Terms and Conditions for the International Youth Initiative Program (YIP)

These Terms and Conditions are exactly the same as what is currently included as a part of any Application Form PDF file.

Please note: In case information given elsewhere should differ from what is given here, the information found on this page takes precedence.

YIP Program Information

Term Dates

1st Term: 22 August 2010 until 17 December 2010
2nd Term: 3 January 2011 until 29 June 2011

YIP Costs & Finances

The YIP Program Cost is SEK 75000.

The YIP Program Cost covers:

  • Meals (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner from Monday through Friday when on campus at YIP)
  • Accommodation (single-sex twin-share bedrooms on campus)
  • Materials
  • Deposit towards travel to International Internship
  • Transport (public and excursions)

YIP is currently a program under Vårdinge By Folkhögskola. Swedish Folk High Schools are public institutions, intended to be accessible to all, which make illegal to charge participants for costs that are not directly related to their living costs and/or materials. Therefore, as a program under Vårdinge By, YIP is dependent on donations and sponsoring for all the running costs of the program. If you would like to make a donation to YIP please visit the YIP website: www.yip.se/donate

Meals

The YIP Program Cost includes Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner from Monday through Friday served on campus. Meals are freshly prepared, using organic, biodynamic and local produce and ingredients when available.

Participants are responsible for providing and preparing their weekend meals. All student houses have cooking facilities where these can be prepared.

The cost for meals covers the weeks of the two terms and do not include personal travel, time spent off campus or holiday periods. There will be no refund given for meals skipped or missed.

Accommodation

Participants will share single-sex bedrooms in one of two Student Houses at the Rudolf Steiner Seminariet.

A room deposit of SEK 1000 is required upon arrival at YIP. This deposit will be refunded at the end of YIP provided the room is left clean, tidy, undamaged and in good condition when you leave it.

Travel & Transport

Part of the YIP curriculum is an extended stay at an International Internship with an organization within the YIP Network. The YIP Program Cost covers the travel expenses to and from this Internship. Additional costs may be necessary to cover room and board while abroad.

The YIP Program Cost also covers some travel and transport expenses within Sweden in connection with YIP and the YIP curriculum.

Some participants might be limited as to which countries they can travel to, due to visa restrictions because of their country of origin. Participants who already have an idea of where they would like to go for their internship should research this information to avoid disappointment.

Fees, Costs & Policies

The YIP Program Cost is SEK 75000 per year.

Application Fee

The Application Fee for YIP is SEK 500. It is not refundable. This fee must be sent with the printed application or be transferred to the YIP account before the application can be processed. This Application Fee is used to pay for the processing of your application.

Reservation Fee

A Reservation Fee of SEK 5000 is due within one month of acceptance to YIP. The Reservation Fee enables us to reserve your place in the program and is credited towards your total Program Cost. If you withdraw your Participation from YIP two weeks or more before the program is due to begin, you will be refunded half of this fee (SEK 2500). Withdrawal after this point makes the entire Reservation fee non-refundable.

Program Payment Timeline

The total remainder of the Program Costs is paid in two installments:

  • SEK 40000 is due one week before the start of YIP. (Including the Reservation Fee, this equals 60% of the total Program Costs.)
  • SEK 30000 is due at the end of the first term. (This sum equals 40% of the total Program Costs.)

Cancellation Policy

YIP reserves the right to withdraw the course if the number of participants is not sufficient, or if the financial resources needed for running the program are not secured three months prior to the beginning of the first term. Fees and costs will be refunded in full if the YIP cancels the course. In case of cancellation, you will be notified one month in advance.

Refund

If you choose to leave before the end of the program, you are expected to pay the required Program Costs until the end of the term in which you leave, provided that you have given at least four weeks notice in writing. Exceptions can be made for medical reasons (subject to medical report).

Payments or Fund Transfers to the International Youth Initiative Program

Beneficiary: The International Youth Initiative Program
Beneficiary's address: RSS 25, 15391 Järna, Sweden
Bank: Nordea Bank Sweden AB, Hamngatan 10, 10571 Stockholm, Sweden
Bank address: SE-10571 Stockholm, Sweden
Account #: 47 86 47-1 SEK
IBAN: SE45 9500 0099 6026 0478 6471
BIC/SWIFT: NDEASESS

Please note: State clearly that the payment is for the YIP and include the name of the Participant the payment is for.

Please note: All fees or costs (outgoing and incoming, sending and receiving) that incur during the transfer of money to YIP are to be payed by the debitor (the person paying). This must usually be specified when making the payment. YIP can not accept any payment as being in full unless the correct amount in SEK (Swedish Kroner) is credited us. Please contact your bank for information on transfer fees and costs.

For updated currency exchange rates, you can visit http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic. Please note that the exchange rates used by your bank may not be exactly the same as what you find here. All currency exchange rates are subject to change.

Copyright and Ownership

YIP accepts and emphasizes the Participants' customary right to ownership of rights to commercial use of artistic or literary works (meaning music, photos/paintings/drawings, presentations, research papers, and the like) produced as a part of or related to YIP Program Activities during the YIP Year, with the following exceptions:

  • YIP may use the above mentioned artistic or literary works (if made available to YIP in physical or digital form) for the purpose of promoting YIP free of charge. Participants must request in writing if specific works should be excluded from this use. Excluded from this use are also any documents which (if published) would be a breach of Swedish law or infringing upon the privacy, integrity or wellbeing of the Participant or others.
  • For works produced by Participants specifically for YIP's use upon YIP's request (such as Public Lecture recordings, promotional videos and published products thereof), YIP retains the ownership and right to commerical use.

