These General Terms and Conditions are applicable to all services offered in the schools in Trieste and in Tropea by Piccola Università Italiana and subscribed to by the student (the client) directly with the school or through an intermediary (including an agent).
1. Enrolment Procedure
When registering you accept the published “General Terms and Conditions”.
The registration should be filed online through the form on the website: https://piccolauniversitaitaliana.com
In exceptional cases, the application may also be sent in writing via e-mail. The contract is achieved by a written confirmation from our side. This confirmation comes into effect on receipt of pre-payment.
By enrolling at the school, the student commits to following the course and respecting the internal regulations of the school.
2. Minimum Age
2.1. Minimum age of admission for adult group courses (= course A, B, C) is 16 years. Teenagers aged 16 to 17,99 have to provide the authorization, that parents or a legal guardian agree to the course participants, assuming personal liability for the minor and confirming that the child is financially secure. This authorization (scanned) must be sent by e-mail together with the application and the passport copy (scanned) to the secretary’s office. The template of the authorization is available upon request.
2.2. Children from 4 to 15,99 years have to book private lessons (= course E, D) or lessons in a pre-formed group. They must be accompanied by their parents or a legal guardian during their stay.
2.3. The admission for the Junior summer programme is for teenagers aged 12 to 17,99 years. All students enrolled in this programme have to provide the authorization mentioned in article 2.1.
3. Payment
By paying (in full or partly), the client agrees unreservedly to these General Terms and Conditions as well as the internal regulations to which they refer.
3.1. The deposit must be paid within 7 days after registration to continue the enrolment process, thereby the confirmation receives its effectiveness. The deposit includes 100% of the registration fee and 30% of the accommodation cost.
The balance must be paid without further notification within 30 days before the course starts.
For “last-minute enrolment” (= < 4 weeks before arrival), the entire amount must be paid immediately upon receipt of the official confirmation from the school.
3.2. Payment methods
3.2.1. Payment by bank transfer: This payment option is recommended for students from the eurozone. Together with the confirmation of the booked language course, students receive automatically the relevant bank details. The bank transfer fees are borne by the student. A copy of the payment has to be sent by e-mail to info@piccolauniversitaitaliana.com.
3.2.2. Payment through Flywire: This payment gateway is recommended for students from outside the eurozone.
It provides the possibility to pay in over 140 currencies, pays by bank transfer or international credit/debit card, eliminates bank fees, enjoys excellent exchange rates, tracks payment from start to finish, pays from any country and any bank.
3.2.3. Cash payment: In exceptional cases, cash payments are accepted especially for “last minute” registrations and have to be made on the first day of the course in the secretary’s office.
3.2.4. Services, which are booked additionally after arrival (= extensions, individual lessons, or activities offered within the weekly program) can only be paid in cash.
3.3. The student is entitled to participate in the course, once copies of the payment records have been presented.
3.4. A compulsory stamp duty of € 2,00 applies to each invoice.
4. Cancellation
4.1. Withdrawal from a program can be done only by e-mail or registered letter to our office.
4.2. Cancellation policy:
| Cancellation period | Course cancellation fee | Apartment cancellation fee |
|---|---|---|
| More than 30 days before arrival | 100 % of the registration fee | 30 % of the accommodation rate |
| Less than 30 days before arrival | 100 % of the registration fee +50 % of the course fee | 50 % of the accommodation rate |
| Less than 7 days before arrival | 100 % of the registration fee + 100 % of the course fee | 100 % of the accommodation rate |
4.3. There will be no course or accommodation refunds in the event of a cancellation once the course has begun.
4.4. Course starting dates are fixed. There is no refund for any missed lessons, early termination of a course, or for missing the start of class.
4.5. The cancellation policy stated in clause 4.2 does not apply to reservations with study visas. In case of reservations with a study visa refer to clause 13.
5. Change of period of service
5.1. Post-booking it is possible to change the dates of the booked stay (any service in our portfolio: Italian language and culture courses, special courses, accommodation, transfers, insurance …) without additional costs within 30 days from the date of arrival.
In the event of a change of season, the rate of the actual season will apply to the accommodation.
