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Winter Opportunities: Admitted Participants

This page is for students who have officially been admitted to participate in a 2023-2024 DRCLAS Winter Program. On this page, you will find the following sections:
 

Pre-departure Requirements to complete:
Please follow the guidelines for the country where your program will take place
 
Additional Information for Students & Families:
  • Student Responsibilities
  • Payments & Funding Details
  • International Health and Safety Information (and Zika Virus Information)
  • Visa & Passport Services
  • General Information for Families
Once admitted into the DRCLAS programs, you should complete these steps as soon as possible. For more information about these forms, please visit Harvard Global Support Services. 
 
Form Submission:
All forms should be submitted digitally to DRCLAS through the student email (drclas_students@fas.harvard.edu), unless otherwise noted.
Please note: Students cannot receive a stipend/grant before completing all required forms/steps.

Brazil

This information is for students who have officially been admitted to participate in the Mentoring and Language Acquisition in Brazil (MLAB) Program. In order to participate, all of the following steps and tasks must be completed.

Use THIS CHECKLIST to monitor your progress.
 
1. COMPLETE DRCLAS CONDUCT and MLAB MENTOR AGREEMENT FORM
Form should be submitted no later than October 15. 
2. COMPLETE THE RISK AND GENERAL RELEASE FORM
Read, sign, and return to the DRCLAS Student E-mail no later than November 17.
 
3. COMPLETE THE MANDATORY ONLINE ORIENTATION
Orientation must be completed by November 17.
• Please save and submit a copy of your "completion" certificate for future reference.
• Students who completed the orientation after April 1, 2022 do not need to complete this requirement again.
• If you do not see a completion prompt, you may be asked to retake your orientation again, using a different browser.
 
5. COMPLETE TRAINING FOR RESPONSIBLE ADULTS
Submit the training certificate no later than November 17.
 
6. BACKGROUND SCREENING PROCESS
Complete the Background Screening Process from the Office of Youth Protection no later November 17. You should receive an email from HireRight with instructions on how to proceed with the screening process.  
 
7. REGISTER YOUR TRAVEL
Submit details of your travel via the Harvard 'My Trip' Travel Registry no later than November 17.
 
8. VISA & PASSPORT
If you have not done so already, submit a copy to Camilla Roberts of your visa (if necessary) and passport no later than November 5.
 
9. ATTEND YOUR PRE-DEPARTURE MEETING
Held on November 15, from 5-6:30pm (EST) at the DRCLAS Offices (CGIS South, 1730 Cambridge St.)
 
10. YELLOW FEVER VACCINE
All participants must obtain a yellow fever vaccine prior to the January Immersion portion of the program. Please schedule this in advance. 
 
Failure to complete the above may result in your removal from the program. 
 
Payments and Funding
MLAB has no program fee. Students are responsible for passport fees, but will be reimbursed for visa fees, as well as required vaccines, such as Yellow Fever. Expenses in São Paulo throughout the 2-week immersion are fully covered (i.e. transfers, housing, meals, cultural activities), as is the airfare to Brazil.
 
Cancellation Policy
Students have until October 20 to cancel their participation in MLAB without incurring any fees. Otherwise, the following guidelines and dates will apply:
• Students withdrawing themselves from the program between October 20, 2023 and December 3, 2023 will be charged a $100 cancellation fee. 
• Students granted financial support for plane tickets withdrawing themselves from the program after December 4, 2023 will be billed 100% of airfare expenses.
 
Visa & Passport Services
In order to travel to Brazil in January, your passport cannot have an expiration earlier than July 2024. You also might be required to apply for a visitor visa (VIVIS). Click here to see what nationalities do not require visitor visas. US, Canadian, Japanese, Australian and most Latin American nationals do not require a Visa. Other nationalities must check and if necessary apply for the Visitor Visa through the Consulate General of Brazil in Boston.
Ensuring that your passport is valid and acquiring a Brazilian travel visa is your responsibility. If your passport is not valid, or if you do not have one, you are responsible for applying for a new passport. We recommend that you begin the passport application or renewal process IMMEDIATELY. Doing so will allow for ample time to make flight arrangements, receive your passport, and apply for a Brazilian travel visa. 

Please contact the program manager with visa-related inquiries prior to the November deadline.

Mexico

The below tasks are required in order to travel with DRCLAS & Harvard in January 2024. Please read and follow instructions carefully. As a student participating in a DRCLAS program, it is your responsibility to understand and complete all pre-departure requirements in a timely manner. Failure to complete the following tasks by their designated deadline will result in your removal from the DRCLAS Winter Programs, and/or rescinding of your grant. 
 
Use this checklist to help you track your progress. 
DRCLAS REQUIREMENTS
  1. COMPLETE THE DRCLAS CONFIRMATION FORM & CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION CONTRACT
    All students must confirm participation by November 12.
     