Participating in YIP

What is expected of you as a part of the YIP Community?

The success of the YIP Program relies on the mutual commitment of everyone involved. The YIP staff commits to high quality content for the program, staying flexible to adapting the program according to actual needs, creating a personalized positive learning experience, and securing effective use of financial recourses. As a participant your commitment includes attending the program in full, paying costs of tuition and acting responsibly in any of the roles you may take on during YIP.

As the name suggests, YIP is about initiative, not about sitting back and consuming what is prepared for you in the program. YIP is about each person working with and taking on their initiative in a responsible way, not just for themselves, but also being conscious of others and the effects of their words and actions. Only active involvement from all parties will make the YIP a healthy and productive learning experience. In order to gain a real sense of community and with the effect of keeping costs for participation low, everyone (Staff and Participants) is asked to contribute time and work to help the functioning of daily life at YIP.

Swedish Student Visas

Most students who are not citizens of Sweden will need a Student Visa to study at YIP.

The agreement to take part in YIP is conditional upon the Participant obtaining the appropriate Student Visa or Permit to enable him/her to live and study in Sweden. Admission does not guarantee that the Participant will be issued with the appropriate student visa or permit. The Participant is responsible for complying with all conditions relating to the student visa or permit. The Participant is responsible for providing a copy of the student visa or permit to the YIP office at the beginning of the Program. If the Participant fails to obtain or maintain a valid student visa or permit or is required to leave Sweden for whatever reason, this agreement will lapse and the YIP may offer the place of enrollment to another person. If this agreement lapses in this way, the refund policy that applies to choosing to leave YIP before the end of the course is in order, and the Participant may be entitled to a refund.

Participants Applying as citizens of EU Countries:
You will have to register as a student in Sweden within 3 months of your arrival.

For details and requirements on Swedish Visas and Permits please visit: www.studyinsweden.se and www.migrationsverket.se

Also please visit the YIP website or contact the YIP office if you have questions or need further help or documentation for your Visa application.

Participants Applying as citizens of Non-EU Countries:
It is highly recommended that you apply for your Student Visa at least 3 months before your arrival in Sweden. In some instances, where we have noticed that it has been difficult to obtain a student visa, the program reserves the right to request payment of costs in advance. In return the program will send you an invoice showing the payment made, which can then be used as supporting documentary evidence for the visa application process, which may strengthen your application. If your visa is refused, the full sum, minus the non-refundable element of the deposit and any bank charges, will be refunded.

For details and requirements on Swedish Visas and Permits please visit: www.studyinsweden.se and www.migrationsverket.se

Also please visit the YIP website or contact the YIP office if you have questions or need further help or documentation for your Visa application.

Health and Travel Insurance

Participants are required to have appropriate health and travel insurance for the period of their studies at the YIP. Please visit the following link for more information:
http://www.studyinsweden.se/templates/cs/Article____7393.aspx

This agreement is conditional upon the Participant obtaining the appropriate health and travel insurance for the time studying at the YIP. Admission does not guarantee that the Participant will be covered for any cost related to health or travel. The Participant is responsible for complying with all conditions relating to the health and travel insurance. The Participant is responsible for providing a copy of the health and travel insurance policies to the YIP office at the beginning of the Program.

Applying to The International Youth Initiative Program

Applications are only considered from applicants aged 18-25. We will only consider you for a place in the program, once your full application and non-refundable application fee of 500 SEK has been received.

Application opens: 11 January 2010
Application closes: 18 June 2010
Acceptance dates: 29 March and 30 June 2010

Application Requirements

Reference Letters

Two (2) Letters of Reference must be submitted with your application. Both reference letters must be completed by people who know you well (teacher, mentor, employer, family friend) who can comment objectively on your character, abilities, capacities and/or past experiences. References may not be written by your spouse/partner, a relative or close friend.

Medical Report

The provided medical report must be completed, signed and stamped by a qualified medical doctor. If you require a special diet, or have any serious allergies please include details of this on your medical report. If you have any previous medical conditions that may affect your stay at or participation in YIP, they must be clearly stated on the medical report.

Certificate of Proficiency in English

YIP is an intensive full-day course taught in English, with challenging content and in-depth theory based discussions. For your admission it is required that you understand and speak, read and write in English at least at an intermediate level. If English is not your native language, you will need to provide a certificate of proficiency in English.

One Page Biography

To give a fuller picture of who you are, and what experiences or events have shaped your life thus far, the YIP application requires a one page text about your life.

Portait Photograph

You must attach two recent portrait photographs (showing your face only, like a passport photo or similar) with your application. (It is also possible to upload a portrait photo when filling in the application form instead of attaching paper copies.)

Copy of Passport

You are required to enclose a photocopy of your valid passport. It must include visible passport number, date of issue and expiry, and place of issue.

Application Fee or Transfer Recipt

Your application will not be processed until proof of payment of your non-refundable Application Fee has been received.

Application Correspondence

We will confirm the receipt of your application within a month of its arrival. If you have not heard from us within a month of sending your complete application form, please contact the YIP office.

You will receive notification on your acceptance status according to when your application was received.

Acceptance notification will be sent out on two dates: 29 March and 30 June 2010

When you have been Accepted

When you have been accepted we will send you details of how to get here, what to bring, a letter for the immigration authorities (if applicable) and an invoice for the balance of your program costs. It is recommended that you begin the required Visa application process as soon as possible.

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