FAQs

Students can expect to gain not only a valuable experience for their resume, but also: 

• Socially responsible leadership skills
• Enhanced personal and professional growth
• Meaningful community engagement and impact
• Deeper understanding of social issues through education and reflection
• Leadership opportunities (AB Participant, Experience Leader, AB Intern)
• Long-term relationships with community members and organizations
• Empowerment to take action toward just causes

The UMD Alternative Breaks program expects full and complete participation from Alternative Breaks Participants, which includes:

• Attending the entire duration of the experience, unless an emergency requires early departure.
• Participating in pre-experience meetings (3-4 meetings), AB Kickoff, AB Reunion, and an activation activity after the experience, typically in April.
• Engaging in all aspects of the program including: service, group meals, group activity time, and group reflection time. While free time is usually built into the trip, students should adhere to a schedule dedicated to service, reflection, and group enrichment.

International students can participate. However, if participating on an international Alternative Breaks trip, it is the responsibility of the student to obtain any additional required documentation. 

Please visit our TBD page to register for a trip!

Yes, students with disabilities can participate in Alternative Breaks trips. While some trips are more accessible than others, specific details are provided on our Current Experiences page within each trip's description.

If you need additional accommodations or have specific questions about accessibility for an Alternative Breaks trip, please contact us at alternativebreaks@umd.edu.

The experience cost for the trip includes all lodging, transportation, and food. Participants should plan to bring extra money for any personal expenses, such as souvenirs or other personal items, as these are not covered by the experience cost. 

UMD Alternative Breaks offers scholarships for students to assist with the cost of the trips. Upon registration, students will be able to apply for a scholarship. Scholarships are awarded based on need and the availability of funds. 

The scholarship deadlines correspond with the registration deadlines for each trip. However, if you are unable to pay the deposit, you must apply for a scholarship earlier than the regular scholarship deadline. Specific dates will be provided during the registration process.

Trip deposits are non-refundable. In the event that UMD Alternative Breaks cancels the student's trip and there are no additional spots on other trips, the deposit will be returned. 

If a student cancels and a replacement is unable to be found, the student may still be responsible for additional costs already accrued by the AB program on their behalf. This may include but is not limited to: lodging, service partner fees, etc. Trip cancellations made 25 business days prior to trip departure date will result in no refund.

If a student received a scholarship and dropped from the AB experience, they are not eligible to transfer/receive the scholarship support for any other purpose.

Please inform the UMD Alternative Breaks team as soon as possible regarding program cost concerns.  

Unpaid balances by the trip departure date will be charged to students’ UMD accounts by the AB office. Any charges will show up as "CSL Charge" on the participant’s student account. AB holds the right to charge a late fee if balances have not been paid in full before participants leave for their trips. 

Yes, you can fundraise for your trip. UMD Alternative Breaks utilizes a donation platform for participants if they desire to use it. Depending on group decisions, the group may decide to host fundraisers on behalf of the entire group. 

For individual fundraising, it is important to note that Individuals outside of the university (family members, other donors) cannot be granted refunds for their donations. 

If a student fundraises over the amount of their trip, it will be distributed among the rest of the team members to assist with costs or go towards supplies needed for the team/community partner.

Lodging is different for each trip, but can range from primitive camping, cabins, churches, cots, etc. It is unlikely that students will stay in a hotel. In the event that students will be camping or sleeping on floors or cots, AB will provide sleeping mats and bags, but participants are welcome to bring their own as well. 

UMD Alternative Breaks provides all meals and food on the trip. Most meals are cooked as a group, with occasional opportunities to eat out on travel days and once during the experience. The group decides on meals and groceries, ensuring that all dietary restrictions are accommodated.

The departure and arrival location for all experiences is at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union at the entrance facing Union Lane Garage. 

The building is typically locked during university breaks, so teams will meet outside the building and will be unable to get inside. It is important to ensure students arrive on time with all belongings. 

The team will travel utilizing insured state vehicles driven by students and/or a staff member that have completed van driver training. Drivers are encouraged to take shifts for longer drives. Gas, parking, and tolls are also paid for by UMD Alternative Breaks. In case of emergency, drivers have been trained on the appropriate steps that they must follow.

If the team will be traveling via plane, flights will be booked by UMD Alternative Breaks, and the ticket costs are included in the overall experience cost. Participants are responsible for all travel documents. Travel insurance will also be purchased by UMD Alternative Breaks. 

No, students are expected to be fully engaged and present during the entire trip experience, including evenings and nights. 

AB participants will have some free time during the trip, though it will be limited due to the immersive nature of the experience. During free time or in case of emergencies, participants can make calls. At all other times, full engagement and presence in activities are expected.

During international trips, students can purchase international sim cards, or download apps such as WhatsApp to communicate with friends and family. On international trips, however, service is typically limited as is free time, so contact might be limited as well. 

Participants will be given a comprehensive packing list for their trip during their pre-experience meetings. Light packing is strongly encouraged due to the simple living nature of the trip and the available space in vans as well as any baggage fees if the team is flying to the destination. 

We highly encourage students to bring their ID and a copy of their insurance card with them on trips. 

Students will fill out an emergency contact sheet prior to departure. In the event of an emergency, an AB team member or STAMP staff member will call the emergency contact that the student listed on the form. 

In the event of medical emergencies, natural disasters, serious accidents, severe allergic reactions, mental health crises, unlawful behavior, or if a participant goes missing, the designated emergency contact will be promptly notified.

The AB Staff Advisors and Experience Leaders all undergo comprehensive risk management training prior to departure. This training covers accident procedures, medical emergency procedures, and more, as well as internal conflicts that could arise during a trip. In the event of any emergency, our team leaders are trained to immediately contact an AB or STAMP staff member for guidance and notification. 

Participants will have their phones with them and can make or receive calls in the event of an emergency. Participants should provide their parent/guardian/emergency contact with the team leaders' information before departure. If an emergency arises and the participant is unresponsive, the parent/guardian can contact the team leaders or the provided AB Staff contacts.

The UMD Emergency contacts will be Naomi Cohen (ncohen52@umd.edu), Bridgette Behling (bbehling@umd.edu), and Amrina Rangar (arangar@umd.edu). The phone numbers and additional emergency contacts will be given to the participant who can share the information with their parent/guardian/emergency contacts.