General Terms of Agreement (GTA)

This document contains information on the general conditions of the school and refers to the price list. We aim to provide you with clear and comprehensive information. If you have any further questions, please contact our team by email at admissions@sbsdz.ch.

If you have any questions about your invoices, please contact our finance department at accounting@sbsdz.ch.

1. Conditions of admission

Registration and admission fee

The registration form must be completed and signed by the student’s parents/guardians. The registration fee must be paid before registration can be confirmed. The registration fee covers the administrative costs of admission and is non-refundable. SBSDZ reserves the right to charge (additional) fees in the case of breaches of this agreement.

If siblings attend the school, discounts apply as per the price list. 

To be admitted to SBSDZ, all students must provide a copy of their identity card or passport.

Students who do not have Swiss nationality must provide a copy of their residence permit for Switzerland.

Unless approved by the Swiss Government, international students may not start lessons without a Swiss residence permit or a student visa for the entire school year.

Students 14 years and over are admitted. They are not allowed to live alone.

Deposit

Every student enrolled at SBSDZ must pay a one-time deposit of CHF 5,000. The deposit will be returned without interest at the end of schooling, provided that all financial obligations have been met and no damage (e.g. to the student’s room) has been identified. The deposit must be paid at the same time as the registration fee.

Admission

By registering with SBSDZ, the parents/guardians and the student agree to all policies and conditions that are issued and periodically updated by the school. 

2. School fees, exams, additional language tuition in English and German

The school fees include all necessary expenses for lessons as per the price list as well as the flat rate for compulsory activities organised and supervised by the school. 

Examinations

Examination fees will be invoiced as per the prices of the examination body. Costs vary depending on the number and type of subjects taken. 

Examination fees include travel to the examination centre. In special cases, overnight accommodation at the examination location can be arranged in consultation with the school management and included in the fees. 

English and/or German lessons

For students whose first language is not English or who do not reach the required standard, the school will arrange English booster lessons for a fee. Students taking booster lessons may be placed in special lessons or excused from regular lessons for certain periods of time. This helps students to improve their English while also finishing the school year as planned.

SBSDZ also organises additional German courses so that students can communicate easily while in Disentis and/or Zurich. 

Fees for official language exams such as the First Certificate of English, Preliminary English Test (PET), Goethe Institut, CELI, DELF or Instituto Cervantes are invoiced separately before the exam takes place. The same procedure applies to self-assessment tests such as SAT, ACT, TOEFL and IELTS. 

Registration for an examination is binding. Examination fees will not be refunded if registered students do not attend.

3. Accommodation and meals 

The boarding services outlined in the price list are included in the school fees. Additional services may be invoiced separately.

A – cleaning and laundry 

School fees include cleaning the student’s boarding room and washing towels (once per week) and bed linen (every two weeks). 

Students have access to a laundry room (washing machine and tumble dryer) for personal laundry. 

B – cultural excursions or leisure activities 

As part of the additional activities offered to students, SBSDZ organises cultural and/or recreational trips abroad during the school holidays and on some weekends. The prices and conditions will be communicated to parents in advance. Registration for these trips is binding and non-refundable.

C – weekend activities

Weekend activities organised by SBSDZ, such as film nights, hikes or museum visits are included in the school fees.

D – airport transfer 

Transfer from Zurich airport to the boarding school is included at the beginning of the school year. Additional airport transfers during the school year are charged separately. 

E – health and accident insurance, medical costs and liability

Health and accident insurance is compulsory for all students, except for students with Swiss nationality or students whose parents are resident in Switzerland. Parents of these students must provide SBSDZ with an insurance certificate from a company based in Switzerland that offers the necessary assurances. This certificate must be sent to SBSDZ before the student’s arrival at the school. 

If this certificate is not submitted to the school by this deadline, SBSDZ reserves the right to take out insurance for the student. In this case, the insurance premium will be payable to the insurance company by the parents/guardians. SBSDZ will decide with which insurance company to register students from abroad.

The insurance premium will cover the school’s medical service, basic insurance (hospitalisation, doctors and pharmacies as per list of doctors), accident insurance, transport and return transport to hospital (as per insurance policy). 

Dental treatment is not insured in Switzerland. For further information, please contact the SBSDZ administration office at info@sbsdz.ch.

A fee of CHF 100 will be charged for each non-urgent doctor’s visit requiring an adult chaperone.

F – visa and residence permit in Switzerland 

In order to be accepted by SBSDZ, all students, with the exception of Swiss nationals, must be in possession of a Swiss residence permit.  

Taxes, visas and residence permits levied by the municipality or the canton are not included in the school fees.

In the event of visa refusal or late arrival due to visa problems, no refund of or reduction in fees is possible.