  2. COMPLETE YOUR COUNTRY’S LODGING FORM
    Submit online no later than November 22.
  3. ATTEND THE MEXICO PRE-DEPARTURE MEETING
    Participants in the Mexico program are required to attend the session on:
    Friday, Dec. 8 @ 3 - 5 PM in room S216, DRCLAS (CGIS South)
Complete all tasks by November 22
  2. IDENTIFY YOUR DESTINATION'S RISK RATING
    The risk rating for your destination influences your pre-departure requirements and planning. Student traveling to Mexico are under an “ELEVATED RISK” rating. Please review carefully as this requires additional steps prior to travel.
     
  3. SUBMIT THE APPROPRIATE RISK & RELEASE WAIVER
    Harvard College Students only: Read, sign, and submit the "Elevated Risk" form digitally to DRCLAS through the student email no later than November 22.
    Graduate Students only: Read, sign, and submit the "Grad Student Risk" form digitally to DRCLAS through the student email no later than November 22.
     
  4. OBTAIN HEALTH CLEARANCE
    Harvard College students only:     Submit your health clearance by November 22. The clearance process takes time! Read the instructions thoroughly - you may not need an actual appointment prior to submission. Students will receive a notice stating they've been cleared directly from HUHS online. Please submit proof of that notice to DRCLAS through the student email (drclas_students@fas.harvard.edu) 
     
  5. COMPLETE THE ONLINE ORIENTATION
    Harvard College, Harvard Law School, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health students only:  save your completion notice for records.
    *Not necessary for students who have completed the orientation after April 20, 2022.
     
  6. SUBMIT THE TRAVEL SAFETY QUESTIONNAIRE
    Harvard College Students only: Complete the form online no later than December 2. 
    If you're unable to successfully submit the online travel safety questionnaire, please email international_safety@harvard.edu. Once completed, submit proof of that notice to DRCLAS through the student email (drclas_students@fas.harvard.edu)  
  7. REGISTER YOUR TRIP WITH INTERNATIONAL SOS
    This must be done even if you haven't purchased your flight but you do know your tentative dates and location. Update your itinerary once your flights/housing details are confirmed.

Puerto Rico

This information is for students who have officially been admitted to participate in the DRCLAS - UPR Puerto Rico Winter Institute.  All the steps and tasks that need to be completed in order to participate are detailed below.   
 
Use this checklist to help track your progress.
REQUIRED TASKS:
 
This form must be completed BY NOVEMBER 11.
 
2. COMPLETE THE RISK AND GENERAL RELEASE FORM
Read, sign, and submit digitally to DRCLAS through the student email (drclas_students@fas.harvard.edu) no later than November 22.
 
3. REGISTER YOUR TRIP WITH INTERNATIONAL SOS
This must be done even if you haven't purchased your flight but you do know your tentative dates and location. Update your itinerary once your flights/housing details are confirmed.
 
4. ATTEND YOUR PRE-DEPARTURE MEETINGS
Wednesday, Dec. 6 @ 1:30 - 2:30 PM ET in room S216, DRCLAS (CGIS South Building).
 
Failure to complete the above will result in your removal from the program. 
Note: Students that are granted a travel stipend must complete & submit steps 1 & 2 before receiving their funding. By accepting funding from DRCLAS, you agree to submit a summary report to DRCLAS in February 2024 about your experience abroad.

January Term-Time Research Grant (All Locations)

As a student that has been awarded the DRCLAS Term Time/January Grant, it's your responsibility to understand and complete all orientation requirements in a timely manner. Failure to complete the following tasks by their designated deadline will result in rescinding of your grant. 
 
DRCLAS PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS
1. ​​​​​​COMPLETE THE 2023-24 TERM TIME/JANUARY RESEARCH GRANT CONTRACT
Once you understand the commitment, confirm or decline your award no later than December 7th, 2023.
 
GLOBAL SUPPORT SERVICES (GSS) & UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENTS
(All Pre Departure Requirements should be completed by December 15th)
1. READ THE STUDENTS TRAVEL POLICY
 
2. IDENTIFY THE RISK RATING FOR YOUR DESTINATION.
 
3. COMPLETE THE TRAVEL WAIVER & SUBMIT TO DRCLAS (College students only)
A. If your destination is rated high risk, complete the GSS ELEVATED RISK TRAVEL WAIVER (College students only).
 
4. COMPLETE THE TRAVEL WAIVER & SUBMIT TO DRCLAS (Graduate students)
 
5. COMPLETE THE ONLINE ORIENTATION & SUBMIT TO DRCLAS (College students only)
A. This is not required if you completed it already after April 1, 2021.
 
B. This online orientation module should take approximately 45 minutes. You will have completed the module once you reach the “Certificate of Completion” screen at the end, which is when the system also registers that you have complete this requirement & submit to DRCLAS 
 
6. OBTAIN HEALTH CLEARANCE & NOTIFY DRCLAS UPON APPROVAL (College students only)
A. Please read the steps for submission outlined on the form for how to request health clearance
 
7. IF YOUR DESTINATION IS ELEVATED RISK (College students) OR HIGH RISK COMPLETE THE (GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS):
A. Attend an elevated risk or high risk orientation.
 
