How much would it cost to host an exchange student?
okay so im in the 8th grade and i really would love to have an exchange student from france. But do you have to be in high school to have an exchange student to come and live with you? And i would muchhhhh rather have a guy come rather than a girl...?
Other - Europe - 2 Answers
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1 :
It costs about the same as having another kid. Honestly, the point is to treat them like you would any of your own kids. If you go out to dinner, most people aren't telling their kids to dig out their own money to pay for their own meal, etc. The exchange organization does not charge you, if that is what you are asking - you are doing them a favor by providing them a host home for one of their kids. You don't have to be in high school to have an exchange student. What the exchange organizations look for, to avoid, is parents who have young kids and are looking to use the exchange student as a built-in babysitter. These kids aren't coming halfway around the world to babysit. They need to spend time with their peers to learn the language, customs, etc. About twice as many girls sign up for exchange programs than boys. That figure actually surprised me when we sign up for an exchange student. Another thing that they typically avoid is putting say a boy in a home where there is only a girl of the same age (or vice versa). They are also not coming halfway around the world to find a date, and don't want to go back to their home country as a father/mother. Also check with your high school - they may put a limit on how many exchange students they will accept (ours did). Just to set your expectations here, you may end up with an exchange student that you become best friends with. That's great when it works out, but all too often that is a kid's unrealistic expectation, and when it doesn't happen, they are heartbroken. Look at the kids in your school. Some you like, some not so much. Your exchange student will be very much like one of them. Which one? Who knows. It may be the person you are best pals with, it may be the person you really just can't stand. Most likely it will be someone inbetween. As long as you don't go into it with unrealistic expectations about finding a kindred spirit, you'll do just fine. It is a really great experience.
2 :
The first answerer did a very good job! I would just like to reinforce a few things he/she wrote and add one item. If I may, I would like to cast a vote for hosting with Youth For Understanding (YFU). YFU is one of the oldest, largest, and most respected exchange organizations around. In a typical year, they bring 2000 students to the USA. In YFU's 59-year history, around 250,000 host families (including my husband and myself) have hosted YFU students. I actually came across the website for a family who had hosted 22 exchange students, most of them with YFU. (My husband and I have only hosted 5 so far, each for an academic year.) I've put some links below. As the other answerer stated, host families are to treat the exchange student as they would if the student were their own child as much as possible. There is an adjustment period in the beginning, but most of the year should go fairly smoothly. You should treat the student as a brother or sister. You don't mention if you have any brothers or sisters, but you probably understand what that means. As for getting a boy instead of a girl, as the other answerer said, the purpose of his coming is not to be your date. It's actually not that uncommon for a girl to want to have a male exchange student (for the right reasons). As I'm sure you know, many times teenage girls can be such 'drama queens' and that can cause conflict. Also, if the exchange student is of a different sex, there's less competition for attention (I think). One note about French exchange students: Their English test scores tend to be a bit lower than other exchange students. This past spring I had a family wanting to host a French boy and it was difficult to find one who had a score high enough for our school to accept. If I may, I would suggest also considering students from other countries -- Switzerland is the first one to come to mind, but there are others. There was actually a girl from Mali (which is in Africa) whose native tongue was French. Good luck to you! It's great that you want to open your home! Hosting is wonderful and can become quite addicting. If you live in Colorado or Wyoming, I can put you in touch with a local program volunteer who can answer more questions.
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