Policies

The Alliance Française de Washington (AFDC) is a non-governmental non-profit, locally operated organization.  All classes and activities are open to everyone without discrimination on the basis of gender, race, religion, nationality and/or ethnic origin and other laws and statutes of the District of Columbia and/or federal laws.

AFDC general policies are intended to protect the rights and safety of learners, members, volunteers, and staff, and to preserve and protect the AFDC facilities and property. Any person who violates one or more of the following rules may be subject to immediate removal from AFDC property, lose their membership privileges, be banned from AFDC programs, and/or face legal action.

Jump to Section:  Premises  |  Adult Classes  |  Kids & Teens Classes  |  Private Classes  |  Culture and Events  |  Summer Camps

I. PREMISES

A. GENERAL

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B. LIBRARY USE

C. PRIVACY

Pre -pandemic, no recording of the class was allowed without the express consent in writing of all the students attending the class and the formal approval of both the Academic Director and the Executive Director. The Alliance Française wants to ensure that the privacy of all students is respected and that all trade secrets are protected. Any breach of this policy by a student could entail immediate removal from the premises, cancellation of membership and / or prosecution.

In light of the pandemic since March 11, 2020 and the use of Zoom to provide classes, AFDC had to adjust its policy to provide recordings to students who mayhave had to class a class due to personal excruciating circumstances:

D. LOST ITEMS

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II. ADULT CLASSES

A. PLACEMENT TESTS

Placement tests are required for all prospective students who have any background in French including, but not limited to:

B. MEMBERSHIP

All students are required to be members of the Alliance Française in Washington, DC to enroll in classes. Tuition costs do not include membership.

C. BOOKS

Books are compulsory for most classes. Books are not mailed. They will be distributed on the first day of the session or can be picked up beforehand at our main office, 2142 Wyoming Ave NW. Tuition costs do not include textbooks, workbooks, or books required for literature and grammar classes. No book can be returned once picked up by students.

D. PAYMENT

Payment must be made in full at time of registration, by credit card (VISA/MC/AMEX), check*, or cash. This includes payment for the membership. Books or materials can be bought on the first day of class.
*A $25 surcharge will be levied on all checks returned to AFDC with insufficient funds.
Where a student’s employer pays for the course: If, three weeks after being invoiced, an employer has failed to pay the cost of a student’s tuition fees and course material, the student must pay for such costs within one week of notice from AFDC.

E. DISCOUNTS

Discounts can be accumulated for early registration or double registration (two or more courses for the same student during the same session or two or more family members taking courses during the same session). Early registration deadlines will be posted for each session. Discount will be taken at registration.

Some courses may not benefit from any discounts or only benefit from one type of discount.

F. WAITING LIST

If a class is full, you can request to be placed on the waiting list. You will be contacted by email and by phone as soon as there is an opening in the original class due to a withdrawal, or when the number of students requires that an additional class be created.

G. MISSED CLASSES / MAKE UP CLASSES

Students should inform their teacher of any foreseen absence to allow the teacher a) to prepare for the class accordingly, b) to be informed about what they miss, and c) to receive homework assignments
Students may not attend a different section of a course at the same level as their own to make up a class, but can schedule a one-hour private make-up class with a teacher (to be purchased separately at a discounted rate). Students should contact the Academic Director to arrange for such a class.
The class has to be booked and paid in advance and is subject to availability of teachers and classrooms. Once the class has been scheduled and confirmed, no changes or refund are possible.

All cancellations for make-up classes require one business day notice from the client as well as from the instructor.
Group Class fees will not be pro-rated.

H. AGE REQUIREMENT

Adult classes are for age 18 and up.*
*Please contact us if you area  student under 18 matriculated in a community college or university.

I. CANCELLATIONS

The Alliance Française reserves the right to cancel or reschedule a class if enrollment does not meet the minimum enrollment standard. Notifications will be sent to those enrolled by email and/or phone call.

J. WITHDRAWAL, REFUNDS & CREDITS

K. REPETITION OF THE COURSE

In case the student does not have the level to go to following course, AFDC reserves the right to request that the student repeats the course.

L. INCLEMENT WEATHER

AFDC follows the federal government regarding closures during inclement weather. Check http://www.opm.gov and the AFDC website for weather updates. Please note that if the AFDC is open, we follow our regular business hours and classes take place at their regularly scheduled times unless otherwise indicated. Class cancellations and make-up classes are announced and scheduled by email.

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III. KIDS & TEENS CLASSES

A. PLACEMENT TESTS

Placement tests are required for all prospective students who have any background with French including, but not limited to:

B. CLASSES

If your 3-5 year old child does not feel comfortable and still needs your presence, please stay with them. If you want your child to slowly get used to be by themselves, please discuss it with the teacher before class.

C. MEMBERSHIP

All students are required to be members of the Alliance Française in Washington, DC to enroll in classes. Tuition costs do not include membership. AFDC recommends that parents enrolling more than one child in classes take a Family Membership: the last and first names of the students and their age must be added to the membership so the teacher has the right information for roll call.
Parents enrolling only one child can elect to buy only an individual membership but still need to fill in their name and contact information as well as their child.

