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FAQs
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When do I have to pay?- You must pay the registration fee with your application.
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Do I have to pay all of my tuition when I start studying?- If you are a non-F1 student you do not need to pay all of your tuition. You can pay month by month. - If you are a F1 student you must pay all of your tuition in advance. Your tuition payment is due according the invoice we sent you. You are not permitted to attend class if your quarterly tuition has not been paid in full. By paying in advance you will receive discounts for payment in full up to the deadline on your invoice: For Daytime programs: - 15% discount for 1 Academic Term in a single payment. - 25% discount for 1 year (2 Academic Terms) in a single payment. For Evening Programs where the year is divided into 3 Academic Terms the one-time payment discounts are: - 10% discount for payment of 1 Academic Term in a single payment. - 15% discount for paying 2 terms in a single payment - 20% discount for payment of 3 academic terms in a single payment.
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Can I pay online?You can pay your registration fee online when you finish completing your application form.
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I have a car. Where can I park?AIA has a parking area available for teachers and students on the street.
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Do I need a student visa to enroll in AIA?No, you do NOT need a student visa to enroll in AIA if you are a resident.
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How many hours can I study with my student (B1/B2) visa?You can study full time (18 hours/week) for up to one month. If you study longer than one month, you can study from 2-16 hours/week.
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Payments- Registration fees are due with the application. - By paying in advance you will receive discounts for payment in full up to the deadline on your invoice. You are not permitted to attend class if your tuition has not been paid. For Daytime programs: - 15% discount for 1 Academic Term in a single payment. - 25% discount for 1 year (2 Academic Terms) in a single payment. For Evening Programs where the year is divided into 3 Academic Terms the one-time payment discounts are: - 10% discount for payment of 1 Academic Term in a single payment. - 15% discount for paying 2 terms in a single payment - 20% discount for payment of 3 academic terms in a single payment. Only F1 students transferring or changing status are eligible for monthly payment. F1 Students who complete at least 6 months at AIA will be eligible for monthly payments. Non-F1 are eligible for month-to-month payment. For Montlhy Payments: Click here.
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If you pay by your first day or pay on a payment plan:A. Tuition and materials fees are non-refundable after you start classes. If AIA has to cancel a program or transfer you to another school because a program is cancelled, AIA will refund 100% of unused tuition fees. For F1 students: You will not get a refund if AIA terminates your I-20 because you violated AIA’s policies or U.S. laws. If you paid your tuition to an agent, you need to follow the agent’s rules for refunds. ​Wire transfer "A $15 fee will be added for each bank transfer."
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Refund PolicyRegistration fees are required for initial application processing and are non-refundable. Tuition fees are refundable or partially refundable as outlined below. Pay for Early Enrollment (according to published early enrollment deadlines) Tuition and materials fees are non-refundable after your program begins. You are eligible for a 75% refund on tuition and materials only (less the registration fee) if you provide written notice of cancellation 30 days or more before the program start date. You are eligible for a 50% refund on tuition only if you provide written notice of cancellation within the final 3 weeks prior to the program start date. If a student cannot attend a class for any reason, including but not limited to illness or transportation issues, the student may not receive a refund for the missed classroom study hours. If a student cancels their program after their F1 visa is approved, the student’s F1 visa status will automatically be cancelled and USCIS will be notified. If the student abandons their Change of Status process, leaves the country before an official determination is made on their Change of Status request, or does not respond to a RFE from U.S. immigration, then they will automatically lose all funds applied to their account including their tuition deposit. If the Change of Status request is denied by immigration while the student is waiting in the United States, the tuition fee will be refunded in full. If the applicant paid with a card payment, the refund shall be applied only to the card that was used to make the payment. If you choose to finish your program early by transferring out, you may not receive a refund for the study hours that you have willingly chosen to forego. If AIA is forced to cancel a program or AIA requests that a student transfer to another institution, AIA will refund 100% of unused tuition and materials fees. F1 Students whose I-20 was terminated due to having violated AIA’s attendance, progress or disciplinary policies are not eligible for a refund. Students who violate local, state or federal laws and, as a result, are unable to attend classes may not receive a refund.
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Guidelines1. You must attend 100% of your classes. 2. AIA records student attendance by the hour. 3. If you arrive to class 1-15 minutes late, you are marked LATE, and AIA subtracts 15 minutes from your total attendance. 4. If you are 16 or more minutes late, you are marked ABSENT and AIA subtracts the hours for that class from your total attendance. 5. If you leave class 15 minutes early, you are marked EARLY DEPARTURE, and AIA subtracts 15 minutes from your total attendance. If you leave class more than 15 minutes early, you are marked ABSENT, and AIA subtract the hours from that class from your total attendance. 6. You must attend the whole class. If you leave class for more than 15 minutes during the class, you will be marked absent, and the hours for that class are subtracted from your total attendance. 7. AIA does have excused absences. If you need to miss classes because of medical appointments please let us know before classes start and you must give us a doctor's note 8. Please tell AIA directors immediately of family or medical emergencies. 9. The Director or Academic Supervisor may give you written attendance warnings during the semester if they notice any issues with your attendance. You will receive a final warning when you are near missing 10% of your classes. 10. When you are absent for more than 10% of your classes: A. If you have an F1 visa, you will be terminated without a refund. B. If you are a non-F1 student, you will be removed from your classes without a refund.
