Why be an AFS Exchange Student?
Living and studying abroad will prepare your child for life in ways that no other experience can. This isn’t just a trip to a foreign country—it’s an experience that will change them. From living and sharing their daily life with a host family to becoming involved in a new community, from making new friends to experiencing a new culture fully, your child will grow as a person. They will not only learn a new language, but will learn about themselves.
Why AFS?
There are many reasons—six decades of experience exchanging students throughout the world; an exemplary record of safety, security, and service to students and their parents; more than 140 programs in 40 countries; and approximately $1.5 million in scholarships and financial aid every year for U.S. students—but perhaps the most important is the support that students and their parents receive from more than 36,000 community-based AFS Volunteers around the world. Our volunteers are trained and experienced and live in the communities where your child will be living
Who are we?
For 60 years, AFS Intercultural Programs has been leading international high school student exchange. AFS was founded by volunteer American Field Service ambulance drivers from World Wars I and II who believed—as AFS believes today—that the way to build a more just and peaceful world begins when people from different countries meet, learn about each other, and begin to understand each other. AFS-USA is a 501( c )(3) nonprofit organization and sends more than 1,500 students to 40 countries each year; awards approximately $1.5 million in financial aid and scholarships annually; welcomes more than 2,800 international high school students to the U.S. and places these students in schools and families; and is supported by 5,000 AFS Volunteers in the U.S. and 30,000 worldwide.
What Your Child Will Receive
There are many benefits of living and learning abroad, such as improved language skills and self-confidence, or building friendships and memories with people from around the world that last a lifetime. But there are also other rewards, such as a potential savings of college tuition dollars through scholarships, and the moving of your college application higher on the “admit” list. Universities across the country are looking for well-rounded, complete students to become part of their school. Some of the most sought-after qualities for incoming students include: proficiency in a foreign language; having experiences that motivate and enlighten the college community; leadership skills; the ability to challenge yourself and overcome obstacles; a global awareness; and enthusiasm for new ideas. Being an AFS Exchange Student means your child will build all these skills and stand out during the college application process.
Plus, when your child returns to the United States, they will become part of a worldwide network of more than 370,000 AFS Returnees. That group includes business leaders, politicians, diplomats, journalists, and even an astronaut. Many credit the careers to the experience of living and studying abroad with AFS.
What About the Cost?
AFS-USA is a 501( c )(3) nonprofit organization , but there are many factors that go into the tuition for our programs.
It might be interesting to note that according to a 2006 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average cost per child for a middle class family per year is $10,610. Our most expensive tuition is $10,100 for several of our year programs. If you break down that cost over the course of 275 days (an average length for our year program), your child’s study abroad experience ends up cost approximately $36 per day. Thirty-six dollars a day for the experience of a lifetime!
But we also help as much as we can. Apart from the approximately $1.5 million in scholarships and financial help we give to U.S. students each year, we provide fundraising ideas, tips, information, and conference calls to help students come up with ways to raise the money and support their dream.