SBSDZ reserves the right to inform the Swiss authorities that issued the student’s residence permit if the student is deregistered or expelled from the school.

4. Optional private lessons

Private, semi-private or small-group tuition can be organised at the request of the parents or on the recommendation of a teacher with the parents’ consent. The aim of these lessons is to close academic gaps in a particular subject.

If the student is unable to attend a tutoring session, they must inform the teacher at least 24 hours in advance; otherwise, the lesson will be charged as per the price list.

5. Books, school materials and digital resources

The books and school materials required for each programme are included in the school fees (including digital books). 

Students work with their personal laptop (BYOD – bring your own device).

6. Optional and extracurricular activities

SBBDZ organises and supervises various sporting and cultural activities (cultural trips and excursions) during the school year. Non-compulsory extracurricular activities are organised outside of school hours and may incur additional costs. 

The prices and conditions for the activities can be found in the respective brochures and forms. Registration is binding. If a student cannot take part, costs will not be refunded. 

7. Other costs

All other costs not mentioned in these General Terms of Agreement are invoiced separately.

8. Invoicing and deadlines

School fees are calculated in line with the current price list, which is published each year no later than 31 March for the upcoming school year and is sent to the parties to the agreement. New rates are deemed to be accepted and become part of the agreement if the parties to the agreement do not terminate the schooling agreement in writing within the ordinary notice period of three months effective at the end of the school year (31 July). Termination will be confirmed in writing by SBSDZ school management within two weeks. In the case of late termination, three months’ school fees are payable in accordance with the adjusted price list.

If a student enrols during the course of the school year, school fees are invoiced on a pro-rata basis.

Cash payments are not accepted.

Guardians must ensure that payments do not originate from sanctioned countries or bank accounts as per https://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov.

A fee of CHF 50 will be charged to parents/guardians for any tax certificates. SBSDZ invoices can be used as legal proof.

Financial provisions and terms of payment

School fees are payable in advance either as a one-time payment or, in the case of payment in instalments, for an administration fee. Payments must be paid within 30 days, unless otherwise specified in the price list or on the invoices.

If one or more instalments are not paid by the agreed payment date after lessons have begun, SBSDZ has the right to exclude the student from taking part in the school programme until all outstanding instalments have been paid. School fees are still due for the period during which participants are prohibited from taking part.

If payment is not made even after a reminder and a grace period of 10 days, SBSDZ may withdraw from the agreement. In the event of withdrawal from the agreement, SBSDZ is entitled to a handling fee and a cancellation fee of three months’ school fees in addition to the fee for the tuition already provided. SBSDZ may charge administration fees for reminders. In the event of debt collection procedures, all costs incurred are borne by the indebted parties. SBSDZ charges an annual interest rate of 5% on any outstanding amount.

Even if a third party (e.g. the employer of the parties to the agreement or a foundation) takes over the payment of the school fees, the parties to the agreement remain bound to the agreement and are liable for the school fees. If the invoices are to be sent to an employer, a foundation or another third party for payment, this requires written confirmation from the employing company, the foundation or the third party, respectively, stating that they are assuming the financial obligations arising from the existing contractual relationship. A change of payment address must be communicated six weeks before the start of the semester.

In the event of a late payment, SBSDZ reserves the right to commission a debt collection agency or another specialised organisation (e.g. a law firm) to collect the school fees.

SBSDZ will only register students for examinations if the school fees and/or examination fees have been paid in full at the time of registration.

If school fees are still outstanding when the student leaves, SBSDZ reserves the right to withhold certificates and diplomas until full payment has been made.

If a student misses lessons, this does not affect the obligation to pay; there is no right to a refund.

Changes to payment terms (e.g. semester payment to annual payment) may only be made at the beginning of a new semester. A corresponding notification must be provided at least six weeks before the start of the semester.

Duration of the agreement and ordinary termination

This schooling agreement is renewed for a further school year in each case unless it is terminated by one of the parties to the agreement with three months’ notice effective at the end of the school year (31 July) and confirmed in writing by the SBSDZ school management.   

The date of receipt by SBSDZ determines whether the deadline has been met.

In the event of late termination, three months’ school fees are payable in full.

In any case, the schooling agreement ends with the completion of the final school year for which SBSDZ provides a tuition offering.

Withdrawal must be communicated in writing by registered letter with three months effective at the end of the school year (31 July). Termination will be confirmed in writing by SBSDZ school management within two weeks.

Extraordinary termination of the agreement by SBSDZ

SBSDZ may terminate the schooling agreement with immediate effect and without notice if

• the student has grossly violated the school rules or committed a serious disciplinary offence.

• the student has repeatedly failed to attend lessons despite a written warning.

• other important reasons make the continuation of the schooling agreement unreasonable for SBSDZ.

