RtnTravelForm15 KYRGYZSTAN
United States Department of State
TIME SENSITIVE
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Washington, D.C. 20037 www.state.gov
To: From: Date: Subject:
FLEX host parents and FLEX program participants (KYRGYZSTAN) Amy Schulz, Department of State (DOS) FLEX Program Officer December 4, 2015 Return Travel Request Form
It is already time to start planning the logistics of FLEX students’ return travel. American Councils is responsible for arranging the travel process for all FLEX students. DOS prefers that students travel in groups with adult escorts. As there are only a limited number of group flight dates and seats available, it is important to start the reservation process early in order to accommodate as many students as possible. Please keep in mind that return travel dates will be assigned on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED basis, so the earlier you submit this form to your placement organization, the more likely you are to get your chosen date. Following are instructions and a timeline for the return travel procedure:
December 4, 2015 Forms emailed
December 2015January 2016 Students and HFs choose dates
American Councils mails the return travel request form to students and host families. If you know a FLEX student who has not received this form, please advise him/her to contact their placement organization (PO) as soon as possible. Please DO NOT contact DOS or American Councils about this. Host families and students review the available return dates on the back of this form and together: a) select one date; b) sign and date the form; and c) scan and upload the form on https://returntravel.submittable.com/submit OR mail/fax the form to your PO. When selecting a date, please consider the following:
January 15, 2016 Form due to POs
February 8, 2016 Dates assigned and shared with POs
Does the student have exam obligations in his or her home country? (students should contact their natural parents to find out about this; American Councils overseas staff will collect exam documentation from parents) When does the U.S. school end? Please remember that this is very important as you choose a date. By signing Form 8 (Parent/Student Agreement) of the FLEX application, students and their natural parents agreed to follow the FLEX program’s travel policy as described below and as determined by DOS, as the program funding agency. Per the section called “How is the Travel for FLEX Students Organized?” on page 13 of the FLEX Host Family Handbook (available from your PO), please bear in mind that: a) American Councils attempts to factor school start and end dates into students’ travel plans whenever feasible. Flights to some countries do not occur daily. While there is no guarantee that your travel date request will be granted, American Councils makes every effort to accommodate the students’ needs and wishes; and b) changing travel dates can be complicated and costly so return travel dates will not be changed except in the most extreme circumstances, which do not include prom, graduation or other yearend activity. Please know that it is our strong preference for FLEX students to complete their school year, but there are occasional circumstances where flight schedules may prevent this.
Completed return travel request forms are due to your PO, who will review them and provide a requested date to American Councils. American Councils will assign return dates on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED basis according to availability on scheduled FLEX group flights with priority given to students who have exam obligations in their home country. The sooner you upload/mail/fax your completed form to your PO, the better your chances are of being assigned the flight you requested, although there is no guarantee that the date you requested will be available. If your form is not uploaded/received by your PO, or is received incomplete, American Councils will assign students to a non-negotiable travel date. A form is considered incomplete and invalid if it lacks one or more of the following pieces of required information: 1. One circled date 3. Host parent(s) signature and date 2. Student signature and date 4. U.S. school end date American Councils will provide assigned flight dates to your PO representative, who in turn will share the assigned date with you. Call your PO if you have not been informed of the travel date by March 1, 2016. Your PO will provide flight itineraries to you in late March-early April.
TRAVEL REQUEST FORMS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER JANUARY 15, 2016
1. Print out, fill in and sign together with you host family page 2 of the form 2. Scan and upload a complete page 2 on: https://returntravel.submittable.com/submit OR 3. Mail or fax the form to your PO’s office (contact information can be found in your email)
************************** REMINDER ************************** Based on information you have submitted to your placement organization for review, American Councils will assign return dates on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED basis according to availability on scheduled FLEX group flights with priority given to students who have exam obligations in their home country. “FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED” means that the sooner you submit your completed form to your placement organization, the better your chances of being assigned the flight you requested, although there is no guarantee that your request will be accommodated. HOW TO COMPLETE THIS FORM (YOU MUST PRINT OUT PAGE 2 TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS)
STEP 1: Please circle your preferred return travel date below. Circle only ONE date. No other dates are available. STEP 2: After circling your preferred return date, please read and complete the information in the box below, including the date on which the U.S. host school ends, and check each box when you complete it. STEP 3: At least ONE host parent must sign this form. If one or more pieces of the information below are not provided, the form will be considered invalid and a non-negotiable date will be assigned to you only after dates have been assigned to others who have correctly completed and submitted the form. Once you have completed this form in its entirety, please scan and upload a completed page 2 on: https://returntravel.submittable.com/submit OR mail or fax the form to your PO's office (contact information can be found in the email you received from [email protected])
