What You Need to Know About Hosting a Foreign Exchange Student
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Have you ever considered the life-changing impact of hosting a high school exchange student? Not only is it a memory-making experience for a teenager, but it can also be a rewarding opportunity for a host family.
Take the first step in the cultural exchange journey when you explore hosting opportunities with the CIEE BridgeUSA High School program.
Use this comprehensive guide to discover more about how to be a host for a foreign exchange student. You’ll see that it’s a chance to learn, grow, and form lifelong friendships.
Who Can Host an Exchange Student?
All types of families can host a high school exchange student through the U.S. Department of State’s BridgeUSA program. One of the only qualifications to host an exchange student is that you must be at least 25 years old.
This includes:
- Married parents with children
- Married adults without children
- Single/divorced parents with children
- Single/divorced adults
- Adults of any race or national origin
- People identifying as any gender or sexual orientation
- Adults of any religion
- People with varying political beliefs
For example, one family’s trips to church are part of their routine, but they make it worthwhile with their post-service tradition.
“Religion plays a huge part in our lives,” said Mark Montemayor, a host dad from California. “We are all involved with the church, but our mission isn’t to spread religion. As it is a part of our lives, we invite (our host students) to come along for the ride. Most of the time, they do come along, not so much for the religion, but because we always eat afterwards – they always come along for that!”
What Does a Host Family Need to Provide?
Becoming a host family isn’t a privilege reserved for the upper class. In fact, very little cost is associated with hosting a foreign exchange student.
There’s truly only three things you need to become an exchange student host family:
- A bedroom: A student must have their own bed in either their own room or a shared room with a sibling of the same gender.
- Three meals a day: You must provide three meals a day for your student.
- A welcoming home: Your student should feel safe, both physically within your walls and emotionally with your family.
If you feel that there’s anything else you need to be a successful host, you can reach out to your local coordinator or use resources provided by the CIEE support team. This includes a 24/7 support line for any emergency that may come up.
What Does the High School Exchange Student Provide?
While host parents have some responsibilities, there are four things a CIEE BridgeUSA host family doesn’t need to worry about:
- Travel costs: High school students in the program arrange for and pay for their own transportation to and from their home country. Host families typically pick up their student at the airport.
- Spending money: Students will arrive with their own money to spend for shopping and activities.
- Health insurance: All students who come to the United States through the BridgeUSA High School program receive health insurance coverage through a policy for international travelers.
- Cell phone: Students usually bring a cell phone with them, and they are responsible for covering the bill.
During the initial phase of your relationship, you’ll want to establish clarity on various costs with your student to ensure that you're all on the same page.
How Long Does the Process Take from Start to Finish?
Learn more about how long each part of the process takes.
| STEP | INFORMATION |
|---|---|
| Informational call | A CIEE local coordinator (LC) or a CIEE representative will set up a call with you to chat more about the program. The call is usually around 30 minutes. |
| Application | CIEE accepts applications year round. Each year, international students arrive in both January and August. Expect to spend 30-45 minutes total completing your application, which includes information about your family and home, background checks for those 18 and older, and a description of your motivations to host. You can save each section as you work – it does not all need to be completed in one sitting. This is the first document about your family that your future student will see. |
| Background check | Background checks are required for everyone in the home who’s 18 or older. This includes college-aged children or other adults who visit the home regularly or for extended periods. Background checks typically take one to five days to return. International background checks can take several weeks. Some states also require state clearances. |
| In-home visit | The final step of the application process is an in-home visit conducted by your LC. They will reach out to schedule this meeting, which typically lasts between 30-60 minutes. This often takes place within two weeks of choosing a student. All members of the family listed on the application must be present. Your LC will do a casual walk-through of the student’s future bedroom and bathroom space, and they’ll ask some questions about your home and family. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask questions. |
| Application approval | Once your CIEE BridgeUSA host family application is approved, the fun begins! You will receive your matched student's full application which includes photos, videos and contact information. |
| High school acceptance | As soon as you indicate an interest in hosting, your LC and our team will begin researching the foreign exchange policies at your local district and school. Typically, our students attend the local public school based on a host family’s address, though options can occasionally be arranged at charter or private schools. Some school districts will approve and sign right away. Others may wait for a vote at the next board meeting or might have a specific date that they begin to review applications. |
| Host family orientation | Once your CIEE application is approved, you’ll receive an email with an online host family orientation, which usually takes about 30 minutes. There is a link at the end to indicate that you have reviewed the information. The host family orientation materials must be reviewed before your student arrives. We suggest that you bookmark this page! Some LCs with big groups of students may also offer an in-person orientation. |
| Arrival | Your student will typically be the first to know their flight information. Ask them to share it with you when they receive it. Your LC will confirm that you can be at the airport and may also be present for student arrival. The standard student arrival window is 3-5 days before school begins. Communicate with your LC if you have specific arrival requests for CIEE to consider. Note: Scholarship students do not have flexible arrival windows and attend assigned cohort orientations. |
Ready to Get Started?
Get the process rolling when you fill out the host family contact form. A member of the CIEE BridgeUSA team will be in touch to answer any questions you may have about this rewarding experience.
Learn more about becoming a CIEE BridgeUSA host family for the upcoming school year.