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, 2005 - August 1, 2008

Please note that German language proficiency is not a requirement.

Important Dates

Deadline to Apply
December 1, 2022 (11:59 p.m. Pacific Time)

Semi-finalists Notified By
January 30, 2023

Semi-finalist Interviews*
February-March, 2023

Finalists Announced By
April 3, 2023

Pre-departure Orientation (Washington DC)
August 3-5, 2023

Language and Cultural Immersion Camp (Germany)
4 weeks: August 6 - September 4, 2023

Program End Date
Anticipated June 19, 2024

*Interviews will be conducted in-person in Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, and Washington DC

Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Apply

The CBYX Application for 2023-2024 is now closed.

Please fill out this form to be notified when the application opens for 2024-2025.

Read our Participant Blogs

Celebrating the New Year

By Mara T.

Happy New Year! This month's blogpost I do not only want to talk about our New Years celebration on December 31, but also the Lunar New Year that I celebrated...keep reading

CBYX

Christmas in the U.S.

By Mara T.

Merry Christmas and a happy new year everybody! My December revolved, as most of yours probably did too, around Christmas. It was an amazing and very exciting time for me...keep reading

CBYX

Erfurt Entdecker Tour

By Lauren M.

Grüß dich! It is December and that means it’s Christmas time! There’s no better way to celebrate the holiday season in Germany than with the Christmas markets. At the beginning...keep reading

Weihnachtsmarkt Lollapalooza

By Ally B.

Introduction It's December and Christmas is just around the corner! Weihnachtsmarkt season has just begun in Germany, with little wooden markets popping up all around town, selling roasted walnuts, gingerbread...keep reading

Bringing Thanksgiving to Germany

By Ally B.

When I first began my exchange year, the participants were told a lot of possible ways to give back to our host families, as well as showcase our American culture...keep reading

Playing Soccer in Germany

By Skyler F.

The thing that shocked me the most about Germany is how unpopular women’s soccer is. Men’s soccer is very common and if you play it and are good you are...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