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Impact DR 2027 FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Terms & Conditions

Cancellation policy

USY Payment and Refund Policy

  1. Registration. At the time of registration, a $750 deposit is required to reserve your spot. This deposit may be charged on a credit card account, and is partially refundable, in some events, through the advertised deadlines in sections D and E.
  1. Payment Policy. USCJ relies on timely payment of all financial obligations and incurs significant program expenses based on our promise to pay.  Accordingly, except as may otherwise be agreed in writing by the Chief Financial Officer of USCJ (or his/her designee), all financial obligations are due and payable on the date specified below, without further exception.

Program Payment Schedule:

At the Time of Registration: $750 deposit due

January 21st, 2027: $1,000 payment due

March 3rd, 2027: $1,000 payment due

April 14th, 2027: Full balance due

  1. Withdrawal by You. In the event, after registering, that you notify USCJ/USY in writing that you are withdrawing from the program, refunds of monies paid to USCJ/USY will be made as follows:

If the withdrawal is without good cause*, there shall be no refund.

If the withdrawal is for good cause* and written cancellation is received:

If cancellation is received in writing before January 21st, 2027, there will be a full refund issued

Between Jan 21st, 2026 – March 2nd, 2027: $150 processing fee will be withheld from the deposit and the remaining balance of payments made will be refunded.

Between March 3rd,  2026 – April 13th, 2026: $1,500 cancellation fee will be withheld from payments made, and the remaining balance will be refunded.

April 14th, 2026 and beyond: No refund will be granted.

After April 14th, 2026 all programs are non-transferable and non-refundable. Scholarships will be applied to the program if you go on the trip. If you cancel for any reason all scholarships are voided and you are required to pay any of the cancellation fees or full price of the trip.  All cancellations must be made in writing via email to [email protected]

*The decision as to whether there is good cause for a participant’s withdrawal shall be made by the USCJ/USY program director and shall be final, conclusive, and binding, and not subject to review by any court or arbitrator.

After cancellation is confirmed, the USCJ finance department will communicate to you within 15 days the amount and calculation of any refund to which you are entitled. The calculation (other than arithmetic errors) shall be final, conclusive and binding, and not subject to review by any court or arbitrator. You shall have the option to convert any refund, in whole or in part, into a charitable donation to USCJ.  Any refund (or portion thereof) not converted into a charitable donation shall be paid within 14 days thereafter. Note: In no event shall any refund exceed the actual amount paid to USCJ/USY by you, exclusive of any scholarships, grants, or other third-party payments on your behalf.

USY does not provide trip cancellation, interruption or property insurance. We therefore strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance. Please contact your local insurance company for recommended options or you can contact Teen Travel Insurance to purchase coverage.

  1. Cancellation of any/or all of USCJ/USY Summer Programs is subject to termination without liability upon the occurrence of any circumstance beyond the control of either party — pandemic, war, government regulations, disaster, strikes, civil disorder, or curtailment of transportation facilities — to the extent that such circumstances make it illegal or impossible to provide such programming, facilities, or transportation.

Cancellation by USCJ/USY –  If USY chooses not to open (in USCJ/USY’s sole and absolute discretion), or any other circumstances beyond the control of USCJ/USY require us (in USCJ/USY’s sole and absolute discretion) to cancel the USY program between the date of registration and June 1st, 2027, “Start Date” of the program year, refunds of monies paid to USCJ/USY will be made as follows:

If cancellation occurs before the scheduled Start Date, you will receive a full refund.

If cancellation occurs after the scheduled Start Date, you will receive a full refund of monies paid to USCJ/USY, less expenses incurred.

As above, after cancellation is confirmed, the USCJ finance department will communicate to you within 15 days of the End Date the amount and calculation of any refund to which you are entitled.  The calculation (other than arithmetic errors) shall be final, conclusive and binding, and not subject to review by any court or arbitrator.   You shall have the option to convert any refund, in whole or in part, into a charitable donation to USCJ.  Any refund (or portion thereof) not converted into a charitable donation shall be paid within 14 days thereafter.  Note:  In no event shall any refund exceed the actual amount paid to USCJ/USY by you, exclusive of any scholarships, grants, or other third-party payments on your behalf.

During the group’s time in the Dominican Republic, they travel by bus with the same bus driver for the entire duration of the program.

The group stays in the same hotel throughout the entirety of the program. The hotels have air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, a pool, and hot water. All of the hotels we have stayed at in the past have been eco-hotels – hotels that have made improvements to their structure in order to minimize their impact on the environment.

The group is accompanied by a team of madrichim (counselors). In the past, staff on IMPACT DR have been year-round USY staff members, and/or Jewish youth professionals. Information on our staff members will be sent to participants a few weeks prior to departure. Our partnered company also provides 2 permanent staff members which includes a director and a first aid.