Logistics
Flights
Your flight is included in the total program costs and these arrangements will be made for you.
We will be flying out of Kansas City together as a group.
Payment Schedule
If you are in for the trip, we will need a non-refundable down payment of $200 by December 1st. This will let us know how many students to plan on and we can begin looking for flights.
After winter break, we'll need another non-refundable payment of $500 by January 20th. This will let us purchase those flights.
The remaining balance can be paid in installments over the spring months leading up to the trip.
Our tentative payments schedule looks like this:
$500 by February 15th
$500 by March 15th
$500 by April 15th
$500 by May 15th
Remainder due before we leave
The two non-refundable payments in December and January are a must in order to book those flights, but the schedule of the remaining payments is flexible. Talk to Dr. Spaulding or Dr. Robinson about making other arrangements if needed.
Passport
Of course for international travel you need a passport. If you are applying for the first time, this costs about $150
and the processing usually takes about 6 weeks once you've submitted the proper paperwork.
Health Insurance
You also are responsible for making sure that you are covered by your medical insurance for international travel. Most insurance policies require that you notify them of your travel plans and pay a small fee for extra insurance just for this type of travel.
The Office of International Education is a great resource to answer your specific questions about this.
Safety
Some people had some concerns about safety in Colombia, because let's be honest, the Colombia of the 1980s has a dangerous reputation. But that was nearly 40 years ago!
Today, Colombia is one of the safest countries in the world to visit, and has a travel advisory at the same level as most major U.S. cities.
Of course keep in mind that we are traveling as a group with experienced international travelers and will have a host university, host families, and local students as buddies to help us navigate our adventures.
<-- Check out this link to the right to read all about the many improvements in security that Colombia has invested in to make it a safe, culturally enriched environment to visit!
¿A dónde vamos?
We will be flying into El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá.
Check it out on the GoogleMap below.
Here is a map of our host university in Chia, north of Bogotá.