• International and domestic airfare* (Learn more about travel support and flight cost estimates here.)
• Airline baggage fees
• Airline unaccompanied minor fees (applies to volunteers younger than age 15 at the time of travel)
• Required immunizations and medical examinations
• Passport/visa fees
• Personal equipment (i.e. mosquito net, backpack, clothing)
• Discretionary purchases in Latin America (i.e. souvenirs, food outside of meal plan)
• College credit – two credits are available for $340 for students who complete the three-week summer program or the gap program. Find out more here!

• Yes, there is a $50 application fee to finish your Summer Program application. For the National Chapter, a program deposit is then required to save your spot on a Summer Program. For Gap Programs, there is no application fee but a deposit is required and is paid after the interview for gap applicants. Deposits can be refunded if requested within 30 days if you chose not to do the program.

AMIGOS offers flexible payment plans. If you are unable to pay the program fee all at once, that’s okay! We make sure our volunteers can pay for their experience on their own schedule, as long as the full payment is received by the final payment date and before travel. All local chapters have a scheduled payment plan for families that will be communicated at the interview or welcome meeting. 

We hope you never change your mind, but we do offer refunds in certain cases.

National Chapter

The deposit is refundable if requested within 30 days of payment. You can be issued a partial refund for payments made after the deposit. If you can’t join us due to documented health concerns, you also can choose to hold over your funds to use the next year. Please contact our Admissions Office at [email protected] for more details.

Local Chapters

Please contact your local chapter to learn more about their refund policies

COVID-19

For information about COVID-19 refund policies, click here.

The chapter fee is different because the local chapter program supports each participant in required group fundraising activities that lower the program fees for local families.  

National Chapter volunteers may fundraise as individuals to offset their program fee. AMIGOS staff provide support, tips, and a peer-to-peer donation platform for volunteers to use.

We are proud to say that our program fees are close to all-inclusive. They cover: 

• Supplemental health insurance that covers you outside of the US 
• Housing 
• Food 
• Travel support 
• Your onboarding 
• Training and project expenses–both before and during your program! 
• Transportation costs in-country 
• Excursions and all excursion costs 
• Spanish classes (when they are part of the program model) 
• COVID-19 tests in-country 
• Full-time in-country program staff 
• Access to our 24/7 On-Call Safety Team 
• Credit for service hours after you complete the program 

However, to assist our students and families in planning, we like to share a list of costs families always or frequently accrue in addition to the program fee. Keep in mind a lot of the final costs will depend on your individual situation. Do you need to get multiple vaccines or just one? Are you flying from a major metro area like Houston or from a small, rural airport? Do you already have a valid passport? Do you have a backpack you can use or one you can borrow from your local chapter or a friend who loves to camp? All the replies to these questions, and more, vary from student to student and will impact your final cost.   

Always an additional cost 

• Domestic and International airfare: learn more about travel support and flight cost estimates here. 
• COVID-19 PCR test 72 hours before arrival: ranges from $100-$150 on average 
• Notary fees: some of our forms must be signed in front of a notary who then stamps them. This ranges from $15-$45 depending on where you live, if your state charges by person or by signature, and how many forms you need to complete. A quick Google search can give you a better idea for your situation.  

Frequently an additional cost, depending on your needs and situation 

• Airline unaccompanied minor fees (applies to volunteers younger than age 15 at the time of travel if AMIGOS does not have a waiver arrange with the airline provider): on average is $300 round trip  
• Vaccinations and medical examinations: depends on insurance coverage 
• Passport/visa fees: ranges from $110  to $170 (depends on renewal v. first-time application, if you pay for expedited service, if you need a photo, etc.) 
• Discretionary purchases in Latin America (i.e. souvenirs, food outside of meal plan): we recommend planning for $100 USD for all additional expenses for every 3 weeks you’ll be gone 
• Airline baggage fees: depending on your final destination and airline provider, you may have to pay for your checked bag. This ranges from $30-$45 for the first bag.  
• Additional travel insurance, if your family wants to purchase this: depends on your plan 
• Personal equipment (i.e. mosquito net, backpack, clothing): on average $200 (backpacks are around $150, mosquito nets range for $15-$25, clothes depend on need) 

 

AMIGOS accepts 529 College Savings Plans to pay for your program fee for eligible programs. Our partnership with Western Colorado University allows families to use 529 College Savings Plans to pay for AMIGOS. Students do not have to be enrolled at Western Colorado University (or in college at all) to use a 529 College Savings Plan to pay the program fee. Find out more information here.

You can earn two college credits through Western Colorado University if you complete a three-week summer program or our gap program. The fee for each credit is $170 ($340 total for two credits). Find out more information here.

• AMIGOS offers a fundraising webinar and an online fundraising platform for students interested in participating in individual fundraising through the National Chapter.
• In the local chapters, participants fundraise as a group with the support of the chapter. This allows chapter participants to pay a lower fee for participating in AMIGOS summer programs. The AMIGOS chapters believe in student-led fundraising because:
  • Fundraising builds leadership skills that empower youth, and
  • Fundraising lifts the financial burden off of families.

Donations made to local chapter volunteers are tax-deductible since they are participating in group fundraising and all contributions go directly to the chapter. Contributions made to National Chapter volunteers are not tax-deductible per IRS regulations since they are tied to a specific individual and not the organization as a whole.  

In the online application, there is an option for you to state whether or not you’d like to apply for financial assistance.

Local chapters determine their own financial assistance processes, so please reach out to them directly to find out what type of financial assistance package is available to you from your local chapter and how to apply. Find your local chapter here.

For questions about National Chapter financial assistance, please contact our Admissions team directly at [email protected]. 

National Chapter: After the financial assistance deadline of March 21, 2023, decisions will be shared within two weeks.

 Local Chapter: After the final deadline of January 17, 2023, decisions will be shared within two weeks. Please visit your local chapter webpage to learn more. 

Please contact our Admissions team at [email protected].