5.2. In the case of a change of dates less than 30 days before the arrival date, the general cancellation conditions (ref. 4.) will apply.
5.3. In the case of force majeure the period of stay may be changed.
5.4. The change of dates implies the subsequent loss of the right of cancellation and, therefore, of the right to reimbursement of the booked services.
6. Contracted Services
The purpose of the school’s contractual services is indicated on the schools’ official website, in our brochures, in our price list and in the booking confirmation.
7. Concerns and Complaints
Any concerns or complaints should be taken directly to the school management. It is our number one priority to provide the best service and study experience possible. Therefore, should the student have any problems, complaints, or concerns, we will address these immediately and come to a mutually satisfying arrangement.
8. Inscription fee
Services included in the registration (transfers/excursions) are neither transferable (to any other party) nor refundable should they not be used.
The inscription fee of 100 Euros includes the following services:
~ 2 half-day excursions by minibus or Pick-up transfer from and to the following airports: Trieste (TRS), Treviso (TSF), Venice (VCE), Ljubljana (LJU), Lamezia Terme (SUF) – the pick-up transfer service is only available in combination with accommodation arrangements booked through the school
~ Teaching material
~ Schoolbag or school folder, pen and writing pad
~ Written and oral placement tests
~ Participation certificate
~ Presentation of the weekly program including a welcome cocktail
~ City map and information about the city, tips on excursions
~ Weekly program of leisure activities
~ Guided city tour
~ Film evenings at school
~ if requested, documentation for the study visa in pdf (in case the student needs the original documents, there will be an increase of € 50)
9. Placement Test
9.1. The placement test is mandatory for all students, also for students who self-evaluate themselves as beginners.
9.2. The placement test will take place online before the course starts. The written placement test will be sent to the provided e-mail address and the oral test will take place online on our Zoom platform.
10. Classes
10.1. Lessons take place from Monday to Friday and will either be scheduled from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm or in the afternoon from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. During high-season lessons could also be scheduled between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm. The timetable is stipulated by the school. Special timetable or scheduling requests can apply only to individual lessons and must be requested by e-mail before arrival.
10.2. On national holidays the school is closed. Group courses will be cancelled, only private lessons will be made up.
10.3. In case of late arrivals, early departure, or absence due to illness of the participant booked group lessons cannot be made up. Booked private lessons can possibly, but only after consultation and based on teacher availability be rescheduled. In either case, a refund is not possible. See also section 6.3.
10.4. Regulations for group courses for adults (= courses A, B, C): classes are formed based on the results of the tests and in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR). Should there be no 3-8 grouping available at a student’s level, the student will be assigned a course with 1 or 2 students (= course D, E). If this occurs, the number of lessons will be reduced by 50%.
10.5. Should a student not be satisfied with the classification or the course itself, it must be reported to the secretary’s office 2 days, at the latest, after courses start. The placement test will then be retaken and a reclassification made if warranted.
The student is called throughout the stay to give feedback on the lessons, which must be communicated directly to the secretary’s office.
10.6. However, no change can be made to the pre-booked course after arrival. Therefore, any request for a booking change must be made prior to arrival.
10.7. In the case of teacher availability, students can book additional private lessons for the already confirmed course.
10.8. All courses could be taught in hybrid mode, i.e. with lessons held on-site and online contemporarily.
11. Accommodation
11.1. The scheduled day of arrival is Sunday before the course start and the departure date is Saturday. Arrival and departure should always be arranged for the weekend. On departure day the apartment has to be cleared so it must be vacated by 10.00 am.
11.2. Prices can only be calculated on a weekly basis. The week of accommodation is calculated from arrival Sunday to departure Saturday. Extra nights on weekends may be booked and prices are subject to the official price list.
When booking an extra night it could become necessary to change the apartment, which may differ from the original category booked. In case of a lack of availability in an apartment, the secretary’s office will arrange a B&B or hotel. The supplement will be communicated prior to arrival and must be paid on-site in cash in the secretary’s office.
11.3. Prices are per person. Family members, spouses, or friends are welcome to visit and stay in student accommodation as well. The secretary must be informed, in advance, of the arrival of visitors. The terms and conditions remain the same and apply equally to guests.
