Must be a group of at least 15 students or participants and at least 2 teachers or guides, preferably one male and one female, if available.
Students/participants must stay in the homestay residence during the entire stay of the program
The group should have the intention of immersing themselves in American culture and lifestyle, practicing English, learning about American education systems, or generally experiencing American culture as these are the goals of our various programs
All participants must obtain a B2 Tourist visa.
Booking Information
Booking a reservation should currently go through your regional rep if one is available for/near your area. If you are proposing a new location, please contact us directly at info@heipri.com.
Please include: the proposed length of stay, number of participants (including guides/chaperones), reason for coming/what you hope to do, country travelling from.
We will respond within 3 working business days which excludes Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays for the US Eastern standard time zone. See this calendar for reference.
Once we have confirmed your eligibility, we will ask that each of your applicants fill out our online application form so we can have a better understanding of their background and interests. This and the initial information you provide will help us tailor one of our core programs as best as possible through activities and learning environments.
Though we prefer the online application process mentioned above, if you prefer to apply for all participants as the leader of the group, please email us at info@heipri.com.
To secure bookings, the applicant will need to pay an application fee of $250 USD.
NOTE: We require that the entirety of the balance due for the program is paid no later than 30 days before arriving at the HEIP residence. If we do not receive this prior to arrival or on time as set out by any payment schedule set up, we reserve the right to consider your stay cancelled and applicable cancellation fees may apply. In addition, any overdue payments may incur a fee or interest.
Once final payment is received for all participants, we will send a list to all participants of names and email addresses of each participant and guide. This will happen approximately two weeks prior to arrival and will only be sent once, so please ensure the information you give us in your application is accurate and up-to-date.
Booking Policy
If cancelled 31 days or more prior to arrival: 25% of funds paid as well as the application fee will be kept as collateral
This will apply on an individual basis.
30 days or less prior to arrival: 100% of the total amount paid will be kept.
This will apply on an individual basis.
Force Majeure: Should you or your guide fall majorly ill; be victim to war, natural disaster, civil unrest; or experience some other similar unforeseeable circumstance that will prevent you from attending the program, let us know as soon as possible. This is not the exhaustive list, so we will come to a cancellation agreement on a case-by-case basis. Any refunds of this nature will deduct international charges we may incur.
Cancellation within the stay based on emergency situations: If a participant is forced to leave based on emergency situations, we will refund a percentage of the amount paid based on how many days participated, not including the application fee. However, if the participant stays for 75% or more of allotted days, we reserve the right to keep 100% of total balance paid.
Allergies, Emergencies, Or Other Special Requests
Allergies: All allergies should be listed on the initial application. Per the agreement signed at the time of application submission, we are not responsible for any reactions as a result of allergies not noted or specified prior to arrival. Please ensure that any food, nature-related, or substance-based allergies are prepared for when packing. Should you need pharmaceutical or medical attention while in the program, we will do everything we can to accommodate this from a logistical standpoint only.
Any emergencies that occur while in the program not related to allergies or other avoidable reasons will be handled immediately and with full attention. As soon as the participant is safe and under care, we will contact the emergency contact listed in the participant’s profile, so please ensure this information is also accurate and up-to-date.
Should the emergency result in the participant needing to cancel their stay and return home, the aforementioned return policy will take effect.
If a group member falls ill or is hospitalized at any point during the stay, a group leader/guide must be with the participant at all times until they are either discharged or sent home.
Special Requests: these will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis as we cannot predict all cases that may exist. However, it is important that you list any special needs or accommodations you may want or require on your application so we can try to prepare for this ahead of time. If there is something we cannot provide, we will do our best to inform you prior to your first payment.