Enrollment and Eligibility Policies

Trip Enrollment (Deposit Policy)

An $850 deposit is required to hold your space as you complete the onboarding process and until the final payment deadline. This payment includes a $250 non-refundable application processing fee. Dragons cannot guarantee a space on a trip until a deposit is paid and the participant is fully onboarded. After the final payment deadline, tuition payments must be submitted according to the appropriate schedule to continue holding a guaranteed space.

Waitlist Policy

When all spaces on a trip have been reserved, Dragons may choose to open a waitlist for that trip. A deposit is required to hold a space on the waitlist. Waitlist priority is determined by the date the participant’s deposit was received by Dragons, even if it was originally applied to a different trip. If space becomes available on the desired trip, participants will be notified by email in order of priority. Applicants must confirm enrollment by a specified deadline or the space will be offered to the next participant on the waitlist.

If no space opens on the desired trip, Waitlisted applicants are eligible for a refund in the full amount of the deposit.

Eligibility for Travel

Once onboarded, participants must also comply with the following policies to maintain eligibility for participation.

• Travel Documents: At least 90 days prior to program session start, Participants must be in possession of a valid passport for international travel with adequate useable visa pages. The date of expiration must be greater than 6 months from the date of course end. Dragons cannot procure travel documents on participants’ behalf.
• Visas: Participants are responsible for procuring the adequate travel visa(s) necessary for program participation. When relevant, Dragons will provide visa guidelines for U.S. passport holders and can recommend an optional visa processing agency. Dragons cannot guarantee that participants will be granted visas or directly provide services to obtain visas. Dragons does not provide visa guidelines for non-U.S. passport holders.  
• Required Documents:
  • Medical Form: All admitted participants are responsible for submitting a completed, signed medical form that completely and accurately represents the current mental and physical health of the participant. If further communication with a medical or mental health care provider is deemed necessary, the participant agrees to arrange a release of information with the provider and gives permission to Dragons to contact providers directly. Participants must also notify Dragons if any changes to mental or physical health occur after form submission.
  • Participant Agreement: Participants are required to read and sign a “Participant Agreement” outlining expectations and policies.
  • Limitation of Liability: Participants are required to read and sign an “Acknowledgment and Assumption of Risk and Release and Indemnity Agreement” prior to participating in our trip.
  • Additional Required Documents: Dragons may request additional required documents to confirm participant eligibility at any time.

Dragons staff reserve the right to disqualify any onboarded participant from participation if considered medically necessary, or upon discovery that a participant or their representative has falsely represented the participant during onboarding process.

Pre-Departure Trip Cancellation

Dragons reserves the right to cancel any trip due to insufficient interest or health, safety, or security concerns in the host country beyond our control. Refund policies in this event are detailed in the “Cancellation & Refund Policies” section below.

Program Policies

Flexible Trip Itineraries

Dragons intention is to create courses that address the goals and program elements listed in each program description. Course itineraries are flexible and often vary from itineraries published on the website or Yak Board. When changes are made to incorporate student goals and interests or adjust to the health of the group, or are made necessary because of foul weather, problems with transportation, political unrest, or any other unforeseen problem, Dragons will make every reasonable effort to keep the course experience true to its original intent.

Trip Amenities

Trip fees cover the following expenses during scheduled session dates, from a participant’s arrival at their trip start location until their departure from their trip end location:

• All accommodation
• All meals
• All transportation
• Museum, park, and temple entrance fees
• Donations to charitable causes in the host country
• Instructor, faculty, and extra guide fees
• On-site equipment rental (e.g. bike rental, snorkel rental, etc.)

Fees does NOT include personal expenses such as the cost of obtaining passports, visa fees, laundry, medical fees, evacuation costs, airport taxes, email, health or travel insurance, extra baggage fees, phone calls, lodging before or after international travel, guide tips, etc. The costs of international airfare and ISOS insurance ($125) are not included in fees, but are billed as separate line items on the final trip invoice.

Medical Treatment and Evacuation

In the event of a medical emergency, Dragons will attempt to procure medical treatment; however, we assume no liability regarding the provision of medical care. All costs associated with medical care must be borne by the participant. Applicants are urged to check their insurance coverage for its adequacy when outside of their own country, or to purchase travel health insurance. All participants are enrolled in an evacuation service and insurance plan, billed on the final trip invoice. Participants and their family are responsible for understanding the limits of any medical or evacuation policy, and for providing up-front payment for emergency and/or medical services when required.

In-Field Trip Cancellation & Re-Routing

Dragons may choose to cancel or re-route a trip that is in progress if circumstances arise that, in Dragons judgment, make the continuation of a trip no longer tenable. Circumstances that could result in a cancellation or re-route may include natural disaster, epidemic, political turmoil, government recommendation, etc. In such situations, Dragons will explore reasonable options to re-route the trip to another Dragons-selected location or will cancel the trip session. Dragons will take reasonable steps to notify the participant of their options and limit costs associated with the occurrence, to the extent possible. However, participants are financially responsible for expenditures exceeding normal trip budget such as alternative international flights, travel, academic, and accommodation costs, and must reimburse Dragons for any financial obligation incurred in this regard. If a trip session is canceled after course start, or if a participant chooses not to continue on a trip that is re-routed, no refund will be issued.