In the event of extraordinary termination of the agreement, SBSDZ is entitled to a handling fee and a cancellation fee of three months’ school fees in addition to the fee for the tuition already provided.

Teaching times, school holidays and public holidays

Teaching times are set by the SBSDZ school management and communicated to the parties to the agreement in writing in good time. 

School holidays and public holidays will be communicated by SBSDZ before the start of the semester. In principle, holidays are based on the regulations of the canton in which the teaching is provided.

Transfers and entrance examinations

Registration for the transfer of a student to another school or registration for an entrance examination at another school must be carried out by the parties to the agreement.

9. Health and insurance

The parents or guardians of the student must provide all relevant information about the child’s physical and mental health, including a copy of their current vaccination certificate and any medical certificates for food allergies. 

SBSDZ disclaims any liability in the case of missing medical information.

The parents or guardians must take out liability insurance to cover any costs and damage caused by the student in the scope of school activities inside and outside the school grounds. 

The parents or guardians authorise SBSDZ to take all necessary measures to provide medical care to the student in case of emergency and agree to pay all costs incurred (at the school’s discretion) for the student’s medical treatment.

The school kitchen may be operated by an external subcontractor.

SBSDZ adapts the menus for allergies and food intolerances. However, it cannot be guaranteed that the food does not contain any traces of allergenic substances. Parents of students with severe allergies should please contact SBSDZ at info@sbsdz.ch. 

10. Special needs and student advice service

If the school identifies students with special needs or difficulties (e.g. dyslexia, dysorthography, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, attention deficit disorder, depression, hyperactivity, etc.), parents are encouraged to contact a specialist for an evaluation.

If a diagnosis is not made within a reasonable time frame, the school reserves the right to act in accordance with child protection legislation.

The costs for special support measures or special educational measures will be invoiced.

A careers advisor is available to our students to advise and support them in their further educational path (e.g. choosing the appropriate university and course of study) and in gathering information. Admission forms for universities must be completed by the students and their parents. Students may take additional tests with their parents’ consent. These tests are invoiced separately. 

11. Obligations of the school 

The SBSDZ organises lessons and employs the staff to provide them. The school may replace teachers during the term of the schooling agreement. There is no entitlement to lessons with a particular teacher. 

Entering into the schooling agreement does not constitute a guarantee for the achievement of a desired schooling objective.

If the regular teaching method has to be changed (e.g. to distance learning) due to government directives, pandemics, similar events or force majeure, teaching is deemed to have been provided and there is no entitlement to a reduction or refund of school fees.

12. Additional provisions 

SBSDZ reserves the right to cancel courses of study, set times, specialisations or modules due to under-participation or other circumstances that make implementation unreasonable from the school’s point of view. Furthermore, SBSDZ reserves the right to make changes to the courses of study or modules for substantial reasons, while safeguarding the legitimate interests of the registered students.

In Switzerland, swissuniversities also regulates university access for international A levels. The courses of study provided by the Swiss Boarding Schools Disentis & Zurich are based on the university admission requirements in force at the time of registration for the course at SBSDZ. 

Exam fees are not included in the school fees.

If there are too few registrations at one of the SBSDZ campuses, there is no guarantee that the course will run at that location; in this case, the students will have to attend the school year at the other campus and will be accommodated at that boarding school.

Upon request, and provided that there are still places available, students can change campus at the beginning of a school year for at least one year. The request must be made at least three months before the end of the school year.

13. Data protection and use of images

SBSDZ undertakes to take all necessary measures to respect the decision of parents/guardians who do not wish images of their children to be used in SBSDZ communication materials.

Parents/guardians declare at the time of registration how images and videos of the student may be used in communication, on the website, in the newsletter and on social media. The school must be informed of any changes (info@sbsdz.ch). 

14. Further provisions

Inspection

By registering their child, parents/guardians agree to the following statements:  

a) I/We authorise SBSDZ to inspect and search any place or object on the boarding school premises or at any school-related event, including but not limited to the student’s locker, school bag, backpack, clothing, computer or personal electronic devices. Inspections or other searches may be conducted by the school on a routine or random basis or when deemed reasonably necessary in connection with suspected misconduct or harm to other students.  

b) I/We acknowledge that, for serious reasons, the student must provide all passwords, combinations or other access information necessary to inspect such places or items in the presence of their parents.

c) I/We authorise the school to confiscate and permanently withhold items discovered during an inspection or search if they are deemed to be potentially harmful, dangerous, illegal, inappropriate or their possession constitutes a violation of school and boarding regulations, community standards and/or local, state, provincial, federal, national or other governmental laws.

Changes to information

By registering their child, parents/guardians agree that:  

(a) any changes to the student’s information, including details about their identity, medical history and allergies, will be notified in writing to SBSDZ as soon as possible; and 

(b) any change in my/our contact details and/or an emergency contact person must be notified to the school immediately. 

