Educational & Cultural Exchange
High School Exchanges
Overview
Every year approximately 8,000 German pupils fly to the U.S, to spend three, five or ten months at - mostly public - high schools. Most programs are designed for pupils between the ages of 15 and 18. Pupils live with an American host family that take them free of charge. The pupils not only have the opportunity to improve their English language skills, but they also can learn about America and Americans from a very special perspective.
The decision to spend a year abroad should not rest with the parents. It should be foremost the wish of the pupil. Important for a successful year is a sociable, open and humorous attitude. Speak with former participants and their parents about exchange experiences (see links below) to learn more about the challenges of a high school year in the United States. Pupils will have to adapt to the American way of life and to life with a host family. This may include stricter rules and observance of religious life.
There are two ways of organizing a high school exchange: going through an exchange organization or organizing it yourself.
Exchange through an Organization
Before you apply at one of the organizations you should compare programs and get detailed information on the following:
• how does the organization present itself, and who is the organizer?
• does the organization have an American partner that has the required designated program number from the U.S. Department of State?
• what are the terms and conditions of the contract: does the organization offer a security certificate ("Sicherungsschein") for the total program on booking? Are prices final (meaning no later price increases)?
• how carefully are candidates selected and do they receive a predeparture orientation in Germany?
In many cities in Germany youth exchange fairs are being offered on an irregular basis. During these events the youth exchange organizations present themselves to interested pupils and their parents. We publish all known events in our events calendar.
Self-Organized Exchange
If you have relatives, friends, pen pals in the United States, you may prefer to organize your exchange privately. The main difference to an exchange with an organization lies in the formalities:
• the host school must have requested permission from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to participate in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Only if they participate in the SEVP they can issue the I-20 document. The student will need this document to apply for the F-1 visa in Germany.
A list of participating schools can be found here (PDF document)
• public schools are legally required to charge unsubsidarized tuition: between $ 4,900 (Utah) up to $ 12,500 (New Jersey) per year. Proof of payment has to be presented to the consular officer before the visa can be issued. More here.
Information on the individual school districts including their spending per student can be found at the National Center for Education Statistics: entering the state and city will return the school districts. Click on the appropriate district: the information will include the option to call up fiscal data.
Some exchange organizations will accept self-selected host families. In this case the formalities can be handled by the organization. Instead of paying tuition the student pays the program price to the organization. But it is entirely up to the individual organizations to agree to such an arrangement.
Please note: Exchange students are NOT permitted to reside with relatives when going through an exchange organization!
Financial Aid
The cost for a High School year in the U.S. are approximately € 6-7000 plus incidentals plus pocket money for the student. But financial aid is available. Many exchange organizations offer full and partial scholarships. Also, some employers support student exchange programs. It bears checking out.
• Parlamentarisches Patenschaftsprogram (PPP) / Congress - Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX): it was established in 1983 as part of the commemoration of the 300th anniversary of German emigration to the United States. The program enables secondary school students, full-time vocational students, and young professionals to spend a year in the United States. The young adults live with host families in the U.S. Students attend an American high school, young professionals attend a community college or comparable institution and will do an internship with an American company. The Congress - Bundestag Youth Exchange Program for students is handled by five exchange organizations. To which one you have to apply depends on your place of residence. More on this here. Application Deadline for exchange year 2009 has passed, for 2010: late summer 2009. Date to be announced.
• Auslands-BAföG: financial aid depends on parents income; in contrast to BAföG for university study, no payback is required.
• tax breaks: for students who are already 18 the so called 'Ausbildungsfreibetrag' can possibly be claimed.
• Many high school exchange organizations will offer full or partial scholarships to students. Please check with the individual organizations as to the requirements and deadlines. s.a. list in Ein Schuljahr in den USA
Links
• Aktion Bildungsinformation e.V.
• Ausgetauscht.de
• Schüleraustausch.de
• Raus-von-zu-Hause a project of Internationaler Jugendaustausch- und Besucherdienst der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
• GreatSchoolsNet: a nonprofit organization, GreatSchools.net provides information about public, private and charter schools in all 50 states
• National Center for Education Statistics search for public and private high schools, narrowed down by city, zip code and distance from zip code
• EasySchoolSearch.com 130.000 public and private schools with a link to Google Maps
• eschoolsearch.com - directory of U.S. private schools
• Peterson's Private Schools Database private schools, including boarding schools
Literature
• Ein Schuljahr in den USA: Austausch-Organisationen auf dem Prüfstand: Infos zu über 70 Anbietern by Christian Gundlach, Sylvia Schill. 8., völlig neu bearbeitete und aktualisierte Auflage 2007/2008. Recherchen Verlag. Sept 2006 ISBN 978-3-930902-08-8 EUR 14.90
• Als Gastschüler in den USA by Max Rauner. Reise KnowHow. Jan 2007 ISBN 978-3-89662-228-0 EUR 14.90
Visa Information
Please make sure you are aware of all visa regulations concerning your exchange program.
• Visa Information for High School Exchange through an organization (U.S. Embassy)
• Visa Information for self-organized High School Exchange (U.S. Embassy)
• Information on the Sevis fee
Last modified: April 29, 2008
