School Policy
Please Read Carefully!
Starlinx Driving School is the leading Driving and Counseling Institution in the Washington DC Metro Area. Our main goal is to give proper guidelines and driving techniques, in a safe and responsible manner to all our students. It is our aim to help both young and old drivers adopt defensive driving techniques in order to become responsible drivers and be courteous towards other road users.
By employing our services, you agree to the following school policies for Starlinx Driving School.
Cancellation Policy
Lessons altered or cancelled within 48 BUSINESS HOURS before instructor scheduled pickup will be charged a fee of $75 or complete loss of lesson. Lesson times can only be altered through live conversation with office staff during regular business hours. Our instructors do a great job at maintaining safety with our students. They do however, have the right to cancel or postpone a lesson due to weather. Suspicion of a student being under the influence of drugs or alcohol or a condition that the instructor deems to be too dangerous will result in a cancellation fee and may be rescheduled.
Learners Permit
Students must possess a valid learners permit or drivers license and have it on their person throughout the entire lesson. Student is responsible to make sure they have their permit as they exit the driver training vehicle at the end of their lesson. Should the student not have their permit or if they hold an expired permit or license, when the instructor arrives, the instructor must refuse service and the cancellation policy will be in effect.
Student No-Shows
Our instructors are only permitted to wait up to 15 minutes after the scheduled driving time. If the student does not show up for their lesson, they will forfeit the lesson and be charged the $75 cancellation fee.
Testing Service
We schedule our students MVA test appointments in advance. We do our best to schedule the requested test day and time, depending on the schedule of MVA testing centers. We may not be able to book the exact test time or day you are requesting. We always call to confirm any test appointment we book for the student. If MVA cancels the test for bad weather, staff shortages, etc., Starlinx Driving School is not responsible. Tests scheduled more than a 30 minute drive from pickup location may be susceptible to a minimum surcharge equaling one half hour of billed lesson rate. Tests booked with Starlinx Driving School are non-refundable and payment is expected to be made when booking the appointment.
- All course costs must be paid before the last classroom session. After the second day of class, only cash or credit cards are accepted (no checks). No discounts are applied to the program cost after the first day of class.
Only one (1) discount per student may be applied. All course costs must be paid in full by the end of the ninth class meeting. Students with an outstanding account balance are not permitted to attend the tenth class session. - If a student cannot continue the program after the first day of class for any unforeseen reason, refunds are granted according to the Starlinx Driving School refund policy. Requests for refunds must be made in writing within 4 weeks of the start date of the program, and are pro-rated per the school’s policy. Students are required to complete the program within eight (8) months of the class start date. Students failing to complete the course within eight months of the class start date are required to pay for the portion remaining in order to complete.
- We expect our students to behave respectfully while in class. The following behaviors are not tolerated and may cause a student to be removed from the program:
- A. Disturbing any other student(s) while they are trying to learn.
- B. Any behavior that is disturbing to the class or prevents learning.
- C. Leaving on cell phones, radios, music players, etc. All electronic devices must be turned off during class.
- D. Eating or drinking during class without permission from an instructor or other school official.
- E. Chewing gum during class.
- F. Using tobacco products during class. This includes smokeless products such as electronic cigarettes.
- A student may not continue to participate in the course if she or he consistently arrives late to class, consistently departs early or misses more than four (4) days of the program. If a student is more than 15 minutes late for an in-car session, a $50.00 charge may apply (please refer to item 8, below).
- A student may be removed from our online course if they are absent from any of the Zoom meetings and may be required to retake the course in its entirety in the next session. If a student anticipates missing a particular sessions then they must contact the school prior to the class with an appropriate excuse. At that point the instructor and the school will use their discretion to determine the appropriate course of action.
- Students are completely responsible for paying for any damages caused by their negligence, including defacing or damaging any classroom furnishings. Below are the replacement costs for such items:
A. Classroom table – $50.00
B. Classroom chair – $35.00
C. Textbook – $36.00 - Destroying property inside or outside the Starlinx Driving School location or affiliated high school building is cause for dismissal from the program with a refund consistent with the school’s refund policy. Students and/or their parents/legal guardians are responsible for the cost of damage or loss.
- Starlinx Driving School assumes no responsibility for students who leave the premises during classroom or break time.
- There is a $50.00 charge for failing to appear for a scheduled in-car appointment without a 24-hour notice to the office. For Monday in-car appointments, a 48-hour notice is required. Cash or credit card payment is to be made prior to scheduling the next appointment.
- Once a student has successfully completed the driver education program, the student’s information is submitted electronically to the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) database. Students are NOT required to have a paper certificate when appearing for the test for the provisional driver’s license.
- Students are required to allow a minimum of 3 business days between completion of the course and their road test at the MVA. Students are advised NOT to schedule the road test appointment until they have completed both the 30 hours of classroom instruction (including any make-up days) and 6 hours of driving lessons, as well as the necessary
hours of home practice required by the MVA with a parent, guardian, or other qualified supervising licensed driver. - Students are required to have a Maryland learner’s permit before they schedule their 6 hours of driving lessons. Furthermore, students are required to have their learner’s permit with them while driving with the instructor. Students who do not have their learner’s permit with them at the time of their appointment may be required to reschedule their appointment and pay the missed appointment fee (please refer to item 8, above).
Additional information and clarifications will be given during the class. Thank you for your business and we hope you will enjoy our satisfactory services.