1. TRAVEL DATE SELECTION: Dates for return travel to KYRGYZSTAN (YOU CAN CHOOSE ONLY ONE DATE!)
May 19, 2016
June 1, 2016
June 15, 2016
2. FLEX STUDENT: (FILL OUT ALL FIELDS USING A PEN. CHECK ALL BOXES as necessary) I, _______________________________________, certify that: (First Name, Last Name)
□ □ □ □ □
I have discussed and selected my preferred return date together with my host family. My U.S. school ends on: _________________ (month/date/year) I have checked with my natural parents, and I do/ do not (please circle) have to take exams in my home country. I understand that I may receive a different return date from what I request on this form. I understand that American Councils cannot change my return date except in extreme circumstances. (extreme
circumstances do not include prom, graduation or other year-end activity) _________________________________________ Signature of FLEX participant
_________ Date
__________________________________________ Placement Organization
3. FLEX HOST PARENT(S): I/We, _______________________________________, certify that I/we have discussed the preferred return date with (First Name, Last Name) my/our FLEX student and concur with the preferred date as indicated above. I/We understand that this preferred return travel date cannot be guaranteed and that my student may receive a different return date. _________________________________________ Signature of FLEX host parent(s)
____________ Date
TRAVEL REQUEST FORMS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER JANUARY 15, 2016
1. Print out, fill in and sign together with you host family page 2 of the form 2. Scan and upload a complete page 2 on: https://returntravel.submittable.com/submit OR 3. Mail or fax the form to your PO’s office (contact information can be found in your email)
TIME SENSITIVE
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Washington, D.C. 20037 www.state.gov
To: From: Date: Subject:
FLEX host parents and FLEX program participants (KYRGYZSTAN) Amy Schulz, Department of State (DOS) FLEX Program Officer December 4, 2015 Return Travel Request Form
It is already time to start planning the logistics of FLEX students’ return travel. American Councils is responsible for arranging the travel process for all FLEX students. DOS prefers that students travel in groups with adult escorts. As there are only a limited number of group flight dates and seats available, it is important to start the reservation process early in order to accommodate as many students as possible. Please keep in mind that return travel dates will be assigned on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED basis, so the earlier you submit this form to your placement organization, the more likely you are to get your chosen date. Following are instructions and a timeline for the return travel procedure:
December 4, 2015 Forms emailed
December 2015January 2016 Students and HFs choose dates
American Councils mails the return travel request form to students and host families. If you know a FLEX student who has not received this form, please advise him/her to contact their placement organization (PO) as soon as possible. Please DO NOT contact DOS or American Councils about this. Host families and students review the available return dates on the back of this form and together: a) select one date; b) sign and date the form; and c) scan and upload the form on https://returntravel.submittable.com/submit OR mail/fax the form to your PO. When selecting a date, please consider the following:
January 15, 2016 Form due to POs
February 8, 2016 Dates assigned and shared with POs
Does the student have exam obligations in his or her home country? (students should contact their natural parents to find out about this; American Councils overseas staff will collect exam documentation from parents) When does the U.S. school end? Please remember that this is very important as you choose a date. By signing Form 8 (Parent/Student Agreement) of the FLEX application, students and their natural parents agreed to follow the FLEX program’s travel policy as described below and as determined by DOS, as the program funding agency. Per the section called “How is the Travel for FLEX Students Organized?” on page 13 of the FLEX Host Family Handbook (available from your PO), please bear in mind that: a) American Councils attempts to factor school start and end dates into students’ travel plans whenever feasible. Flights to some countries do not occur daily. While there is no guarantee that your travel date request will be granted, American Councils makes every effort to accommodate the students’ needs and wishes; and b) changing travel dates can be complicated and costly so return travel dates will not be changed except in the most extreme circumstances, which do not include prom, graduation or other yearend activity. Please know that it is our strong preference for FLEX students to complete their school year, but there are occasional circumstances where flight schedules may prevent this.
