5 Myths About Hosting an Exchange Student

Did you know… Academic Year in America (AYA) host families come from a mix of backgrounds, ages, sizes, and states?

If you’re wondering if hosting is right for you, perhaps this list of myths will ease some of your hesitancies.

Here are some myths about hosting – that we’ve busted underneath with the facts!

1. All host families are the same.

Just as there is no “typical” American family, there is no standard AYA host family.

We love that our host families come from an array of different backgrounds and age groups. Retirees, single parents and young couples can all give an AYA international student a loving home.

2. You need to have children to host an exchange student.

Not all of our host families have children of their own! Again, we welcome host families of all different sizes.

Whether you have a high school student, a child in preschool, are an empty-nester, or have no kids of your own, you can still apply to host an exchange student.

3. AYA families host in just a few states.

Actually, we are proud to say that our host families can be found in the majority of states in the USA!

Host families live in Florida, New York, Ohio, Nebraska, Texas and most states in between – in both rural, suburban, and urban areas.

4. You can only host for a full academic year.

 If you can’t commit to hosting for a full academic year, that’s okay! You can still welcome an exchange student into your heart and home for a shorter time.

Aside from a 10-month academic exchange year, students can also come for a 5-month fall or spring semester program. You can even host temporarily as a welcome family for 6-8 weeks – whatever works best for your family.

5. Your relationship with your exchange student ends after the exchange.

This couldn’t be further from the truth! The exchange year or semester is just the start of a lifelong relationship with your foreign exchange student.

Hosting expands your family globally as your student becomes a part of it. Many times, the years following the exchange are exciting – with the possibility to have unforgettable trips visiting your international son(s), daughter(s), brother(s) or sister(s) in their own country.

Want to learn more about hosting with AYA? Schedule a consultation or email aya.info@aifs.org for more information.