Host a foreign exchange student

Host families provide the student with room and board, and are expected to treat their student as a member of a family, not as a guest. Students cover their own travel costs, health insurance, school expenses, cell phone, and spending money. EF and the U.S. Department of State also designate certain requirements of all host families. For example, host parents should be at least 25 years of age or older, pass a background check and have a stable and suitable household. Let us know if you are interested and we will help you determine if your family meets our program requirements!

Our families represent the diversity of American culture, and we encourage families of all shapes and sizes to apply.  There is no 'typical' host family. Some families have young or teenage children, while others may be empty-nesters or newlyweds. Our families include single people, same-sex couples and grandparents, and we find them all to be wonderful hosts. What's most important to us is a caring family, a suitable and stable environment and an interest in welcoming a foreign exchange student into your daily lives.

Host families are not paid. According the U.S. Department of State, host families cannot receive financial gain from their participation in a student exchange program. This rule is designed to ensure that host families are participating in the program for the right reasons. However, in recognition of their role as citizen ambassadors, host families may be eligible to receive a charitable tax deduction on their tax return.

EF exchange students come from 13 countries across Europe and Asia. They hail from a diverse set of communities and backgrounds which help to offer an interesting breadth of students to choose from.

Yes, our exchange coordinators and full-time staff will work with you to find a great student match. We have spent more than 40 years matching students to their American host families and high schools. If you have an idea of what type of student would fit best in your family, let's talk about it!

EF exchange students come to the U.S. for either one semester or one school year.

We are committed to making sure that our foreign exchange students and host families have a great experience. If problems ever arise, you can rely on your local exchange coordinator, regional coordinator, and full-time EF staff to be there for you. In the rare case that we can't all resolve the issue together, we will find the student a new home.