Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) Program

Jointly funded by the German Bundestag and the U.S. Congress, the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX) is a full scholarship exchange program that offers young Americans the opportunity to live with a German host family and attend high school in Germany for a year. This program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by CIEE.

CBYX aims to foster cultural understanding and diplomacy while also promoting the German and English languages. Participants are also encouraged to learn about the political systems of their host country.

Become fluent in German, learn about another culture, and expand your horizons.

Eligibility

To apply for the CBYX program, you must:

Be a U.S. citizen
Have a GPA of 2.5 or higher (on a 4.0 scale)
Be born between February 1, 2004 - August 1, 2007

Please note that German language proficiency is not a requirement.

Important Dates

Deadline to Apply
December 1, 2021 (11:59 p.m. Pacific Time)

Semi-finalists Notified By
Mid-February

Semi-finalist Interviews*
February-March 2022

Finalists Announced By
April 1, 2022

Pre-departure Orientation
Early August 2022

Language and Cultural Immersion Camp
4 weeks: August-September 2022

Program End Date
June 2023

Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

In addition to the frequently asked questions and participants stories below, please read the CBYX Quick Fact Sheet. Here you fill find information on scholarship inclusions, program duration, application instructions, and more.

The CBYX 2022-2023 program application is now open

Application Open

The application is due on December 1, 2021.

Apply Now

Read our Participant Blogs

Oktoberfest in Hannover

By Sabrina B.

Guten Abend! Last night, my host family and I went to a small Oktoberfest in Hannover. Despite popular association with all of Germany, Oktoberfest is usually just a Bavaria-specific event...keep reading

The German Election and Meeting Annalena Baerbock!

By Sarah J.

This year was a very exciting time to be in Germany as an exchange student because Germany held such an exciting election! The famous, and widely-liked previous chancellor, Angela Merkel...keep reading

Representations of America in Germany

By Katherine B.

“You’re from America, right?” I can’t count how many times I’ve been asked this question over the last few weeks. Usually it is the segue into other questions which are...keep reading

Alltag in der Schule: Stunden- and Vertretungspläne

By Katherine B.

I’ve been in German high school, or Gymnasium, for nearly one month now. Naturally, everyday life in Gymnasium has quite a few differences from American highschools. Though mundane, one of...keep reading

Adjusting

By Sabrina B.

Before leaving on my exchange year, I was told that if I took one thing from our Oreintation Seminars it should be that "Culture Shock is real and you will...keep reading

German Politics, Part Two

By Katherine B.

Today, Germans elected their federal representatives in the Bundestagswahl. I accompanied my host mom to our neighborhood Wahllokal, and while she was voting, I reflected on some of the opportunities...keep reading

View All

Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX)

This program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by CIEE.

Please contact us with any questions about this program:

Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program
CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange
600 Southborough Drive, Suite 104
South Portland, Maine 04106
1 (800) 448-9944
cb@ciee.org