways offers. View the following examples of this plan being utilized at both 12 month and 18 month durations.
Please note this is a sample intended for illustrative purposes only.
Application Date: July 1, 2012
Country: Morocco
Programs:
STUDENT SAVER DISCOUNT ON TWO PROGRAMS: $1,186
SUBTOTAL: $5,404.00
International Airfare Arrangements for Africa*: $1,795.00
Airline Fuel/Taxes/Departure Tax for Africa Airlines*: $605.00
TOTAL $7,804.00
* Students signing up for the Student Saver Discounted Payment Plan will be provided with estimated airfare costs and taxes at the time of their initial invoice. Airfare taxes and ticket prices fluctuate often and your payment schedule may be adjusted to reflect the most current rates on dates of travel.
This student signed up on July 1 of 2012 for a trip starting July of 2013 (12 months ahead of time). Initial payments are due within 15 days of your application. The Student Saver Discounted Payment Plan offers a 1.5% discount for each month ahead of time one signs up, so 1.5% X 12 months equals a 18% discount off of the trip cost totaling $1,186 in this instance. The trip balance of $7,804.00 will then be equally distributed in monthly, interest-free payments up until 65 days before the program begins. Thus, the monthly payments will be approximately $710 for this student.
TOTAL PAID $7,804.00
Please note this is a sample intended for illustrative purposes only.
Application Date: January 1, 2012
Country: Morocco
Program: Moroccan Wanderer - 16 days $3,295.00
Discount for 18 Month Plan - 27% ($890.00)
STUDENT SAVER DISCOUNT ON ONE PROGRAM: $890
SUBTOTAL: $2405.00
International Airfare Arrangements for Africa*: $1,795.00
Airline Fuel/Taxes/Departure Tax for Africa Airlines*: $605.00
TOTAL $4,805.00
* Students signing up for the Student Saver Discounted Payment Plan will be provided with estimated airfare costs and taxes at the time of their initial invoice. Airfare taxes and ticket prices fluctuate often and your payment schedule may be adjusted to reflect the most current rates on dates of travel.
This student signed up on January 1st of 2012 for a trip starting July of 2013 (18 months ahead of time). Initial payments are due within 15 days of your application. The Student Saver Discounted Payment Plan offers a 1.5% discount for each month ahead of time one signs up, so 1.5% X 18 months equals a 27% discount off of the trip cost totaling $890 in this instance. The trip balance of $4,805.00 will then be equally distributed in monthly, interest-free payments up until 65 days before the program begins. Thus, the monthly payments will be approximately $285 for this student.
TOTAL PAID $4,805.00
To take advantage of the Student Saver Discounted Payment Plan,
please contact Daniel Valenti at
dvalenti@rusticpathways.com.
David Venning, the Chairman and Founder of Rustic Pathways, is offering 100 grants to exceptional high school students (currently in grades 8 - 11) with demonstrated financial need. These grants will cover between 50 and 100 percent of a participant's total program cost, but will not cover airfare.
Both merit and financial status will be considered during the selection process. Applications for the Chairman's Grants are due by March 31, 2012 and recipients will be announced on a rolling basis prior to the 2012 summer. Please bear in mind that due to the high volume of applicants, the majority of those seeking financial assistance through the Chairman's Grant will not be accommodated. For this reason, we strongly encourage all students seeking financial assistance also consider enrolling in the Student Saver Discounted Payment Plan.
The Chairman's Grant benefits international experiences for students who would otherwise not be able to have this opportunity. Grant recipients will be offered a choice of programs and dates that would be available to them under the grant. The programs offered to grant recipients will commonly be popular Rustic Pathways community service programs with deep cross-cultural content.
To apply for the Chairman's Grant, please fill out the application form (which can be found at the bottom of this page).
Students should not apply for a Rustic Pathways program until after they receive information back from Rustic Pathways pertaining to their application for financial aid. At that time, we will contact you with details on signing up for a program.
More information regarding Chairman's Grant options can be viewed below.
Please note this is a sample intended for illustrative purposes only.
Country: Thailand
Programs:
SUBTOTAL $3,095.00
International Airfare Arrangements for Asia: $1,695.00
Internal Airfare - Thailand: $895.00
Airline Fuel/Taxes/Departure Tax for Asia Airlines: $834.00
Visa Fees: $90.00
TOTAL $6,589.00
This sample student was awarded a Chairman's Grant totaling $3,095 towards Tribal Issues and Hilltribe Orphanage. The grant was awarded in March and the program starts in June.
This student will have approximately one month to pay the total balance of $6,589.00.
Applicants will also be given the opportunity to enroll in our Trip Cancellation Program at the time the Acceptance Letter is issued. A list of standard fees that may be incurred can be found here.
Please note this is a sample intended for illustrative purposes only.
Country: Thailand
Programs:
SUBTOTAL $0.00
International Airfare Arrangements for Asia: $1,695.00
Internal Airfare - Thailand: $895.00
Airline Fuel/Taxes/Departure Tax for Asia Airlines: $834.00
Visa Fees: $90.00
TOTAL $3,494.00
This sample student was awarded a Chairman's Grant totaling $6,190 towards Tribal Issues and Hilltribe Orphanage. The grant was awarded in March and the program starts in June.
This student will have approximately one month to pay the total balance of $3,494.00.
Applicants will also be given the opportunity to enroll in our Trip Cancellation Program at the time the Acceptance Letter is issued. A list of standard fees that may be incurred can be found here.
One of the three missions of the Rustic Pathways Foundation is to facilitate experiential education programs for students with limited financial means. To this end, the foundation offers a limited number of privately sponsored scholarships each year for exceptional students with demonstrated financial need.
Individual donors choose to participate by making a tax-deductable contribution to the Rustic Pathways Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered in Ohio. All scholarship applicants will automatically be considered for both the Chairman's Grant and privately sponsored scholarships, so there is no need to fill out two applications.
For more information about sponsoring a student to travel on a Rustic Pathways program through the Rustic Pathways Foundation, please contact us at foundation@rusticpathways.org.
Each year, many driven students manage to raise enough funds to join Rustic programs through their own fundraising efforts. If you need any assistance generating fundraising ideas, fear not - we have you covered! We have a guide full of fun ideas from community concerts to web-based service groups.
Below are examples of both our standard Trip Cancellation Program and our Optional Trip Cancellation Program. All applicants have the choice of enrolling in the optional program that allows for more flexibility and greater refund amounts than the standard program. The optional program is priced at 3.8% of trip and airfare cost and must be purchased within 15 days of receiving the Acceptance Letter.
The Optional Trip Cancellation Program is only available if payment is received by the due date.
The application processing fee is nonrefundable.
Trip cancellation date is determined by the date we receive written notice by e-mail or fax indicating that a participant wishes to cancel their program(s). Verbal notice will not serve as a valid cancellation notification.
This is our standard Trip Cancellation Program that applies to all participants unless they enroll in the Optional Trip Cancellation Program.
Trip cancellation date is determined by the date we receive written notice by e-mail or fax indicating that a participant wishes to cancel the program. Verbal notice will not serve as a valid cancellation notification.
Please return this form to Rustic Pathways with your first trip payment. If you checked the "yes" box above, please include a check payable to Rustic Pathways for the amount shown at the top of this page. If this form is not returned to the Ohio office you will be subject to Rustic Pathways Refund & Cancellation Policy (specified above, in our catalog, and at www.rusticpathways.com).
The following is a list of all the standard fees that can be charged depending on the individual circumstances involved in your trip or any changes/revisions you make. This is not part of your invoice.
