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.

Apply

The CBYX Application for 2022-2023 is now closed.

Please fill out this form to be notified when the application opens for 2023-2024.

Read our Participant Blogs

Berlin End of Year Seminar

By Sarah J.

Hello all! I’ve been traveling a lot the last few weeks, trying to make the most of the last few weeks of my exchange year. After spending a day in...keep reading

CBYX

Berlin Seminar

By Katherine B.

Last week, the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange participants met in Berlin for our End of Year Seminar. We spent our five days exploring the city, touring the Reichstag, and preparing...keep reading

Daredevil Acts

By Sabrina B.

I used to think living life to the fullest meant doing daredevil acts, taking every opportunity to try something new, never saying no to something the average person would be...keep reading

Wandervierer 2022

By Katherine B.

Last Sunday, my host mom and I took part in the annual Rhön Wandervierer. The Wandervierer is a fundraiser started by four Hessian villages in which sponsors make donations for...keep reading

Host Families and Citizen Diplomacy

By Katherine B.

On my first morning in Germany, I stood in front of my closet wondering if my host family ate breakfast in pajamas or dressed. After agonizing for a few minutes,...keep reading

Letzen 3 Monate

By Sarah J.

Hi, everyone! I haven’t written a blog in a very long time, which I apologize for. Possibly it’s a sign of me becoming more integrated into life here in Germany...keep reading

CBYX

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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