This page consistes of three sections: Frequently Asked Questions for Parents, Students, and Educators (teachers/administrators/counselors).
Frequently Asked Questions for Parents
Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions by parents.
Price and Payment Plan
What does the price include?
What does the price include?
The price of the tour is $1628 for students and $1805 for adults and includes: round-trip airline from Los Angeles International Airport, hotel accommodations for five nights and six days, breakfast, dinner, pre-departure orientation handbook, t-shirt, night time security, round-trip luggage fee for one bag, ground transportation and adult chaperones.
After making the initial $200 non-refundable deposit, the tour is payable in three installment payments. See tour specifics for more details.
To register click on the "Register Online" link in left column.
EST does not set a registration deadline and takes registrations until the bus is full. Therefore we encourage all tour participants to not wait until the last minute because our tours fill up very quickly and always sell out well in advance of the departure date.
Students who miss the registration deadline because the trip is sold out can request to be placed on the waiting list. Students will be called as space becomes available.
Yes. Parents are allowed to participate, however please be advised that an additional cost will be incurred due to higher costs of accommodating parents at the hotels that we use.
Yes. EST accepts three different credit cards that can be used to make a payment — Visa, MasterCard and American Express cards. No other credit cards are accepted.
To make a payment online, just click on the "Make a payment" link in left column.
Late payments are assessed a $50 fee.
All tour participants must be paid in full at least 45 days prior to departure.
Returned checks are assessed a $35 fee and must be replaced with a money order or cashier’s check.
Flight, hotel and a detailed itinerary is given to each tour participant and their parent at the mandatory orientation. The mandatory orientation takes place approximately 30 days prior to departure.
A pre-departure check list which includes the type of clothes that students should bring on the trip is listed on the EST website. Click here to view the Forms page to download the pre-departure check list. Please don't forget that students 18 years or older must have a government issued photo I.D. (driver’s license, identification card, or passport) to travel.
Students participating must turn in two forms prior to or on the day of the mandatory orientation meeting. The two forms are: 1) the medical consent form and 2) the student code of conduct. These two forms can also be accessed on the EST website. Visit the Forms page to download and fillthem out. Mail them immediately to: Educational Student Tours, 16850 Gresham Street, North Hills, CA 91343. Facsimiles will not be accepted.
EST primarily uses quality hotels such as the Marriott, Embassy Suites or other Hilton properties. In cities that do not have these hotels, we select comparable properties.
EST's ground transportation is provided by George’s Motor Coach located in East Point, Georgia and First Priority Tours located in District Heights, Maryland. Each company carries EST on its Bus Operators Professional Liability Insurance policies.
Roommates are chosen at the mandatory orientation meeting. Students are required to have a representative attend the meeting even if they cannot due to a scheduling conflict. Students who are from out-of-state will have their roommates chosen for them.
Typically students bring $10 per day for lunch and approximately $200 to spend on souvenirs and/or Black college clothing at the bookstores that we visit.
Students may carry on one bag that must fit in the overhead bin and one personal item such as a purse or a back pack. If they check a bag, the fees are $20 for the first bag and $30 for the second bag each way. Also, they will be subject to additional fees if their bag weighs more than 50 lbs. The fee for bags that weigh 50 lbs. or more is $125 per bag. Important note: These fees are subject to change at any time.
Depending on the size of the campus, we typically spend anywhere from 3 to 4 hours per campus visit.
No. This is absolutely prohibited. Relatives and friends may visit in the hotel lobby with student participants but students are not allowed to leave the tour or hotel under any circumstances with these relatives and/or friends.
The mandatory pre-departure orientation meeting takes place approximately 30 days prior to the departure of each tour. It is usually held in Los Angeles at Santa Monica City College.
EST has a number of supporters, including the following organizations:
- The United Negro College Fund
- Black College Expo
- Young Black Scholars
- HBCU Inter-Alumni Association
- L.A. County Board of Supervisors
- Black Women’s Lawyers Association
- National Council of Negro Women
- Angel City Classic
- Making Waves Foundation
Yes. EST welcomes and encourages students who reside in other states to join us on the tour. Out-of-state tour participants should call us to find out what our out-of-state rates are for tour participants who only need the land portion of the tour provided to them.
The trip is chaperoned at a minimum student to chaperone ratio of 1 to 15. However, the chaperone ratio is usually much smaller due to the number of adults who go on the trip each year. Every chaperone is carefully selected by EST and have experience working with youth through either their schools or the churches they attend.
Chaperones are selected prior to each tour by EST. Each chaperone is screened to make sure that they have some type of educational background and can work well with high school students.