General declaration on truth and accuracy 

By registering their child, parents/guardians agree to the following statements:  

a) I/We have custody of the student or have the consent of the legal guardian(s). 

b) I/We certify that all information contained in this application is complete and correct. 

If it is discovered that the parent/guardian has provided materially incomplete or untrue information to the school, the school may, at its sole discretion, decide to cancel the student’s enrolment and not issue any refund of or reduction in fees already paid or payable to the school. 

15. Data protection

Any personal data provided by students’ legal representatives or by the students themselves or collected by SBSDZ in the course of teaching or other activities (the “personal data”) is used for the administration of the students’ admission, the pastoral care of the students and the provision of other services for the students. 

For the above purposes, SBSDZ may disclose the personal data to a limited extent to third parties to whom SBSDZ outsources certain services.

Personal data may be transferred abroad and stored there, even if these countries do not necessarily offer the same level of data protection as Switzerland. 

SBSDZ complies with Swiss data protection laws and regulations.

The school’s privacy policy can be found on our website. By registering your child, you agree to our privacy policy.

16. Liability

To the extent permitted by law, SBSDZ accepts no liability towards the student or third parties – in particular in the event of accidents, losses, personal injury, damage to property or financial losses of any kind. The parties to the agreement must ensure the necessary insurance cover effective in Switzerland, in particular liability insurance.

Waiver of liability 

By registering their child, parents/guardians agree to the following statements:  

I/We agree that the student attends the school at their own risk and that SBSDZ is not liable for any injury or damage suffered by the student during (i) attendance at SBSDZ in general (or SBSDZ’s virtual school offering, if applicable); (ii) participation in activities (organised by SBSDZ and/or third parties); or (iii) the use of SBSDZ’s computers, unless the injury is a direct result of gross negligence on the part of SBSDZ.

17. Theft 

SBSDZ is not liable for stolen or otherwise lost or missing items.

SBSDZ is not responsible for the safekeeping of personal belongings of the student or their parents. 

18. Force majeure 

By registering their child, parents/guardians agree to the following statements:  

I/We acknowledge that the duties and obligations of the school set out in this agreement will be suspended immediately and without notice during any period when SBSDZ is closed due to events of force majeure, including, but not limited to, fire, weather conditions, war, government measures, acts of terrorism, epidemics, pandemics or other events beyond the reasonable control of the school (a “Force Majeure Event”). If a Force Majeure Event occurs, the duties and obligations of the school as set out in this agreement will be postponed until such time as the school, at its own discretion, can safely reopen. 

If the school is unable to reopen due to force majeure, the school is not obliged to refund any part of the fees paid. Unless otherwise stated by the school, I/we acknowledge that I/we am/are solely responsible for the safety and well-being of the student during a Force Majeure Event. 

If teaching on the school premises is not possible for a period of more than seven days due to force majeure, the measures to be taken by the school may include virtual teaching. 

It is acknowledged and agreed that the provision of such virtual schooling by the school is the agreed substitute for learning on the school premises during the Force Majeure Event. 

19. Further provisions

For damage caused by students, the parents/guardians or the student themselves if over the age of 18 are exclusively liable.

The General Terms of Agreement and the price list are deemed to be accepted upon the signing of the school agreement. 

The parents or guardians accept these general terms of agreement from the moment of the student’s attendance at SBSDZ, even if the agreement has not been signed.

The SBSDZ regulations and all amendments are an integral part of these General Terms of Agreement (GTA). These documents are available on request from the administration office.

These General Terms of Agreement and the price list are valid from the school year 2024/2025. They cancel and replace all previous General Germs of Agreement.

20. Enforceability of the terms and conditions 

Completeness of the terms and conditions 

By registering their child, parents/guardians agree to the following statements:  

a) I/We acknowledge that the general terms of the agreement set out herein or in the attached price list constitute the entire agreement between me/us and the school. No promises, conditions or obligations other than those contained herein or in the attached price list exist or arise from this agreement. The terms of the agreement set out herein and in the attached price list supersede all prior oral or written communications, representations or agreements between the parties with respect to the subject matter of this agreement. 

b) I/We acknowledge that the terms of the agreement set out herein and in the attached price list may be updated or amended by the school (as determined by SBSDZ at its sole discretion). Any reference herein to the general terms of the agreement or the price list is a reference to the most recent version of the general terms of the agreement or the price list.

21. Applicable law and place of jurisdiction 

Swiss law applies exclusively to all matters arising from these general terms of the agreement and the price list, irrespective of the domicile of the parents or legal guardians.

The place of jurisdiction is Chur, Switzerland. 

Only the German versions of the general terms of the agreement and the price list are binding.