What are Plane Ticket Hours?

Plane Ticket Hours are 140 hours that any undergraduate or graduate student can accumulate in order to have a plane ticket reimbursed for up to $650 to any Spanish-speaking country of your choosing.

How do you accumulate Plane Ticket Hours?

There are different ways of accruing hours toward a plane ticket stipend. Approval of these activities and hours rests with the Assistant Director and/or the Director of CREDE. Examples of ways to earn hours include, but are not limited to:

  • Organizing, planning, and executing events focused on educating about Spanish and the cultures of the Spanish-speaking countries around the world.
  • Participating in approved volunteer opportunities (this includes helping with El Centro events and service opportunities in the community).
  • Attending and/or leading one of El Centro’s conversation classes.

How are Plane Ticket Hours kept track of?

The Student Coordinators of El Centro oversee the tracking of hours. We maintain an online database housing ‘profiles’ containing your information for hour recording purposes. Upon completing your time at El Centro, you can approach a student coordinator to report the hours accrued during your visit and detail the activities that led to those hours. It’s incumbent upon you to monitor your hours and ensure adherence to the Elon Honor Code when reporting both the quantity of hours and the corresponding activities.

What happens once you complete the 140 Plane Ticket Hours?

Once you complete 140 hours, you are eligible to be reimbursed for a plane ticket up to $650 to any Spanish-speaking country of your choice.

To be reimbursed, the student must provide a plane ticket receipt and credit card information to verify proof of purchase. The student will also need to answer several prompts in a one-page essay reflecting on their time spent in El Centro. This form is provided by the Assistant Director of the CREDE.

If you have completed the 140 Plane Ticket Hours, email elcentro@elon.edu to fill out your form and begin the verification process.

The completion of the Plane Ticket Hours Program is entirely up to the discretion of the Director of the CREDE, Sylvia Muñoz, and the Assistant Director of the CREDE, Amy Gutierrez-Luviano.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if my plane ticket is less than $650? Do I get the difference?

If your plane ticket is less than $650, for example $300, it is eligible to be fully reimbursed by El Centro, but the difference will not be available to the student.

What if my plane ticket is more than $650?

If your plane ticket is over $650, $650 can be reimbursed by El Centro but the student themselves will remain responsible for the rest of the balance. For example, if your ticket is $1000, we will provide $650 towards it.

Do I have to have the 140 hours finished by the time I buy the ticket?

No! Students can buy the ticket before finishing the hours – as long as the hours are done before you get on that plane.

Do I have to have the hours finished by the time I go on the trip?

Yes, no exceptions.

Do my hours expire each academic year?

No – but you must complete your Plane Ticket Hours within two academic years. For example, if you start on 11/1/2024, you have until 11/1/2026 to accumulate 140 hours.

Can I use them after graduation?

It is up to the discretion of the Assistant Director of El Centro & Director of CREDE.

If I already completed 140 hours, can I do another 140 hours to get another plane ticket?

No, each ÁñÁ«app¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾Èë student is eligible to accumulate the 140 hours once.

Can Elon graduate students accumulate plane ticket hours?

Yes – we work with every graduate program offered to ensure graduate students can also accumulate Plane Ticket Hours.