EST only uses major commercial airlines such as American, Delta, United, etc.
Unfortunately our airline contract does not allow tour participants to deviate from any of the dates listed for the tour and/or the airports. All flights originate out of Los Angeles International airport. However, flights can be arranged out of Northern California but only if there is at least 10 participants.
Yes. Many of our students already live on the east coast and arrange for their own transportation to and from the first and last city on the tour. If you plan on arranging for your own air transportation, we charge a "land only" price. Please call us at (818) 891-8087 if you would like to sign up as a "land only" tour participant.
Students can be reached 24 hours a day by contacting the tour leader. The cell phone number(s) of the tour directors are given to all parents and students at the mandatory orientation.
Minimum age requirement and Tour Directors
What is the minimum age requirement to attend the tour and what is the best time to send my child on a Black College tour?
The minimum age for participating is 15 years old or a student must be in the 9th grade. The best time to send your child on the trip is during their 10th or 11th grade years. Many parents remark to us that their children come back from the trip motivated to do better in school after they hear the admissions presentations. We therefore encourage you to not wait until your child is a senior. However, we do have an excellent track record of placing seniors in these colleges who attend our spring break tour.
EST is owned and operated by Gregory and Dr. Yasmin Delahoussaye. To read their bios please click here.
A $200 deposit is required for each tour participant. Deposits are non-refundable. Refunds (minus the deposit) are paid in full if tour participants cancel prior to 59 days before departure. Tour participants who cancel 60 days to 30 days prior to departure will forfeit their first installment payment plus the non-refundable deposit. No refund is given to tour participants who cancel 30 days prior to departure unless a suitable replacement can be found.
Trip cancellation insurance is recommended, especially for our summer tours which sometimes have weather delays necessitating that students stay on the tour an extra day. This cancellation insurance is available through www.insuremytrip.com and is optional.
All cancellations must be received in writing with no exceptions. Faxes will not be accepted. Requests to cancel should be sent to: Educational Student Tours, 16850 Gresham Street, North Hills, CA 91343. The date of cancellation will be the date postmarked on the envelope.
Educational Student Tours has been in the student travel business for over 30 years. We began traveling with students in 1976. We began the Black College Tours in 1987.
Yes, and this is one thing that truly separates us from other Black College Tour programs. Our company is insured by the Berkeley Agency. We carry $1 million in tour operators’ professional liability insurance.
EST is a 501C3 non-profit which means that only donors can write off your child's trip. Relatives wishing to make a donation to your child's trip must include a note that they are donating to the trip. Donations of $150 or more will receive, by law, a donation letter acknowledging receipt of the donation. For donations under $150, donors would simply note that amount on their tax return.
Four of the most successful fundraising ideas that we have seen include:
- The Power of 100: One parent asked 100 people (friends, relatives, neighbors, church members and teachers) for $15 each—less than the cost of two movie tickets. She had her daughter write a letter about why she wanted to go on the Black College Tour and mailed the letter with a picture of her daughter in the corner. The Power of 100 letters was so successful that she received over $1500.
- Business Donations: Businesses are also willing to donate especially to non-profit organizations like EST because they know they can write off the donation. We have included samples of donation letters that you can help your child send under the link "For Students". You should also consider sending them a Power of 100 letter that you create.
- Talent Shows: Some high schools are willing to let students put on a talent show and charge for the price of admission as a fundraiser. Asking Black Greek organizations at a local four-year college to put on a step show as a part of the talent show is a sure way to have a huge audience.
- See’s Candies: Because schools are non-profits, the See's candy company allows them to pre-sale candy at three specific times (during Christmas, Valentine's day and Easter). The profit margin is close to 50% which makes it an excellent fundraiser for schools.
By contacting your company's Human Resources Department, you can find out if your company will match the money that you spend on the tour meaning that your child can go on the tour at half the cost! Just make sure that the paper work is filled in quickly and that the company can deliver on their part of the cost of the tour at least 45 days prior to departure. Please let your HR Department know that EST is a federally recognized non-profit organization which is the requirement for a company to participate in the matching funds program.
Frequently Asked Questions for Educators
Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions by teachers and counselors
The EST Black College tour is a powerful educational experience that will motivate and encourage your students to improve their educational outcomes. Our HBCU tours open the doors of opportunity for our youth. In addition, you will gain important insights regarding programs and majors at these colleges.
EST has conducted student tours for more than 30 years. During this time, we have had an outstanding safety record with no claims against us. Our extensive experience along with careful planning will assure that you and your students have a great experience.
Yes. EST has 22 years of Black College Tour experience, is a federally recognized non-profit corporation which means that all donations are tax-deductible and is insured. EST has a $1 million dollar liability policy. However, in over 30 years of doing student travel, we have never had to use this coverage.
