415協議
 | 此條目需要補充更多來源。 (2012年12月5日) |
415協議是美國各大學研究生院針對某些學生同時接受幾所學校的含有財政資助的入學邀請，卻在事後反悔無法前來就讀而導致一些學額浪費的現象，所達成的共同協議。此協議並不是一份法律合同，而且只在美國實行，並且只對簽署該協議的部分美國大學適用。值得注意的是，即使一些學校加入了415協議，也可以和學校協商對承諾日期進行更改。
協議主要內容
學生在4月15日之前沒有答覆含有財政資助的入學邀請的義務，學校如果設定較早的答覆期限則違反協議意圖。對已接受的入學邀請，學生在4月15日的截止期限前可以自由放棄。如果學生接受入學邀請且沒有在4月15日前表示放棄，或在4月15日後接受入學邀請，那麼在沒有得到該學校書面允諾的情況下，不應擅自接受其他入學邀請。類似地，學校在4月15日後發出的入學邀請是有條件的，使其生效需要展示此前曾接受學校的書面允諾。這一協議目前在執行上比較鬆散，學生和學校往往可以在任何時間進行協商。不過它仍然從一定程度上規範了學校的招生行為，解決了以前學校各自設限要求學生答覆的行為。
415協議英文原文
''Acceptance of an offer of financial support (such as a graduate scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship) for the next academic year by a prospective or enrolled graduate student completes an agreement that both student and graduate school expect to honor. In that context, the conditions affecting such offers and their acceptance must be defined carefully and understood by all parties.
Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15; earlier deadlines for acceptance of such offers violate the intent of this Resolution. In those instances in which a student accepts an offer before April 15, and subsequently desires to withdraw that acceptance, the student may submit in writing a resignation of the appointment at any time through April 15. However, an acceptance given or left in force after April 15 commits the student not to accept another offer without first obtaining a written release from the institution to which a commitment has been made. Similarly, an offer by an institution after April 15 is conditional on presentation by the student of the written release from any previously accepted offer. It is further agreed by the institutions and organizations subscribing to the above Resolution that a copy of this Resolution should accompany every scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, and assistantship offer.''