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Trip Policies & Procedures

  1. The TRIP program will operate according to the TRIP calendar and TRIP News, which are available at the TRIP office, in the parent note and online at www.highlandchristian.org. Any further questions may be directed to the coordinator.
  1. A Registration form must be completed and enclosed with your first order of each school year. Registration Forms are available at the TRIP Office and online at highlandchristian.org. The disclaimer section needs to be filled out and signed if a child will be bringing your certificates home. Only the envelope with the certificates ordered under your family number will be given to the designated student. These Registration Forms will be kept on file. The orders for SEC students MUST be picked up in the school office. We will not release orders to SEC students.
  1. Once registered, you will be assigned an account number. Please use this account number for all TRIP orders. Family and/or friends may help with tuition reduction by ordering certificates from you or by registering for their own account number with the earnings directed to your family. If you are donating to more than one family, please fill out their names and account numbers. Tuition earnings will be divided evenly among these designated accounts. Submit one certificate order form for each family number.  Place order form in a sealed envelope with payment in the form of a check or cash (please limit cash to $100). Please make checks payable to HCS~TRIP. Please note: TRIP orders are not Tax Deductible because you receive dollar for dollar value.
  1. Order forms with payment need to be turned in to the TRIP Office.  When placing your order; fill in the dollar amount of each certificate purchased. Note the denomination when doing this. For example, you cannot order $25 if the denomination offered is $10. We will make every effort to contact you regarding discrepancies. If we are unable to reach you, your order will be only processed for the amount of money that has been turned in. IOU’s are not issued.
  1.  Anyone writing a NSF check will incur a $20 fee to be paid to HCS~TRIP. After two NSF checks are written against your account, only money orders or cashiers checks will be accepted on your account. No further personal checks will be accepted for the purchase of certificates.
  1. All orders are due on Thursdays by 10:00a.m. and dropped off in the TRIP office. No late orders will be accepted. Filled orders will be delivered the following Tuesday to the designated student (if disclaimer has been filled out) or may be picked up in the school office at 2:45p.m. Please make every effort to pick them up at that time. These gift certificates are just like cash. HCS is not responsible for lost, stolen or incorrectly ordered certificates.
  1. TRIP participants are urged to count their certificates when received. You have 2 days from each scheduled pick up date to report an error. If a mistake of any kind is found, the TRIP coordinator must be notified immediately.
  1. Please note that some certificates do have an expiration date varying from 6 months to 2 years. Also, some stores may limit the amount of change back from a certificate purchase. Percentages and certificates are subject to change without prior notice. Every effort will be made to keep you informed of any changes made to the program via the Parent Note, TRIP News, and website.
  1. The ‘percentage’ earned by each participating family will be held by HCS~ TRIP account and credited to your account on the tuition statements of August, November, February and May. A TRIP statement of your purchases and tuition credit earned will be enclosed with your tuition statements. Any discrepancies found on your statement must be reported to the TRIP coordinator within 15 days of the statement date.
  1. TRIP is being offered to promote the education of students at Sonshine Enrichment Center and Highland Christian School; therefore, the money collected on your family account number will only be paid to SEC/HCS tuition reduction for grades K-8 and preschool. If your student(s) will no longer be attending SEC/HCS, the monies held under your family account number can be:
    1. Credited to your outstanding tuition balance
    2. Credited to another family’s tuition account
    3. Credited to the General Tuition Assistance Fund
    4. Credited to the HCS Foundation Fund
    5. Credited to Illiana Christian High School, if your child will be attending school there (contact the TRIP coordinator for more information on this option), if written notice is received within 60 days of the time the student(s) leave the school. Otherwise it will remain in the HCS~ TRIP account.
  1. Parents planning for the future education of their student at SEC/HCS may also participate. The ‘percentage’ earned will be held by the prepaid tuition account and will be credited at the end of a quarter as a tuition payment when the TRIP coordinator is informed. Future families who have not participated in the TRIP program for a two-year period will be considered inactive and contacted as to their intentions. If a written reply is not received within 60 days of the contact, their earnings will be transferred to the HCS~TRIP account. If the inactive family has moved with no forwarding address available, the earnings will be transferred as stated previously.
  1. Any further questions can be directed to the TRIP Coordinator at 219-838-0356 ext. 100.