You will go on the tour free with 15 paying students.
No. All bookkeeping is done by an EST representative.
Yes. As a matter of fact, the second teacher can also go for free with an additional 15 students.
EST did its first Black College tour in 1987. Since then more than 3,500 students have traveled with our program.
You essentially do the same thing you would do with your students’ everyday. You monitor them and make sure that they follow the established rules. Every adult chaperone receives a "chaperone’s duties" handbook.
There is a student code of conduct link on our website. This link details the major expectations while on tour. The student code of conduct must be read and signed by the student and his/her parent(s). Students who violate the student code of conduct are sent home at their parents’ expense.
A security officer will already be at the hotel. They will assist with monitoring the students. You and the other chaperones will also monitor the students in the hotel prior to curfew and in the pool or fitness area.
More than 50% of the students, who travel with us each year, hear about our tours from a friend or family member. In addition once a child in the family goes on the tour, the rest of the children follow.
Yes. The orientation meeting takes place in Los Angeles (usually at Santa Monica College) approximately 30 days prior to the trip's departure date. If you or your students do not live in the L.A. area, a phone orientation can be arranged to help you prepare you and your students for the trip.
Yes. An EST representative will be happy to meet you whenever it is convenient for you.
Yes. We will send you brochures, posters and sample itineraries that you can share with your students.
Yes. An EST representative will be with you during the entire tour to assure that you and your students have a great experience.
Yes. First and foremost, all students that participate in our HBCU tour program must be very serious about the experience and their education. Students do not have to have a minimum g.p.a. but they must be responsible and mature. EST reserves the right to refuse to allow any student to participate who has been involved in disciplinary actions at school resulting in a suspension or expulsion.
Yes. Family visitation is possible. However, a written notice must be received by EST prior to the departure date stating when and where the visit will occur.
Yes. EST has an outstanding relationship with each campus. After the tour, we can call our campus contacts and assist with either the admissions and/or financial aid process.c
Frequently Asked Questions for Students
Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions by students.
- Our HBCUs are excellent educational opportunities. You will receive an outstanding education that will propel your future
- Overall HBCUs have an excellent student to professor ratio which tend to be smaller than most colleges
- 80% of all African-American professionals (doctors, pharmacists, lawyers, teachers, etc.) are graduates of an HBCU
- Fortune 500 companies consistently recruit HBCU graduates
- HBCUs not only provide their students with an excellent educational opportunity, they also provide an amazing social climate and leadership opportunities
- You will become a part of a strong career network
- You will make life-long friends
- A very high percentage (57%) of all HBCU graduates go on to earn a masters or doctorate degree
- For the first time in your life you will experience an educational environment that completely revolves around your success
- You will be able to see and experience some of our top HBCU campuses first-hand
- You will gain the necessary insights that will allow you to make the best college choice
- Deciding where to go to college is one of the most important decisions of your life. Your decision should be based on direct experience and not on what you have heard or read about in a brochure
- You will visit important historical sites such as Ebenezer Baptist Church, the Martin Luther King Center, and Dr. King’s birth home
- You will meet college officials that will later assist you with the admissions and financial aid process
- EST has more than twenty years of experience in organizing and conducting HBCU tours and are the leaders in HBCU tours
- More than 3,500 students have traveled with our program
- EST has an excellent relationship with every campus that we visit. This can be a great support to you when you are applying to your chosen college. In some cases, EST has been able to get a college to reverse its decision when it has denied a student admissions
- The quality of every aspect of our tours is unsurpassed
- Our tours are highly organized
- Our tours have been featured on television, radio, in newspapers and magazines
- EST has received numerous awards and commendations on the community, city, state and national level
- Our HBCU program is our passion. We are totally dedicated to your success
- EST will provide you with comprehensive support in the application and financial aid process
- EST is a federally recognized non-profit corporation. As a result a large number of students have had this experience at a reduced cost or for FREE!
Students chose their own roommates at the mandatory orientation meeting.
Yes. Students must be in high school (9th to 12th grade) or accompanied by an adult if they are still in middle school. Any student who is subject to discipline by their school will automatically be withdrawn from the tour.
Absolutely! We have many tour participants who have brothers, sisters, cousins or friends at these colleges. They may join us the morning or afternoon of the tour and even visit at the hotel until curfew.
Yes. One of the unique things about EST is that Dr. Delahoussaye has both a high school and college counseling background. She has gladly assisted students by giving them feedback on their essays, assisting with connecting students with admissions officials, and guiding them in the financial aid process.