Registration & Cancellation Policy
Before you apply for a course, please read this information about admission, tuition and fees, cancellations, refunds, transfers, and other policies.
Admissions
Boulder Outdoor Survival School is an educational nonprofit and is open to all who wish to attend. Our admission process does not discriminate by race, creed, gender, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation or national origin (courses do carry age restrictions). We reserve the right to refuse admission to our program if we consider that the physical or emotional health of the applicant may present a risk to the applicant or other participants.
Applying
As is the case with most extended trips, the earlier you can make your plans, the easier it will be to arrange. We suggest you apply for your BOSS course as early as possible.
There is a non-refundable $90 application fee for each enrollment and a $500 tuition deposit due at enrollment. For tuition assistance applicants, the deposit is only collected if your application is approved and the application fee is refundable if your application is not approved.
- Explore the courses BOSS has to offer – Review course descriptions and expectations
- Choose your course and “Enroll Now” on course schedule
- Complete the enroll form (including scheduling your enrollment call, completing student profile information, selecting a payment plan, and completing payment for course deposit).
- Complete your enrollment call with the Admissions Team where you will go over course expectations, requirements, billing, preparations, and any additional questions you have.
Enrollment
If the BOSS admissions specialist approves your enrollment, they will walk you through the next steps, including how to pay for your course. Participants who wish to pay for the tuition with student loans, AmeriCorps awards, or want to apply for tuition assistance or a discount, should discuss these options with the admissions specialist. BOSS offers several tuition payment plans.
Deposits
There is a non-refundable application fee of $90 for each enrollment, and a $500 tuition deposit due at enrollment. The deposit is non-refundable 7 days after payment is made (see below for last-minute registrations). If an expedition starts within 90 days, tuition is due in full. Please see here for information on applying for tuition assistance.
Confirmation
After you complete the enroll form, schedule your enrollment call, select your payment plan, and complete payment for your course deposit you are officially enrolled in your course! You will receive a course confirmation email with directions to student resources and next steps. Students who fail to complete their enrollment call with the admissions team or complete the required online paperwork by course deadlines will be placed on a waitlist and may lose their spot on the course.
Waiting list
If a course is full, you can join a waiting list. There is no cost for joining the waitlist.
The BOSS waitlist is first-come first-served. If a space becomes available, we will contact the first person on the list by phone, email and text message. That person will have the chance to accept or decline the spot. After 48 hours, if there is no response, that person is removed from the waitlist, and we will send an invitation to the next person.
Tuition and Fees
There are three main expenses for a BOSS course: tuition, travel, and field gear. The tuition will cover the BOSS experience, including food during the course. All travel and lodging expenses before and after the course are the responsibility of the participant. Optional expenses include the BOSS Shuttle and recommended travel insurance. Students are also responsible for providing their personal gear as listed in the course packet. The online BOSS Gear store allows students to place a pre-order for any gear they will need.
Extra costs, including additional equipment purchases, fishing permits, etc., may need to be paid during orientation. Any academic credit fees should be paid directly to the granting institution before the course start date.
BOSS encourages students to pay tuition using an eCheck or ACH payment method to avoid additional processing fees. All credit card processing fees are passed on to the student and are not refundable.
Payment Plans
Pay-in-full (5% discount when paid > 90 days before course start)
- All fees, deposits/tuition due at the time of enrollment, with a 5% discount applied
Installments (auto-pay)
- $90 application fee & $500 tuition deposit due at enrollment
- Remaining Tuition equally split into auto-monthly payments run between time of enrollment and 90 days prior to course start date
- Final bill due: 90 days prior to course start
Pay @ Your Pace
- $90 application fee & $500 tuition deposit due at enrollment
- Students can make payments for any amount at any time between the time of enrollment and 90 days prior to course start date
- Any remaining tuition runs automatically 90 days prior to course start
Tuition Assistance
- $90 application fee due at enrollment
- Tuition deposit & remaining tuition totals and bill dates are determined after the Tuition Assistance application is reviewed by the Admissions Team
Tuition Discounts and Assistance
We offer tuition assistance and discounts to eligible students.