Completed return travel request forms are due to your PO, who will review them and provide a requested date to American Councils. American Councils will assign return dates on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED basis according to availability on scheduled FLEX group flights with priority given to students who have exam obligations in their home country. The sooner you upload/mail/fax your completed form to your PO, the better your chances are of being assigned the flight you requested, although there is no guarantee that the date you requested will be available. If your form is not uploaded/received by your PO, or is received incomplete, American Councils will assign students to a non-negotiable travel date. A form is considered incomplete and invalid if it lacks one or more of the following pieces of required information: 1. One circled date 3. Host parent(s) signature and date 2. Student signature and date 4. U.S. school end date American Councils will provide assigned flight dates to your PO representative, who in turn will share the assigned date with you. Call your PO if you have not been informed of the travel date by March 1, 2016. Your PO will provide flight itineraries to you in late March-early April.
TRAVEL REQUEST FORMS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER JANUARY 15, 2016
1. Print out, fill in and sign together with you host family page 2 of the form 2. Scan and upload a complete page 2 on: https://returntravel.submittable.com/submit OR 3. Mail or fax the form to your PO’s office (contact information can be found in your email)
************************** REMINDER ************************** Based on information you have submitted to your placement organization for review, American Councils will assign return dates on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED basis according to availability on scheduled FLEX group flights with priority given to students who have exam obligations in their home country. “FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED” means that the sooner you submit your completed form to your placement organization, the better your chances of being assigned the flight you requested, although there is no guarantee that your request will be accommodated. HOW TO COMPLETE THIS FORM (YOU MUST PRINT OUT PAGE 2 TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS)
STEP 1: Please circle your preferred return travel date below. Circle only ONE date. No other dates are available. STEP 2: After circling your preferred return date, please read and complete the information in the box below, including the date on which the U.S. host school ends, and check each box when you complete it. STEP 3: At least ONE host parent must sign this form. If one or more pieces of the information below are not provided, the form will be considered invalid and a non-negotiable date will be assigned to you only after dates have been assigned to others who have correctly completed and submitted the form. Once you have completed this form in its entirety, please scan and upload a completed page 2 on: https://returntravel.submittable.com/submit OR mail or fax the form to your PO's office (contact information can be found in the email you received from [email protected])
1. TRAVEL DATE SELECTION: Dates for return travel to KYRGYZSTAN (YOU CAN CHOOSE ONLY ONE DATE!)
May 19, 2016
June 1, 2016
June 15, 2016
2. FLEX STUDENT: (FILL OUT ALL FIELDS USING A PEN. CHECK ALL BOXES as necessary) I, _______________________________________, certify that: (First Name, Last Name)
□ □ □ □ □
I have discussed and selected my preferred return date together with my host family. My U.S. school ends on: _________________ (month/date/year) I have checked with my natural parents, and I do/ do not (please circle) have to take exams in my home country. I understand that I may receive a different return date from what I request on this form. I understand that American Councils cannot change my return date except in extreme circumstances. (extreme
circumstances do not include prom, graduation or other year-end activity) _________________________________________ Signature of FLEX participant
_________ Date
__________________________________________ Placement Organization
3. FLEX HOST PARENT(S): I/We, _______________________________________, certify that I/we have discussed the preferred return date with (First Name, Last Name) my/our FLEX student and concur with the preferred date as indicated above. I/We understand that this preferred return travel date cannot be guaranteed and that my student may receive a different return date. _________________________________________ Signature of FLEX host parent(s)
____________ Date
TRAVEL REQUEST FORMS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER JANUARY 15, 2016
1. Print out, fill in and sign together with you host family page 2 of the form 2. Scan and upload a complete page 2 on: https://returntravel.submittable.com/submit OR 3. Mail or fax the form to your PO’s office (contact information can be found in your email)