Dragons Rules and Regulations

If a participant violates any portion of the Dragons Participant Agreement or otherwise acts in a way that is injurious to themself, people of the host country, other participants on the trip, or generally conducts themself in a way that is disruptive to the trip, Dragons reserves the right to send the participant home without refund. Participants sent home early or who voluntarily choose to depart early for any reason, including but not limited to sickness, personal emergencies, or injury, will be responsible for all associated costs, including medical costs and related travel and logistical costs associated with an early departure.

Reasonable Accommodations

Dragons is committed to providing participants with reasonable accommodations whenever possible. Accommodations are modifications or services that give a participant with a disability, medical, or religious need the opportunity to benefit from the programmatic experience. All decisions on accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. Accommodations that would require a fundamental alteration in the trip offered or would result in an undue burden or hardship on Dragons will not be provided. Fundamental alterations are generally defined as actions that would substantially change the trip because a participant would not be able to perform the essential requirements of a trip (with or without accommodations) or that the in-country limitations could pose a direct threat to the participant’s physical health or safety. Undue burden or hardship means accommodations that are unduly costly, extensive, disruptive, or would substantially alter Dragons operations.

Air Travel

Participants are responsible for booking their own travel to and from the in-country start and end points of their trip. Dragons will provide contact information for a reputable agent if requested, and will also provide assistance booking pre-course in-country lodging, if requested.

Full Payments

Full payment of total trip cost is due 120 days prior to scheduled session departure. Participants joining within 120 days of departure must submit full payment within 2 weeks of acceptance. Participants accepted within 90 days of departure must submit full payment within 48 hours of acceptance. Additional fees incurred at any time after the full payment due date are payable immediately upon invoicing.

Trip payments made exclusively by check or wire are eligible for a one-time cash discount. If you choose not to deduct the eligible discount, those funds will be allocated to the Dragons financial aid budget and will not be refunded.

Cancellation & Refund Policies

Cancellation Initiated by Participant

Because Dragons makes commitments and other financial decisions in advance of a trip session based upon interest, financial penalties apply if a participant cancels their participation. Penalties change according to the timing of the cancellation. The following policies apply in all cases, regardless of the reason the participant chooses to cancel their participation in the trip session.

1. All notice of cancellation must be received in writing.
2. After submitting the $850 deposit, participants may cancel participation and receive a $600 refund 2 months before the trip start date. 
   1. Eligible participants may choose to receive a credit toward a future session in the amount of the full $850 deposit instead of a $600 refund, subject to additional terms and limitations.
   2. Participants not eligible for a refund may choose to receive a $600 credit toward a future session, subject to additional terms and limitations. 
3. Payment of remaining trip costs is due according to the schedule laid out in the “Tuition Payment” section above. Upon cancellation, fee refunds are limited based on the following cancellation schedule:
   1. Non-deposit payments are refundable up to 120 days prior to the scheduled trip session start date. 
   2. From 120 days until 90 days before trip session start, 50% of the total trip cost is refundable, and 50% of trip cost is non-refundable for any reason.
   3. 90 days prior to trip session start, all payments are non-refundable.
   4. Payments toward trip cost may be applied toward the cost of a different trip during the same session. Payments may not be applied as credits to future sessions.
   5. If tuition was paid by credit card, the corresponding Payment Service Fee amount will not be refunded.

Cancellation Initiated by Where There Be Dragons

Dragons reserves the right to cancel any trip session due to insufficient enrollment, entry restrictions, or health, safety, or security concerns in the host country that are beyond our control.

1. If Dragons cancels a trip session due to insufficient interest, participants will be granted a full refund of all payments except the $250 non-refundable application fee. Alternately, participants may choose to transfer all payments made to another trip with open spaces during the same session.
2. If Dragons cancels a trip session prior to the scheduled start date due to entry restrictions or health, safety, or security concerns in the host country that are beyond our control, Dragons will refund all fees less costs already incurred (i.e., flight fares, hotel bookings, etc.) and less the deposit of $850.
3. If Dragons cancels a trip session after the scheduled start date for reasons beyond our control, no refund will be granted. See the “In-Field Trip Cancellation & Re-Routing” section above for more detail regarding this possibility.
4. In all cases, Dragons is not responsible for other costs incurred by clients in preparing for the trip.

Refund eligibility for participants whose participation is canceled by Dragons due to any reason outlined in the “Eligibility for Travel” section of these Terms will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Special Trip Insurance

Where There Be Dragons is not responsible for costs associated with canceled participation, trip sessions canceled for reasons beyond our control or due to low interest, evacuations, and/or separations from trips. Examples of these costs are: tuition, non-refundable flights, and international flight costs incurred by trips rerouting due to health, safety, or security concerns. Participants may choose to purchase a third-party insurance policy to recoup a portion of their expenditures if participation is canceled. This insurance is optional. While Dragons partners with TravMark to offer A+ Program protection, participants may purchase insurance from any provider of their choice. Please direct all questions to the insurance provider directly.

Binding Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions are binding upon submission of any payment to Where There Be Dragons and are subject to change without notice at any time.  All dollar amounts are in USD.

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