Cancellations and Refunds
BOSS incurs most program expenses while preparing for your expedition. These cancellation and refund policies reflect the fact that it is impossible to recover these costs for late cancellations, no-shows, or withdrawals from ongoing expeditions. It is also challenging to fill a space on an expedition if you cancel at the last minute.
- The $90 application fee is non-refundable on cancellations
- Any deposit and tuition payments are only refundable within 7 days of enrollment.
- For registrations made 90 days or less from the start of the expedition, the refund period is 24 hours after enrollment.
- If BOSS internally determines that you are ineligible for an expedition (e.g., medical or suitability reasons), we may refund your tuition, less the $90 application fee.
BOSS does not make exceptions for cancellations due to personal or medical emergencies or any unforeseen circumstance, whether those circumstances are your fault or not. We strongly recommend that students purchase travel insurance. We suggest DAN.org, World Nomads, or Battleface for travel insurance.
We also recommend adding a Cancel-for-ANY-Reason benefit to your travel insurance policy. Generally, this must be purchased within 14 days of the first payment, and the trip must be canceled at least 2 days before departure. Cancel-for-ANY-Reason coverage is not available to NY residents.
If, after deciding to cancel, BOSS can re-book your spot, you can use your tuition towards a future expedition (minus the $90 application fee) within 1 year.
If we cannot rebook your spot, you understand that no credit will be given for any reason.
A participant will be responsible for all costs associated with late arrival or early departure, including transportation and evacuation costs. Once a course begins, late arrivals will not be allowed. Participants who arrive late and miss the course or who leave a course voluntarily or involuntarily once it has started, due to medical emergency, dismissal, evacuation, or any other reason, will not be entitled to refunds of any tuition or fees, and will not be transferred to another course.
If BOSS cancels a course for any reason, impacted students will receive a full refund of the tuition and deposit, minus non-recoverable processing fees, or they may transfer to a different course for no additional charge and if there is space on the new course. BOSS will not cover any costs associated with canceled travel plans or gear purchases. The application fee is non-refundable, even in the event that BOSS cancels a course.
This table summarizes fees associated with cancellations and transfers:
| CANCELLATIONS | |
If enrollment is > 90 days before the course start and cancellation is within 7 days of enrollment |
Full refund of any deposit and tuition payments. |
|
Outside of the above refund window |
No refund provided. Tuition paid may be available as credit* toward:
|
|
TRANSFERS |
|
In-season, >90 days before initial course start date |
Transfer is free of charge* |
Future seasons OR <90 days before course start date |
Considered a cancellation |
| OTHER | |
Ineligibility |
If BOSS internally determines that you are ineligible (e.g., medical or suitability reasons), we may refund your tuition, less the $90 application fee. |
*Subject to BOSS enrollment and course availability
Transfers
One expedition transfer is allowed (with a new $90 application fee) if made more than 90 days in advance of your original expedition start date. If you are transferring to a future year, you will need to pay any price difference.
Need to cancel or transfer? Fill out our Transfer/Cancel form.
You understand that there are no exceptions to this policy. This policy is also subject to change without notice. You are aware of the importance of travel insurance and are responsible for obtaining it. By checking 'agree' below, you agree to all of the above.
Standards of Behavior
On BOSS Courses all participants are expected to maintain high standards of honor, morality, and integrity. We require participants to abstain from all use of intoxicating substances for the duration of the course. BOSS instructors and staff have the sole discretion to remove any participant from a course if perceived to be endangering themselves or another BOSS student or staff member. Participants will be removed if they present a safety concern, medical risk, disruptive behavior, engage in illegal activity, or anything else the staff believes detrimental to the course. BOSS courses also require students to abstain from using tobacco and nicotine products. Smoking and vaping are not allowed on the course.
All prescribed and “over the counter“ drugs taken at the time of your course must be listed on the Health and Physical Exam Form. Failure to do so may jeopardize the health and safety of the participant and group and may be grounds for expulsion from a course. All BOSS students are required to have adequate health insurance to cover personal injury and evacuation while on the course.
If you do not have health insurance, DAN.org or World Nomads and some other insurance companies offer temporary health & accident insurance policies. Not providing proof of adequate coverage will cancel your acceptance to the BOSS program and forfeit your tuition. All students, must agree to these terms and sign accordingly on their course registration materials.