Students will have a brief interview with the teachers who will then decide which group to place students in. Decisions are based on the student’s current level of Italian, other languages spoken, GPA, and personal goals.

During the first week, any student who feels that they have been placed at the wrong level can request that the director review his/her situation. More information will be given during orientation.

Every quarter, students will meet with the DiLCAI’s director to choose the courses they want to take. According to their language level and the electives are chosen, students will be registered to attend several hours of classes each morning which will help them to learn Italian grammar, composition, conversation, art, and culture. In the afternoon students will be able to attend different workshops such as Sculpture, Fashion, and Mediterranean Cuisine, among others.

After reaching the required minimum of 12 credits, students may choose to audit (AU) existing elective classes for no academic credit. To audit a class, students should indicate this at registration or within one week of the start of the trimester.

The attendance policy still applies just as if it was taken for regular credit, however homework and tests will not be required.

Students who are already taking 18 credits will still be allowed to audit elective courses, but they will be asked to pay out of pocket for the material used in class and for any additional activities such as museum visits.

Please see the absence policy on the student handbook. Unexcused absences or incomplete assignments will lower the student’s grade. It is the student’s responsibility to figure out what was done in class and be ready for what’s due the next day.

• Three tardies will be considered an unexcused absence.
• Students who miss 50% of the class will receive a failing grade and will not be able to withdraw from the class.

Students are required to wait a minimum of 15 minutes; after that,

if the teacher has not arrived or sent a message for the students to wait, they should inform Antoinette or her assistant.

If the absence is prearranged, the teacher will find another time to make up the class according to your schedule.

For students coming from the USA or Canada through ACA
Students will receive a composite grade if they are in the beginning (A1-100) or intermediate (A2-200) level, or a grade in each subject if they are in advanced (B1-300) level. In either case, they will receive a total of 12-18 quarter hours of credit or 6-9 semester credits, according to the courses taken.

For students from other countries
Students from other countries will receive a document, in the language of their preference (English or Italian), certifying their participation in the course, the grades or marks received, and the level of the European Framework.

ACA students
At the end of each quarter, Villa Aurora will send all transcripts to the ACA headquarters in Maryland. Then ACA will send these transcripts to the students’ home universities. Once this takes place, these transcripts will become a part of the student’s permanent record at his/her home college. Transcript from the student’s home university will include the grades received through ACA at Villa Aurora.

Students from other countries will receive an official record of their work at the end of the year.

All students normally receive an unofficial copy of their grades each quarter. In addition, during the graduation ceremony at the end of the school year, students who have finished the school year satisfactorily will receive a certificate of completion of the program

When you pay the program price you are paying for transportation to and from the local airport or train station at the beginning and end of the program, tuition, your Personal Account, books used for classes, meals, your room, bed linen, laundry services, Internet service, day trips, and cultural visits.

Students only need to bring money to cover their own personal expenses. If students are interested, there may also be a few optional activities throughout the year. These events will be specified in the calendar given at the beginning of the course. Students who decide to participate in these activities will pay the out-of-pocket cost.

Students withdrawing early from any quarter must immediately notify the ACA office in Maryland indicating the date of withdrawal from the program and their expected date of arrival back home. In order to expedite the determination of any refund, prior to leaving the international school, students need to ask the Director of the ACA program at the host campus to send the ACA office the following information as soon as possible:

1. An ACA withdrawal form indicating the date of withdrawal, reason, and any pertinent information.
2. The balance on the students’ personal accounts. All refunds of any balance owed to students from their personal accounts MUST be done by the host campus, not by ACA.

ALL REFUNDS (including tuition, room & board, unused tour fees, and any unused portion of the personal account deposit) are made by the international school directly to the student and must be received prior to the student’s departure. ACA is not responsible for refunds left uncollected by the student.

The total ACA charges for students withdrawing early will include the non-refundable $100 deposit plus a proportion of the total term’s charges based on the length of stay in the program and in the dormitory as determined by the international school. Prepaid tour fees may not be refunded by tour providers and thus may not be refunded to the student. No refunds for tuition or room and board will be given after the student has completed ONE MONTH of the academic quarter.

Your personal account is similar to a safety deposit. It is a sum of 60 euros per quarter that you study at Villa, set aside from the program price, and held by the accountant to cover any loss or damage you may incur to any part of school property. This assures that the items provided to you by the school (i.e. linens, towels, laundry tokens, keys, books, etc.) are returned in good condition. If you have broken or damaged anything, the money to fix or replace that item will come out of your personal account.

*For the 3rd quarter: BEFORE it is possible to collect the sum, you must have your room cleaned and left in the same condition it was in when you moved into it. You must also have returned all of your towels and sheets in good condition to the laundry, and your KEYS to the dean. The dean must make an inspection of your room before the final deposit can be returned to you.

In the event that there is damage done which exceeds the sum left in your deposit when you leave, you may be asked to pay out of pocket to fix or replace the item(s).

If you feel sick, contact your dean immediately. A doctor will see you if you wish, and if not, the dean will try to make you comfortable and check on your progress. Class absences will not be excused unless the dean has been informed at once.

ACA students are covered by ACA/ARM insurance. Villa Aurora will advance the money needed to momentarily cover any costs incurred because of illness or accident. However, with the help of a dean, students will need to fill out the insurance forms as soon as possible, for the students to be reimbursed by ACA. While you are traveling (apart from school activities), the school cannot pay for any medical expenses. However, if you go to a doctor for medical help and pay out of pocket, turn in the receipts to the dean so that you can be reimbursed by ACA. Therefore, be SURE to get the bill from the doctor, otherwise, ACA will not be able to reimburse you.

Students from the European Community should bring with them a letter from the Social Security Offices of their country in order to be able to receive medical attention in Italy (form E111).

Any other students coming from outside of the European Union and the United States of America should request insurance coverage for accidents and illnesses from their own insurance company before arriving in Italy.