Institute

Join the intensive English program at Saint Francis University as administered by A.C.E. Language Institutes. International students who are academically admissible to SFU but do not have sufficient language proficiency may be admitted and must complete Level 6 of the Intensive English program at SFU.

A.C.E. at Saint Francis University

• Training in academic English skills to satisfy SFU language proficiency requirements
• Small classes (average of 12 students, maximum of 15)
• Well structured curriculum and exceptionally organized program
• Access to all events and services on campus
• Well trained and experienced instructors

About Loretto

A.C.E. at Saint Francis University is located in Loretto, Pennsylvania, 80 miles east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is a scenic mountaintop location on a 600-acre campus. Download a flyer

University Info

Saint Francis is the oldest Franciscan university in the U.S. founded in 1847. The University strives to help students reach higher and go farther than they ever dreamed they could go.

• Highly regarded programs in business, health care, sciences, engineering and the humanities
• Small, diverse student body: 2500 students from 32 states and 23 countries
• Core focus on Catholic Franciscan values, yet all faiths are welcome. Our goal is to help students of all denominations grow intellectually, spiritually, morally, and socially.
• One of U.S. News and World Report's "Best Regional Colleges"

Program Cost

Tuition fees as of July 2012. Fees may change without notice. One intensive English session is equal to 7.5 weeks, which is half of a SFU semester.

* One A.C.E. session is equal to 7.5 weeks, which is half of a SFU semester.

** Student services fee includes: technology fee, campus health services, and express mailing of visa documents.

*** Residence halls and meal fees are approximate and vary depending single or double occupancy. Students will pay Residence hall fees after arrival.

**** Average cost per month is $126. Students must enroll in SFU health insurance throughout the duration of their studies.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

"Cancellation" means informing A.C.E. in writing before the first day of classes of a given prepaid session that the student will not attend. No refunds are offered after the session has started. There is a $250 cancellation fee applied for all cancellations regardless of the number of prepaid sessions. However, all sessions' tuition and refundable charges will be refunded if cancelled before the start of the session. Students must submit a completed Cancellation and Refund Form to A.C.E. No refunds are issued if a student is dismissed for disciplinary reasons. No refunds are issued for application or housing placement fees. Portions of requested refunds may be issued to agency organizations that the student selected. Refunds can also be applied to tuition and fees in future sessions by student request. Should there be any change to the cancellation and refund policy, the policy that was in place at the time of the student's prepayment shall be maintained until the end of the prepaid term.

Financial Documentation for F-1 Visa Students

The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requires that students have sufficient financial resources to meet school and living costs while in the U.S. The student, parents, or a sponsor must provide a current bank statement or an official letter from a bank verifying sufficient funds.

Other Expenses

Students should expect to buy books at a cost of $100-$200 per session. Students should budget additional money for personal expenses such as travel or entertainment. These expenses will vary.

Payment of Fees

The intensive English program will accept payment by traveler's check, personal check drawn on a U.S. bank, cashier's check, credit card, or wire transfer. To pay by wire transfer you must add a $30 wire transfer fee to the amount invoiced.

Calendar

* Applications may be accepted after the deadline on a space available basis, as time permits for housing and visa processing.

The A.C.E. Language Institute sessions intensive English program calendar closely matches the schedule of the university during the school year. During the summer, there is more variation to the schedules, due to shorter university summer terms.

** Summer sessions at SFU are extra intensive 5-week courses, with additional class hours to match the standard 7.5-week curriculum. Tuition and fees remain the same, but housing will be prorated.

Housing

A.C.E. offers you on-campus dormitory housing while you are studying at SFU.

• Dormitories are very clean, modern and convenient (near your classes)
• You will live in the same dorm as American students, make friends, and practice your English every day
• You can choose to live with one or more other students
• This environment is most appropriate for traditional undergraduate students. Married student housing is not currently available on campus.

Cost: Approximately $2500 per 7.5 week session. Includes dormitory and meals.

Meet our Staff

Paul Kwilinski, A.C.E. Senior Director and Program Advisor to SFUIEP

Paul's entire career has been dedicated to international education. From beginning as an ESL instructor in Taiwan in 1982 to opening training programs in Taiwan, China and Vietnam to directing schools and projects around the world, Paul's goal has been to improve educational opportunities for foreign students and to help American institutions source qualified international student applicants. In addition, he has helped develop contract programs for industry training in aviation, business and the nursing/medical fields.

Paul has administered Intensive English programs in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, New York and Seattle over the past thirty years. Additionally, he has designed and implemented teacher-training programs both internationally and domestically. He looks forward to our new intensive English program at Saint Francis University and welcoming students to our incredible campus. The faculty and staff at Saint Francis are among the best in American Education.

Sarah Wood, Lead Teacher

Sarah Wood was born in beautiful, mountainous West Virginia and will always call it home. There she first developed her passion for teaching at the age of 16, organizing and teaching at a children's clubs volunteer organization. She was also always interested biographies of those who worked with people from other countries. Pursuing their path, she chose TEFL as her profession. Sarah received her bachelors' and master's degrees from Columbia International University in South Carolina. Her master's is in teaching English as a foreign language and intercultural studies.

She has traveled to the Dominican Republic, Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea doing service projects or teaching English, taught English to international students in Columbia, South Carolina while studying for her master's, and taught at a summer program at ACTS University in South Korea. Five years ago she assumed an ESL teaching position at a university in her hometown of Beckley. There she taught reading, writing, listening and speaking to students from Asia, Africa and South America, "I realized how important learning English is for international students."

Sarah is excited to continue teaching English and impacting students at Saint Francis University. Her passion in ESL lies with making sure students understand and improve their English in the classroom as they need this to pursue educational and career goals. Her focus is making the classroom as student centered as possible and giving the students confidence in their abilities.