Program Withdrawal
Should a student withdraw midway through a semester for any reason or be dismissed for cause, their eligibility for a refund will be based on their home institution’s withdrawal policy. Students who withdraw midway through a semester will be ineligible to receive credit from AKP unless there are special circumstances.
Students considering withdrawal should notify their home institution’s study abroad office in addition to the AKP Resident Director. Any final decisions regarding withdrawal must be conveyed in writing.
Activity Cancellation
AKP will do its best to offer the activities listed on the Academic Calendar and elsewhere, but there are times when natural disasters, closures of facilities, or other unavoidable circumstances make it impossible to hold an activity as originally planned.
When this occurs, AKP will work to reschedule or find an alternative activity. In some cases, though, the activity will need to be canceled with no replacement. Since AKP’s comprehensive fee is a single fee that covers all program-sponsored activities, which vary from semester to semester, AKP does not provide refunds for individual activities that cannot be offered as planned, nor does it charge extra when new activities are added to the program.
Refunds for Mid-Semester Program Disruptions
In very rare circumstances, such as a disaster that closes campus facilities or poses a prolonged safety risk to AKP students, AKP may find itself unable to operate in its intended form. Should this occur, AKP will evacuate its students from Japan and continue all coursework online.
Refunded Costs
In the event of such a disruption, AKP will refund prorated room and board costs based on the number of days remaining in the program. Tuition will not be refunded unless there are circumstances that prevent AKP from continuing coursework online or elsewhere.
AKP considers the remaining amounts for the meal stipends, any stipends for miscellaneous living expenses, and the commuter pass as included within the room and board refund, which will be paid out after evacuation. However, any remaining amounts for the monthly Cultural Activities Grant will be paid in full to students prior to evacuation.
Apart from the Cultural Activities Grant, the prorated room and board costs will constitute the entirety of the refund provided by AKP. No other separate refunds or payments will be made for specific elements of the program, such as field trips, that students could not participate in due to an evacuation.
Refund Process
Unless a student has paid their comprehensive fee directly to AKP, AKP will issue refunds to a student’s home institution. The student’s home institution is then responsible for passing on any amounts to the student based on its own internal policies, which may be affected by financial aid.
Changing from Full-Year Status
Full-year students who choose to return to their home campus after completing their first semester will receive full credit for their first semester and not be charged tuition for the second semester.