Are travel expenses for students paid for by AFS?
A. No. The students are responsible for transportation to and from the job since they are placed with a mentor within a reasonable commuting distance. It is important to note that many mentors have field activities planned for the student which means some days may not have a precise ending time. Therefore, in the past, we’ve found that it is usually best if the student can drive themselves to and from the work site rather than relying on a parent or someone else to pick them up as that person may have to wait and therefore be inconvenienced. There have been a few instances in the past where the commute was more substantial and the mentoring agency chose to help the student with that expense. Such financial assistance from a mentor would be on a voluntary basis only and would not be required by AFS. However, any expenses associated with travel while on the job (overnight field trips, etc.) are paid for by the mentor’s office.