B. Submit travel safety questionnaire at least 1 month prior to departure. Forward to DRCLAS the completion email.
If you're unable to successfully submit the online travel safety questionnaire, please email international_safety@harvard.edu
 
C. Complete an individual consultation.
 
8. REGISTER YOUR TRIP & INFO WITH ISOS & SUBMIT TO DRCLAS (ALL students)
A. Use International SOS MyTrips to register
 
B. Please complete as much as you can early, including dates of travel (confirmed or tentative), city, and country to which you are traveling, even if you have not yet purchased your flight. You can update your itinerary once you have confirmed information.
 
C. Update your travel registry once you have flight and accommodations details confirmed. Remember to update your travel details as they change (weekend travel, lodging, transportation, etc.).
 
9. DOWNLOAD THE ISOS APP (ALL students)
 
B. You will be able to ‘check-in’ to a location if you are there for less than 24-hours and receive important country-specific information for the time that you are there.
 
DRCLAS STIPEND REQUIREMENTS
1. COMPLETE ALL OF THE ABOVE TASKS FIRST!
Students will not receive their award if they haven't completed the SRTG Contract linked above.
 
2. ONLINE BUY2PAY REGISTRATION
A. All individuals are required to complete the mandatory sections of the registration process before the university can create any sort of payment. Please check your junk and spam folder of your email.  
 
B. If you are not registered, you will receive an automatic message from Buy2Pay to register your information into the Harvard vendor system. 
 
C. If you are already registered, please log in to your Buy2Pay profile and update your information. If possible link your account to Zelle. 
 
3. THERE ARE FIVE SECTIONS THAT NEED TO BE COMPLETED: 
A. Company Overview: asks for type of business legal structure and Tax ID number. This is either Individual/Sole Proprietor or Foreign Individual.
 
B. Addresses: asks for you physical or mailing address. You will need to use the 9 digit zip code. 
 
C. Contacts: asks for your contact information (email and phone number) 
 
D. Tax Information: You will be required to fill out the W-9 form for US-citizens, or the W-8 and GLACIER forms for non-us citizens. Please visit the IRS page to download these forms
 
E. Payment Information: You can select your preferable method of payment. Individuals with a US-bank account can enroll to Zelle for electronic payments. Individuals without a US-bank account will receive paper-checks to the address on file. 

Additional Information for Families & Students

Student Responsibilities

All students are responsible for knowing and adhering to program rules and policies as well as being familiar with general study abroad policies.
 

Payments and Funding

Where applicable, students will be term-billed twice for all program expenses. This is in the form of a "debit" to the term bill. The first is a nonrefundable $100 deposit to secure a place in the program, which will be debited mid November. The second (if relevant) will be the remaining program balance, which will be debited in late December/early January. It is the responsibility of the student to complete all tasks for the program and funding, as well as secure all payments.
 

Cancellation Policy

Visa and Passport Services

It is recommended that students not travel with a passport that is within 6 months of expiration. Please contact the program manager with visa-related inquiries.
 

International Health and Safety

Traveling abroad requires careful planning, even for seasoned travelers. Each destination requires a different strategy and for responding to situations, from small inconveniences to serious emergencies. DRCLAS and Global Support Services closely monitor various outbreaks that may be or become concerns, and collaborate to monitor students' health and safety.

24/7 emergency numbers for students
International SOS: +1-617-998-0000 (for medical, security, and travel advice or assistance)
Harvard College Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response: +1-617-495-9100, osapr@fas.harvard.edu
 

Information for Families

Our security consultants at Harvard's Global Support Services continually monitor and make recommendations to DRCLAS Summer Programs regarding current security levels and situations around the world. In addition to Harvard-based and local program staff as resources, students have 24/7 access to International SOS, which provides medical, mental health, and security advice and referrals, and emergency evacuation services to Harvard travelers abroad. Your student has been provided with complete telephone and mobile app, email and web contact information for International SOS and other Harvard-based resources that he or she may wish to take advantage of while on the program.
 
While in country, our program staff are expert resources for their particular locales, as well as being integral members of the Harvard community during the academic year. Since his or her acceptance into the program, your student has been receiving a great deal of program information from DRCLAS staff, in the form of mailings, individual and group meetings, and regularly-updated websites.
 
Parents and guardians are encouraged to speak directly with your student about the study abroad program and to have him or her contact DRCLAS. While program staff may be able to answer your general questions about our programs, we are unfortunately prohibited from releasing specific information as it pertains to a student’s participation in one of our programs. DRCLAS policy and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (“FERPA”) provide students and former students certain protections and rights concerning the confidentiality of their educational records.