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Amigos
Fees and Scholarships

Here we provide information about the costs of participating in the AMIGOS program and scholarships to help reduce those costs.

AMIGOS actively recruits and supports volunteers from all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. All volunteers who have been accepted into the program and who meet certain criteria may apply for financial assistance to reduce participation costs.

Scholarships Scholarships are available to applicants with proven financial need. Financial Assistance Information is included in the Chapter Volunteer Application packet and is due at the time of the Volunteer and Parent Interview session, should a family wish to make application.

Fees Fees for the program are determined yearly based on a number of factors and are calculated to reflect the actual program costs.

The participation fee covers:

  • Round-trip airfare
  • In-country orientation
  • Training sessions and materials
  • In-country food, lodging, and transportation
  • Field project supplies
  • Year-round professional support staff
  • Health insurance for in-country stay
  • Chapter-related events such as overnights and dinners as well as supplies, and materials

Family Participation Fee The Family Participation Fee for 2009-2010 is $2575. This total is divided into several payments spread over the course of the year according to the following schedule:

Application Fee
(Due with application at interview)  		 $75.00 (non-refundable)
First Payment (12/15/2009) $500.00
Second Payment (1/15/2010) $500.00
Third Payment (2/15/2010) $500.00
Fourth Payment (3/15/2010) $500.00
Fifth Payment (4/15/2010) $500.00
Total $2,575.00

Additional Costs Additional costs to families include immunizations, passport and visa fees, and personal field supplies. Personal field supplies include things like cot, mosquito netting, and non-prescription items such as aspirin, etc.

Payments According to the Amigos Board Policy, the following rules apply:
  1. Family Participation Payments must be made on a timely basis according to the schedule provided on the Chapter calendar.

  2. If a Volunteer withdraws or transfers to the Correspondent Volunteer Program, the refund of the Volunteer's Family Participation Payments will equal the amount paid prior to the date of withdrawal or transfer, minus the sum of:

    1. the $75.00 application fee

    2. amounts expended by the Houston Chapter prior to withdrawal date on behalf of, or as a result of, the acts of the Volunteer which cannot be recovered by the Houston Chapter,

    3. expenditures that will be paid subsequent to withdrawal date by the Houston Chapter on behalf of, or as a result of, the acts of the Volunteer and which, at the discretion of the Board, must be paid.

  3. Any Volunteer dismissed during Training forfeits any payments made to the Houston Chapter. Refund of fundraising contributions must be requested by the donor within 30 days of dismissal.

Veteran Discounts Veteran discounts are available to reward veteran volunteers for the experience they bring to the program. A $350 discount is automatically awarded to returning volunteers by the International Office.

Veteran Scholarships Veteran Scholarships are available to supplement the veteran discounts. Both the International Office and the Houston Chapter may contribute financial assistance to veteran AMIGOS; however, these are need-based scholarships and must be requested by application.