HVC Refund Policy

HOPE worldwide Volunteer Corps Refund Policy

Once you’ve applied for a program, we hope you will be able to continue in the application process. Of course, we understand plans can change over time. Here are our guidelines regarding refunds:

Deposit refunds:

Once you are accepted to a program, your deposit is non-refundable. If you are no longer able to attend the site you’ve been accepted to but would like to attend a different site later in the same calendar year, your deposit can be transferred to a new site selection. Your deposit cannot be transferred to another volunteer or to a different calendar year.

If your trip is less than 45 days away:

If your trip is less than 45 days away, HOPE worldwide will not be able to refund your participation fee or deposit. Although we are unable to refund your deposit, if the cancelation is applied before the payment deadline for your initial trip, we can transfer your payments to another trip within the same calendar year. Please be aware that the calendar year ends in December. Therefore, December trip cancellations are non-transferable.

If HOPE worldwide must cancel a trip:

Although it is rare for a trip to be cancelled, every so often a trip must be cancelled due to circumstances outside of our control. If this were to happen, HOPE worldwide will refund your participation fee minus the deposit, or offer placement on another trip. If you would like to attend another trip due to cancellation of your intended trip, HOPE worldwide will apply your deposit and any funds you’ve paid towards your participation fee to your new site. If the trip you choose to be transferred to has a higher participation fee, you will be responsible for the additional cost.

If a trip is cancelled after the payment deadline due to circumstances outside of HOPE worldwide’s control, HOPE worldwide will evaluate what percentage of funds can be refunded, but is not able to guarantee a refund.

HOPE worldwide strongly advises you to buy refundable plane tickets.  If HOPE worldwide determines that conditions at a site have become unsafe for volunteers, we reserve the right to cancel the trip at any time. Possible reasons HOPE worldwide might cancel a trip include political unrest, natural disaster, or any other situation that HOPE worldwide deems unsafe or unsuitable for volunteers.

Additional refund notes:

HOPE worldwide is not responsible for any additional fees incurred by participants for their trips, such as visas, flights, etc. If any changes are made to a participant’s travel plans, HOPE worldwide will not cover the cost of those expenses.