D. BOOKS

Books are compulsory for most classes. Books are not mailed. They will be distributed on the first day of the session or can be picked up beforehand at our main office, 2142 Wyoming Ave NW. Tuition costs do not include textbooks, workbooks, or books required for literature and grammar classes. No book can be returned once picked up by students.

E. PAYMENT

Payment must be made in full at time of registration, by credit card (VISA/MC/AMEX), check*, or cash. This includes payment for the membership. Books or materials can be bought on the first day of class.
*A $25 surcharge will be levied on all checks returned to AFDC with insufficient funds.

F. DISCOUNTS

Discounts can be accumulated for early registration or double registration (two or more courses for the same student during the same session or two or more family members taking courses during the same session). Early registration deadlines will be posted for each session. Discount will be taken at registration.

Some courses may not benefit from any discounts or may benefit from only one type of discount.

G. WAITING LIST

If a class is full, you can request your child to be placed on the waiting list. You will be contacted by email and by phone as soon as there is an opening in the original class due to a withdrawal, or if a new class is created.

H. MISSED CLASSES

We ask that parents inform their teacher if their child has to miss classes for any reason. Your Alliance Française teacher will post the chapters covered and homework on the Digipad link that will have been sent in the confirmation email.
Students may attend a different section of a course at the same level as their own to make up a class (if such class is available), but they need to notify the Youth Programs Manager in advance.
Class fees will not be pro-rated.

I. AGE REQUIREMENT

Children classes are for ages 1 to 18.
*Please contact us if your child is a student under 18 matriculated in a community college or university.

J. CANCELLATIONS

The Alliance Française reserves the right to cancel or reschedule a class if enrollment does not meet the minimum enrollment standard. Notifications will be sent to those enrolled by email.

K. WITHDRAWAL, REFUNDS & CREDITS

L. REPETITION OF THE COURSE

In case the student does not have the level to go to following course, AFDC reserves the right to request that the student repeat the course.

M. INCLEMENT WEATHER

The AFDC follows the federal government. Check http://www.opm.gov and the AFDC website for weather updates. Make-up classes will be scheduled and announced by email.

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IV. PRIVATE CLASSES

A. TUITION

Tuition and other fees must be made in full at the time of registration. Minimum purchase of 5 lesson hours is required, except for make-up classes (see II, G)

B. TEACHERS & CLASSROOMS

Student will be assigned a teacher based on requested schedule and course goals. The AFDC reserves the right to change the teacher if necessary based on group class schedules.

Classrooms will be reserved by the teacher for each student. If no room is scheduled in advance, class may need to be rescheduled, even if the student has already arrived at the AFDC. If the teacher has forgotten to reserve the classroom, it will not be charged against the student.

If you need to change your private class schedule from one week to the next, it is still possible with at least 48-hours notice. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to accommodate your request.

C. PRIVATE CLASS CANCELLATION POLICY

D. INCLEMENT WEATHER

Private classes also follow the federal government. Check http://www.opm.gov and the AFDC website for weather updates.

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V. CULTURE & EVENTS

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VI. SUMMER CAMPS

A. PAYMENT

Payment must be made in full at time of registration, by credit card, check, or cash. This includes payment for any books or materials. Membership is not compulsory for summer camps.

B. WITHDRAWAL, REFUNDS

All requests for refunds and/or cancellations must be done in writing, via email. No withdrawals or refunds will be accepted by phone. Refunds can only be issued more than 1 month prior to the first day of camp. A $90 cancellation fee will apply (per child and per camp cancellation.) No refunds will be granted for withdrawals made less than 1 month prior to the start of the camp.

Refunds for medical reasons can only be granted upon presentation of a medical certificate. Pro-rated refunds cannot be granted if a child cannot attend the camp some days due to sickness or other personal circumstance, or because other services requested and paid for are not fully utilized.

Requests for transfers will be accepted up to 1 month prior to the first day of a camp session, provided there is sufficient room in the preferred camp session.

C. DISCOUNTS

Discounts are available for early registration or double registration (two or more family members attending the same week). Discounts will be taken at registration.

D. FORMS

All required forms need to be handed in BEFORE the first day of camp. A child will not be accepted if the forms are not complete or not on file. Required forms include: registration form, medical form, prescription form, parental authorization for medical purposes, hold harmless waiver and multimedia authorization for photos and videos taken during camp by AFDC.

E. CAMP CANCELLATIONS

The Alliance Française reserves the right to cancel a camp if enrollment does not meet the minimum requirement of five campers.

F. LATE PICKUP

Camp ends at 3:30pm. If your child is enrolled in After Care, the latest pickup time is 5:30pm. A $25 fee per 15 minutes after 5:30pm will be charged to your account until 6:00pm. After 6:00pm, we reserve the right to call 911 if you have still not picked up your child.

G. MEDICATIONS

It is prohibited for a child to carry medications in his or her backpack. All medications accompanied by their respective prescription must be given to the Alliance’s camp manager on the first day of camp.

H. FOOD

Lunches and snacks are not provided. Make sure to include it in your child’s backpack every day. We ask that the children do not bring food containing peanuts, but we cannot guarantee that a parent will always respect this request.

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