ALL participants that have been placed on a roster for one of our Alternative Breaks experiences must complete both the Participant Agreement and the Liability & Release form. 

• Medical insurance: while medical insurance is not required to participate in Alternative Breaks, it is strongly encouraged. Students are required to report any medical insurance coverage they currently have in preparation for any medical emergencies while on their Alt Break. Please contact Ann Lopez with any questions or concerns.

Attendance at an AB Justice Workshop is required for all Alternative Breaks participants prior to departure—regardless of whether they have attended similar workshops/trainings in the past.

Concepts of identity, diversity, privilege, power, narratives, and impact are explored throughout each workshop. The purpose of the workshops is to prepare participants to interact with each other and diverse communities on their week-long or weekend Alternative Breaks experiences.

As required by the University of Utah, students participating in an international experience are required to purchase international health insurance through the University (at a cost of $34).

To begin the process of enrolling in the University’s group international insurance, please register in the U Student Travel Registry. Upon completing this registration, you will receive instructions on how to enroll in CISI’s international travel insurance.

GET STARTED HERE

Please contact Ann Lopez with any questions or for assistance in the registration/enrollment processes.

*PARTICIPANTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DRIVE NOR PROVIDE LICENSE INFORMATION TO THE AB PROGRAM - ASSISTANCE WITH DRIVING IS OPTIONAL.*

The Alternative Breaks Program encourages mature, responsible, and experienced drivers to help with driving to our host communities and sites. Please contact your Site Leader or the Alternative Breaks Program Manager if you are interested in driving. In order to be cleared to help drive, you will need to take the Utah state following defensive driving module and complete the following steps:

1. Visit the State's Division of Risk Management website.
2. Create a new account (using the “Sign Up Here” button) in order to complete the training.
   1. Use keyword “uou” to create a new account
3. Complete the "Defensive Driver Training" module and the following test. The website will not automatically submit your test results to the AB team, so you must submit the Driver's Test Completion Form below. You must receive 80% or higher to pass. NOTE: You may take the test as many times as necessary.
4. Submit Driver's Declaration Form.  

All week-long Alternative Breaks experiences are available for academic credit. Our course, BENN 2929 - "Community Immersion," is available for variable credit, meaning students can enroll in 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, or 3 credits. All credit levels will bear the University of Utah's Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) designation, and the 3-credit option will also bear the Diversity (DV) designation, a general education requirement of the University. The workload of the course (completed online during the semester of the Alternative Break experience) will remain the same regardless of credits taken. 

Information to consider before enrolling:

• Tuition fees: BENN 2929 is an academic course through the University of Utah, which means students will be required to pay tuition fees for however many credits they decide to enroll in (remember that only the 3-credit option bears the DV designation). These tuition fees are separate from Bennion Center fees and will not count toward your trip payments. Students are encouraged to enroll in the number of credits that best aligns with their academic and financial interests.
• Course requirements: There will be three reflection assignments for the course, all completed via Canvas. While these are the only additional requirements of the course, you will also receive grades and participation points for the other requirements of being an AB participant (completing surveys and Participant Agreements, attending pre-trip meetings and Justice Workshops, attending Reorientation, etc.).
• Enrollment timeline: Because it is a U of U course, all academic deadlines will be apply to this course like they do for any other at the University of Utah. Should you choose to add the course, drop, or withdraw, you would need to do so before the dates set by the University. Should you choose to enroll and later need to drop from the AB program and your trip, there is little we can do to assist students after the drop and withdraw deadlines. Withdrawing from the AB experience may result in a failing grade or a "W" on students' transcripts.

View an Example BENN 2929 Syllabus

Alternative Breaks Discounts will be available for all students selected to participate in an Alternative Breaks experience. The Alternative Breaks Discount application will be sent by email to all students who have been placed on the roster of any week-long AB experience.

These discounts are intended to support students who cannot afford the Alternative Breaks experience, and therefore we ask that students apply only if they are are experiencing financial need.

• Discounts are processed and awarded by the Bennion Center, not the University of Utah's Financial Aid Office. This means that AB Discounts are not determined by and do not affect students' FAFSA.
  
  
• All students—regardless of citizenship status, graduation from a Utah high school, academic standing, or any other factor—are eligible to apply for an AB Discount. The application is meant to be non-invasive and will not ask students to share their citizenship status or any information related to their personal experiences.

 

Please only submit an AB Discount application after you've been notified of your placement on an AB Experience.
Discount applications submitted before participant selections are made for each Alt Breaks cycle will not qualify students for consideation in the AB Discount allocation process.

Submit an AB Discount Application