Travel Course Registration Guidelines

1. All travel courses require instructor signature(s) as a prerequisite to entering the travel lottery, and attendance at a pre-registration informational meeting for any travel course is mandatory in order to collect instructor signature(s).
2. Jan Term travel courses are designed for currently enrolled students as a graduation requirement, and are NOT allowed for students on a “not for credit” basis.
3. If you plan to apply for a Jan Term scholarship to travel, you need to go to the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible to file a FAFSA form.
4. If you intend to use financial aid to help fund your travel expenses, you must go to Financial Aid Office IMMEDIATELY to apply for additional funds.  Travel fees must be paid by Friday, November 9th, 2012 (this date is prior to spring financial aid disbursement). All deposits must be paid in order to register; no credits for anticipated aid will be given.
5. Registration for travel courses is by lottery unless otherwise noted.
6. In order to enter the lottery, you must first make a 50% deposit of the cost of your course at the Business Office. You may do this beginning September 26th, 2012. You do not have to wait until the day you register. The Business Office will give you a receipt, which you must submit to the Registrar when registering.

• You must be in good standing at the Business Office in order to register. Students must have a balance (or enough pending financial aid for fall to cover any current balance) to deposit for Jan Term travel courses.  If you have questions about the status of your account, please call (925) 631-4209.zero
• E-check payments are only accepted on-line through the student’s GaelXpress account. You must notify the Business Office if you have made an online payment that needs to be moved to the appropriate Jan Term travel account.
• Once a deposit has been made, notify the Business Office so they can transfer the funds to the appropriate Jan Term travel account.
•  All students must make a deposit before registering for the lottery, even if they will be receiving a scholarship.  Scholarship recipients receive 75% of the total cost of the course, leaving them responsible for ½ of the remaining 25% for the deposit.
• Deposits are non-refundable once a student is selected in the lottery.   If you have made a deposit and are not selected for a travel course you may request a refund.  Refunds will be issued one month after the end of the lottery process.  
• If a student withdraws from a course due to an emergency, the student may petition for a partial refund. Petitions must be done in writing and submitted to the Business Office.  Refund petitions under these circumstances will be considered after all expenses related to the course have been paid.  Any amounts paid on behalf of the student will be deducted from the deposit amount, prior to refund.

7.            Drop off your registration form and your receipt at the Registrar's Office between 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM on the day of registration for your group.

• You may list THREE courses you're interested in on your registration form (unless you're only interested in one course and don't want to be waitlisted anywhere else).
• Your deposit should reflect the cost of the most expensive trip you list on your registration form.
• Once the Registrar has your receipt, you will be entered into the lottery.
• Students may check their class schedule using GaelXpress after noon the following day to see if they got into the course.

8.     The second half of your deposit is due in full on Friday, November 9th. (Of course, you may pay in full at any time prior to this date.)   There will be no extensions, and no exceptions. 

9.     A hold will be placed on accounts with deposits still due after the November 9th deadline and you will be in danger of losing your spot in the travel course, as well as impacting your ability to register for the Spring term.

Special Requirements for Travel Courses

1. 
   Students must be in good academic and disciplinary standing at the time of registration to participate in a January Term travel course. This screening will take place the week after travel class registration. A deposit of 50% of the course fee must be paid to the Business Office in order to enter the registration lottery. Students deemed ineligible through the screening process will have their deposits refunded.
2. All travel courses have pre-registration informational meetings announced in this catalog and on posters around campus. Almost all travel courses require attendance at these meetings and the instructor's signature prior to registration.
3. Almost all travel courses will have at least two meetings after registration. Most of these meeting times are already scheduled in the catalog. Attendance at these meetings is mandatory.
4. Visiting students from colleges other than Saint Mary’s may be exempted from the requirement of attending mandatory meetings with the permission of the instructor and the Director of the January Term.
5. Pass/Fail grading is not an option for any travel course.
6. Freshmen are not eligible for international travel courses.
7. If a course you are interested in is an international travel course and you do not have a passport, begin the passport process as soon as you are enrolled in the class. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you may also need an additional travel Visa.  If you have a passport, it must be valid through April of 2012.
8. You are required to complete payment by Friday, November 9th.
9. In addition, you also need to turn in your completed travel packet to your instructor by Friday, November 9th. Airline tickets will not be released to the student until you have both paid in full and turned in your travel packet.  Noncompliance by a student on these matters will result in dismissal from the course.
10. It is Jan Term’s policy that frequent flyer miles are not allowed, nor are travel date changes.