11.4. Once a week (on weekends) cleaning and change of towels and bed linen are included in the price. Additional changes of linen and towels during the week can be arranged at an extra cost of € 15.00 per change.
11.5. Students staying only one week have no cleaning and change of towels and bed linen included in the price.
11.6. Students are asked to report any problems with their accommodation within 24 hours and reports should be directed to the secretary’s office to give the school the opportunity to remedy the situation.
12. Extracurricular programme / Cultural and social activities / Excursions
12.1. All offered activities are subject to a minimum number of participants. The school reserves the right to cancel activities if the minimum number of participants is not reached.
12.2. The half-day excursions with the mini-bus included in the registration fee cannot be refunded and availability depends on the minimum number of participants.
13. Insurance
13.1. The students are neither insured through the school nor the accommodation provider against sickness, accident, theft, or loss of personal property. Therefore we recommend taking out special insurance.
13.2. It is judicious to take out insurance against sickness, injury, or accident during a stay in Italy.
13.3. We also recommend taking out travel cancellation insurance, which covers course and accommodation costs in the event of cancellation prior to departure or in case of early termination of your language study (due to illness, accident, death of a family member, etc.).
13.4. Insurance that covers these eventualities can be booked through the school.
13.5. In case of cancellation the cost of insurance cannot be reimbursed.
14. Visa
14.1 Students who want to study in Italy for more than 90 days must apply for a study visa at the Italian Embassy or Consulate in their country of origin, except for citizens belonging to the European Community who do not require a visa to study in Italy. Citizens of other countries should inquire at the nearest Italian Consulate about entry formalities and requirements.
14.2.A document confirming the study holiday will be issued only after full registration of the participant, and upon receipt of payment for the entire language stay. Details of the visa procedures are to be found on the “Guide to obtain a study visa”.
14.3. Reservations through study visa can be cancelled only in case of visa denial. In this case, the cancellation policy stated in 4.2 does not apply. Original documents with the reasons of refusal issued by the Embassy are needed. A total refund will be made less the registration fee of € 150, an administration fee of € 250 and the insurance fee (in case booked through the school).
15. Privacy
15.1. The participant authorizes Piccola Università Italiana to use personal data for processing the registration and for demographic or statistical analysis and promotional materials. The participant may, according to European legal guidelines (GDPR art. 13), request the deletion of personal data at any time.
15.2. The participant authorizes Piccola Università Italiana, to publish photographs and videos taken during their stay at the school. If the participant does not agree, he/she must report this on the first day of school in the secretary’s office.
16. Program and prices
The school reserves the right to change course programs and prices for services.
17. Holiday Schedule
The annual holidays are listed in the price list, so please consult the price list for further information.
18. Discipline
In the event that a student is disrespectful towards other students or the school’s staff, Piccola Università Italiana reserves the right to exclude the student from the booked group classes. Fees will not be reimbursed.
19. Limitation of Liability
In any event, liability and reimbursement on the part of the Piccola Università Italiana for the failure or delayed provision of the service resulting from circumstances beyond its control or force majeure are excluded, including merely by way of example and not limited to, natural disasters, adverse weather conditions, epidemics, pandemics, sabotage, fire, floods, earthquakes, strikes, defective functioning caused by the incorrect functioning of third-party electronic devices, telephone lines, electrical and international and/or national networks, such as, by way of example but not limited to, breakdowns, overloads, interruptions, and any other circumstances not attributable to the Piccola Università Italiana that prevents the use of the service. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and except in the case of willful misconduct or gross negligence on the part of the Piccola Università Italiana, the parties agree and mutually acknowledge that in each and every case the liability of the Piccola Università Italiana cannot exceed the amounts paid by the student to the Piccola Università Italiana for the provision of the service.
20. Acceptance of general terms and conditions of participation
The school reserves the right to change the school’s “general terms and conditions of participation”. It is understood, that after having read the school’s “general terms and conditions of participation”, the student accepts these terms. The school, therefore, reserves the right to expel participants for blatant disregard of these terms and conditions and/or for any behaviour deemed inappropriate by the school.