CYA has always placed the safety and welfare of its students first. We have an experienced staff and have developed procedures to handle virtually any situation that our students may encounter.

The following is a list of procedures in place at CYA to keep our students safe and healthy:

• We expect our students to attend all their classes and any absences are noted. All semester students are required to have a mobile phone with a Greek number for the duration of their enrollment so that we can contact them in case of emergency. Those without a mobile phone plan of their own may obtain one from any number of cell phone service providers in Athens.
• CYA has in place a system which updates and issues necessary warnings to students via SMS messaging, mass emails, and direct phone calls, and we also post announcements on the internal website and bulletin boards.
• CYA holds regular “Town Hall” meetings during the semester to discuss any issues or problems students may be encountering.
• Our Student Affairs Officer keeps close track of any student experiencing physical or psychological difficulties.
• CYA is a member of the Warden System of the US Embassy and receives Warden Messages regarding warnings, alerts, and travel safety announcements. Using information from both the U.S. Embassy (Athens) and local websites, CYA is able to inform students of demonstrations or strikes that may affect their daily routines or weekend travel.
• Contingency plans (in the event of a serious emergency) are regularly reviewed, and a member of the administration is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help with emergencies.

Please be assured that College Year in Athens strives to give students the best and safest study abroad experience possible.

Semester fees include enrollment in a supplementary hospitalization insurance scheme (with Generali Insurance Company) for their period of study in Greece.

In addition, CYA maintains a list of English-speaking doctors (also found in the Student Handbook) and can recommend specialists. There is a 24-hour medical service for house calls, and in more serious cases, there are two excellent private hospitals, in close proximity to CYA, with English-speaking doctors, nurses and staff. Students should report all illnesses to the Student Affairs Office.

Students interested in additional coverage should investigate whether family or home institution policies will apply while they are in Greece.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our North American office (info@cyathens.org) or our Academic Center in Athens (programs@dikemes.edu.gr).