General Conditions
1. Formal admission to FCAS (Florence Culinary Arts School) and payment of tuition and fees are prerequisites to registration. All students by virtue of registering, agree to comply with the regulations of the school and to pay all applicable tuition and registration fees before the course start date. Payments can be made exclusively by wire transfer to the bank account indicated by the Office of Admissions. FCAS will provide the student with a certificate of payment confirmation. The certificate of enrollment will be issued only after receiving the confirmation of the wire transfer by the Office of Admissions. FCAS may, at its sole discretion, exclude from any course and/or examinations any registered student who fails to pay the applicable Tuition Fee within the period stated above or any other period as may be agreed with FCAS. FCAS reserves the right to claim back from any such student any reasonable expenses incurred in reliance upon his/her registration on the course.
2. The Enrollment Fee and the Deposit (20% of the course fees) paid to FCAS are non-refundable unless FCAS decides not to grant the student a place on the relevant course. If cancellation occurs no less than 180 days before the course start date, FCAS will refund 100% of the Tuition (excluding Enrollment Fee and Deposit); 50% of the Tuition (excluding Enrollment Fee and Deposit) will be refunded if cancellation occurs at least 30 days before the course start date; No refund will be made if cancellation occurs less than 30 days before the course start date. For students who do not hold an EU passport, there will be no refund after the Certificate of Enrollment has been issued.
3. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be awarded a Certificate of Attendance or a Diploma.
4. FCAS will be responsible for preparing essential equipment for student use. However, transportation and personal expenses must be covered by the student.
5. Transportation costs to commute to the school or the off-campus facilities are NOT included in the tuition fee. Students need to purchase a bus/train pass at their own expense.
6. Specific information such as a detailed course timetable will be communicated to the student before the course start date. Examinations must be taken at the end of the relevant course. No student will be allowed to take the examinations after the end of the relevant course. If the student does not take the examinations at the end of the course or does not achieve the required passing score, a final certificate of completion won’t be awarded.
7. Class attendance is MANDATORY. A final Certificate of Attendance or a Diploma will be issued solely to students who have attended at least 80% of the classes. If a student does not attend lessons, tuition and fees won’t be refunded.
8. Knowledge of and compliance with the student rules and regulations is integral to the completion of the enrollment process at FCAS. Compliance with the disciplinary rules shall involve a good attendance record, rigorous respect for the schedule, and a responsible attitude towards the staff of FCAS. Failure to adhere fully to these rules may result in disciplinary measures being taken against the offending student (which, for the avoidance of doubt, may involve the expulsion of the student from the relevant course). To the fullest extent permitted by Italian law, FCAS reserves the right to claim damages in relation to any loss caused by the student.
9. Courses are organized according to the schedules, dates, and programs established by the teachers appointed by FCAS, which reserves the right, at any time, to amend any aspect of the course as may be necessary.
10. The examination papers, together with any material produced by the students during the examinations shall be deemed to be the property of FCAS. Students hereby assign future copyrights to FCAS, allowing FCAS to exhibit, reproduce and/or publish such material.
11. Changing a course (the subject or the course start date) is possible only if the new course begins within 365 days from the initial start date, and within the following conditions:
a) if the course change request is notified 180 to 30 days before the course start date:
by paying 20% of the registered course fees.
b) if the course change request is notified up to 30 days before the course start date:
by paying 50% of the registered course fees.
There is NO REFUND of the fees already paid. Students can allocate the fees already paid, deducting the above course change fees, to the payment for new courses.
12. FCAS reserves the right to cancel the course due to low enrollment or other circumstances beyond the school’s control. Students who are registered for a course that is canceled will be notified, and the course fees will be fully refunded.
13. FCAS assumes no responsibility for damaged, lost or stolen personal items. Students who damage or vandalize school property will be responsible for its repair and/or replacement.
14. FCAS is closed on Italian public and school holidays, such as summer break, Christmas and Easter holidays.
15. No variation of this agreement shall be effective unless in writing and signed by or on behalf of each of the parties.
16. For all programs held by FCAS, including those held off-campus, the agreement between FCAS and students shall be subject to the Italian law and the parties hereby agree that the Italian courts in Florence shall have sole jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of this agreement.
FOR THOSE ENROLLED IN AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM:
17. Italian language lessons are included in the first few months of the program. Students may need to extend the duration of the language course whenever their Italian language level is judged insufficient for the internship. Italian language classes are held either in the morning or in the afternoon for 2~4 hours. The number of class hours depends on the number of students per class, regardless of whether group classes or semi-private classes.
18. Students will be assigned to the appropriate restaurant/company after taking an interview with the school internship coordinator and the restaurant/company staff depending on each student’s preference in a questionnaire and his/her experience. Students cannot choose where to do their internship. The interview will take place toward the end of the Italian language course. Students must pass an interview to do their internship at a restaurant/company. Except for some companies where English is the primary language used at work, students must have sufficient Italian language proficiency to work as an intern.
19. After being assigned to a restaurant/company, students must follow the host restaurant/company’s schedule and calendar. Some restaurants/companies have longer working hours and fewer holidays than others. Please check the terms and conditions in advance. If you have any special requests, please consult with your internship coordinator. The more requests you submit, the less likely they’ll be met and the longer it takes to find your host restaurant/company.
20. Students will be registered with the provincial government through a professional agency to be certified and get into the internship according to Italian law. The maximum internship duration at one place is limited to the student’s residence permit period in Italy, and it is up to 12 months according to Italian law. Students are not allowed to change the host restaurant/company before the registered period of up to 12 months. However, whenever the student finds it difficult to work or encounters other problems related to his/her host, he/she must report it to the internship coordinator. Regardless of the duration of the internship contract with the host restaurant/company, the student is allowed to change the host restaurant/company unavoidably only if the provincial government approves the reason for the change. The fee for re-registration is 400.00 euros each time. Students can extend the registered internship duration by up to 1 year.
21. Restaurant internships often include staff meals during workdays. Accommodation or allowances to cover common expenses may also be provided, but this is at the discretion of each individual restaurant.
By submitting the application form for any FCAS course, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to the “General Conditions.”
[ Revised as of September 4, 2024 ]
