Please read and accept the following A.C.E. Program Information/Terms & Conditions before proceeding to our online application. GENERAL PROGRAM INFORMATION A.C.E. Language Institutes: Intensive English Program 1. Enrollment To enroll, new students must send to us: 1) A completed A.C.E. Application Form 2) Non-refundable application fee and 3) Proof of financial certification. Continuing students in the U.S. complete the Registration Agreement at your program location. 2. Financial Certification The U.S. government requires that students have sufficient financial resources to meet school and living costs while in the U.S. The student, parents, or sponsor must provide a current bank statement or an official letter from a bank verifying sufficient funds. 3. Acceptance When you have been accepted, we will send you a Welcome Packet with your acceptance letter, an I-20 form (if needed), and information about the school, USA, travel, health insurance and billing. Students then apply at the nearest consulate for an F-1 student visa for entry into the U.S. 4. Age Requirement Students 17 or older may enroll in courses. Please contact us for more information about programs for those ages 10-16. 5. Airport Arrival Service If requested, for an additional fee, an A.C.E. representative or host family will meet you at the nearest airport and help you go to your residence. 6. Housing Depending on the location, A.C.E. can arrange housing with an American host family, in campus dormitories or in a campus apartment. Please return the completed Housing Form and the housing placement fee to A.C.E. at least 4 weeks before arrival. Students may also make their own arrangements. Students are responsible for all damages caused and phone charges made at their residence. 7. Placement Testing After arrival, students take a test to determine their level of study. A.C.E. offers 6 levels of study at university sites and 4-5 levels of study at other sites. Instructors may sometimes recommend changes in level placement during the first week of the course. 8. Course Schedule Levels 1-5 each require 10 weeks, or two 5-week sessions to complete. Students may start their program at the beginning of any 5-week session. Level 6 involves participation in a university class and requires from 10 to 15 weeks to complete depending on location and time of year. Students may repeat a level one time and still remain in good standing. The Intensive English Course has between 20 - 25 lessons per week. Each lesson is 50 minutes long for a total between 1000 - 1250 minutes per week. Students may add from 2 to 4 additional lessons at no extra cost in the form of various elective classes. Within each 5-week session, up to 10 hours may be related to registration, orientation, placement testing, student evaluation, or program ceremonies. 9. Course Changes A.C.E. reserves the right to cancel courses on short notice due to insufficient enrollment. When this happens, students will be offered a substitute course of the same length, sometimes in combination with other levels of study. 10. Student Attendance Students are expected to attend classes full time. Students who attend less than 80% of classes during a 5-week session may fail a level and/or endanger their visa status. More than five minutes late equals one tardy, and three tardies equals one absence. 11. Certificate and Grades Students who successfully complete course requirements will receive a course certificate. Students who successfully complete Level 6 with a grade of B or above will receive a Certificate of Graduation and full recommendation to university study. Students will also receive a transcript of grades at the end of their course of study. A, B and C are passing grades for levels 1-5. A and B are passing grades for level 6. Students who wish to review their files may do so by scheduling an appointment with the program director. Student records are maintained as confidential according to the release of information waiver on the application form. 12. Behavioral Expectations Students enrolled in the program must follow A.C.E. and campus rules. Students must maintain an 80% attendance record and must maintain good academic progress by passing each level within 20 weeks (Levels 1-5) or 30 weeks (Level 6.) Violations of attendance, academic, or discrimination and harassment policies will lead to corrective action, which may include probation, suspension or dismissal. In the case of dismissal, no refunds are given. Students who resolve probationary violations by the end of the following two sessions will be removed from probationary status 13. Payment The required $100 program application fee and the $200 housing placement fee are due with the completed applications. Course tuition and all other fees are due on or before the first day of each 5-week session. Students may pay by personal check, cashier's check, traveler's checks, bank wire transfer, MasterCard, or Visa. All checks should be made payable to the A.C.E. Language Institute. 14. Cancellation and Refund "Cancellation" means informing A.C.E. in writing before the first day of classes that the student will not attend. In this case, a refund of tuition, less a $100 cancellation fee, student services, housing, and health insurance payments will be issued within 30 days of request. 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 by agency organizations that the student selected. 15. Withdrawal from the Course "Withdrawal" means to stop taking classes after the course has begun. The 5-week A.C.E. session is short. For this reason, no refunds are issued for the current 5-week session once classes have begun. If a student has prepaid for future 5-week sessions, a refund will be issued within 30 days of the student completing the Cancellation and Refund Form, less a $100 cancellation fee. Students who experience a family emergency and must return home on short notice may request special consideration from the institute director. 16. Scholarships A.C.E. offers a limited amount of financial aid to students in need. Students must submit a completed Scholarship Application Form to the A.C.E. office within 14 days of the start of each session. Students will be notified of their scholarship award, if any, before the beginning of the session. Students who receive a scholarship award must meet all attendance and academic requirements satisfactorily, or risk losing their scholarship. 17. Health Insurance All students must have health insurance. Students may purchase insurance in their country and bring proof of policy with them. Students who arrive without insurance are required to purchase it from an A.C.E. provider. 18. Dignity Statement A.C.E. seeks to provide a learning environment in which all individuals can achieve success regardless of sex, race, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability. With equality as our guiding principle, discrimination and harassment by any employee, student, visitor, or agent of A.C.E. will not be tolerated in any form. Violations of this policy will lead to corrective discipline, which may include suspension and/or dismissal. 19. Complaint Procedures If a student has a problem with classes, housing, policies or fees, he or she should speak first with the A.C.E. staff who is responsible for that area. If the problem is still not resolved, the student may speak with the program director or organizational executive. The student may make a final appeal to our accrediting organization. Contact information is available at the program center. 20. Limited Liability Neither A.C.E. nor its representatives will be liable in any way to the student in cases where A.C.E. is unable to fulfill any services to which they are bound by contract because of labor disputes, weather conditions, or other cause outside the control of A.C.E. Neither will A.C.E. be liable for damage, loss, illness, or injury to person or property regardless of cause, except in cases where liability is imposed beyond exclusion by statute.