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Late PolicyIt is very important to arrive on time to class so that you do not miss necessary information or disrupt the class by entering late. If you do arrive late, please enter quietly and take your seat. The teacher may not be able to catch you up on what you have missed right away. Please note that being late 16 minutes or more to any classes will count as an absence in that class.
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Early Departure PolicyIt is also important to stay for the entire class. Leaving early is equally disruptive to the class and is not permitted. If you must leave early, please let the teacher know at the beginning of class. If you leave class 15 minutes early, 15 minutes will be deducted from your attendance record. If you leave more than 15 minutes early, you may be marked absent for that class.
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Licencia médicaSi te enfermas o te lesionas y no puedes asistir a clases durante un perÃodo prolongado, puedes pedir una licencia médica. Primero debes enviar una solicitud por escrito al Director. Luego debes proporcionarle al Director una carta firmada en papel membretado por tu médico. El tiempo máximo permitido para la licencia médica es de 12 semanas.
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PregnancyIf you are an F-1 student who becomes pregnant while studying, you are NOT allowed to take a medical leave of absence. The only exception to this is a signed letter from a doctor stating that you are unable to study; for example, due to required bed rest before birth.
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How many hours do I have to study if I have an F1 visa?U.S. law says that you MUST study at least 18 hours/week at a language school.
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When can I take a vacation? (F1 Students)You can take a one-semester vacation AFTER you have studied two full semesters in a row. These can be two semesters at AIA, or one semester at AIA and one semester at another ESL school.
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What happens if my visa expires while I am in the U.S.?It is NOT a problem if your visa expires. Only your I-20 and your passport must remain valid while you are in the U.S.
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Why do I need to show AIA a bank statement?U.S. law requires that you prove that you are able to pay for your school and living expenses while in the U.S. AIA is required to see this proof before we can create an I-20 for you.
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What kind of bank statement can I show?You can show your own bank statement, or the bank statement of a family member who plans to support you. If the person supporting you is inside the U.S., that person will need to fill out the Form I-134: https://www.uscis.gov/i-134. Your bank statement must be no older than 2 months.
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What if I don't have enough money in my bank account for the length of time I want to study?This is NOT a problem. You can easily extend your I-20 while you are in the U.S. You can find directions here.
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Attendance Policy1. All students must attend 100% of the classroom study hours for which they are enrolled. 2. Attendance is recorded daily and tracked on an hourly basis. 3. If a student arrives to class after it has begun, that student will be marked as ABSENT for that class. By law, an F1 student must be reported to USCIS if their attendance drops below 90% of study hours, their visa will be withdrawn, and they will be required to return to their home country. 4. Please notify the director as soon as possible if there is a medical emergency or a family emergency. If there is a medical emergency and you provide a doctor’s note indicating that, you will not be marked absent. Instead, your attendance record will indicate the following, which will not count against you: MEDICAL EMERGENCY. 5. If you must leave class early, you will be marked ABSENT for the whole class. 6. Standard doctor’s appointments, dental appointments, sick children, or children on holiday will be not be considered as excused absences. 7. If you have the flu or COVID, you must provide an official note indicating as such if you believe that you need to miss classes and would like these missed classes to count as a MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Home tests will not be accepted. If you provide results from a home test, you will still be marked as ABSENT. 8. The School Director or Academic Coordinator will deliver warnings periodically throughout the semester. You can expect to receive a written warning via email when you have missed HALF of the hours permissible, and again when a pattern of continued absences is observed. You will be given a final warning prior to dismissal or I-20 termination. 9. If a student is absent for more than 10% of your classroom study hours, then your I-20 will be terminated, your visa will be withdrawn, and you will be required to return to your home country.
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Vacation Policy1. F-1 students must complete at least one full academic year at a SEVP-certified school to be eligible for annual vacation. Additionally, students must intend to register for classes in the academic term following their annual vacation. 2. The duration of your approved F1 vacation is the length of one quarter plus any breaks that are provided to all students (e.g., spring break, summer break, Christmas break, etc.). In other words, the vacation includes the weeks between semesters. 3. You do not need to take a vacation if you do not wish to. In addition, you may take vacation and still continue studying part-time during that vacation if you wish to receive less intense instruction. 4. You are only eligible for an approved vacation if you intend to return to study at Aston the following semester. 3. A $750 non-refundable deposit is required prior to approval of the vacation. Upon return for your studies, the deposit will be applied towards your tuition. If you do not return for studies by the required return date, you will lose your deposit. 5. The vacation period cannot be added to the 60-day grace period allowed at the completion of the program date listed on your I-20. 6. You must sign and submit a written form to the Director which states the dates of the vacation and the reason for the vacation.
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