Help studying abroad without an exchange program?
Posted on April 28th, 2010 by admin
So right now I’m an exchange student in Ecuador, and I need some help getting my friend to the US to do a cultural exchange. I was fortunate enough to have parents with enough money to get me into AFS, but the people here don’t tend to have 9000 dollars just lying around. No program I have found offers any sort of financial aid for kids in latin america wanting to study in the US (we talked to AFS, very frustrating) and they all seem to be in the about 9000 dollar price range for a year homestay program. I was wondering I guess how hard it would be to just set up an exchange where he comes to my town and goes to my school without a program. Also, if anyone could recommend a cheaper program, I do have some ideas about fund raising.
The main thing I see as being an issue is getting a visa. Does anyone have any experience with that? I don’t think getting him into the school would be that hard, we have other exchange students and I already asked one of the councilors and they said it wouldn’t be impossible.
Well, anything helps, advise, experience, legal expertes…
Thanks!
I’m talking about high school by te way. I’m a high school exchange student and my friend wants to be too.
Whoa!
While this sounds like an absolutely wonderful idea — there are huge problems here (regardless of the advice below).
First, a visa is REQUIRED for your friend to attend school in the US. He cannot just come as a "tourist". If he goes through a CSIET listed program (such as AFS) those are fairly easy to obtain. That is a J1 visa. However, if he tries to come on his own, he needs an F1 visa. Much more difficult PLUS they have to have proof they can support themselves while they are here (I think that’s proof of $25,000).
Second, your school may not accept an exchange student who is NOT here through a program. They don’t want the hassle. In fact MOST schools won’t. They have to go through a lot of hoops just to be able to accept a student with an F1 visa. When you spoke to the counselor, did you happen to mention your friend would NOT come through a program? You may get lucky on this if you happen to live in a large city or an area that has a large International population for another reason — a university, business, etc. Then it’s possible your high school has a set up for it. BTW: If your school DOES accept this sort of exchange student, generally they will charge tuition!
Truly an exchange program IS the best way to do this — and generally cheaper in the long run. You might look into Rotary Exchange. It’s much more need based than AFS. Your friend would still have to come up with SOME funding but a much more reasonable amount.
Here’s the website for that: http://www.rotary.org/en/StudentsAndYouth/youthprograms/RotaryYouthExchange/Pages/ridefault.aspx
Good luck!
April 28th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Ok this is a cool thing with your situation. Yes I have done almost all of what you listed.
To cut the cost of 9000 dollars you could always have the person live in your house (host them) and since you are so nice of a person, you wont charge them. I am not sure about how hard it would be to set up a program. Another option is to bring your friend to the US but dont have him attend the college, you could say he would be a "tourist" of sorts. This means that he would be in the US and could go anywhere basically. One thing I have noticed in all my world travels is that if you are left on your own in another country you will be forced to learn. If he wants to learn the language he study (like on his own, and since you know english you can teach him what you know). It is not going to be TOP quality education but I garuntee that he will learn a LOT!
On the visa, its not really all that difficult. Here is the thing with the visas. The people are scanning to see if that particular person is going to cause trouble. Now if you are family and are filling out an application to get in the gov. has no way to know if he is good or bad without looking at his backround (that takes a lot of time, that is why it takes so many years to get a visa, all family is applying to bring their fam over and its slowing the system.). Now here is the cool part. You can say he is a friend and the gov. is going to see that "oh this guy seems ok cause a friend is vouching for him and not family, he could be legit". Thats the way it works.
Hope that helps.
Cheers.
References :
1.) I have traveled all over the world.
2.) My dad is a lawyer and he vouched for one of my friends to get a visa and my friend got a visa in about 8 months. (yeah thats uber fast).
Cheers!
April 28th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Whoa!
While this sounds like an absolutely wonderful idea — there are huge problems here (regardless of the advice below).
First, a visa is REQUIRED for your friend to attend school in the US. He cannot just come as a "tourist". If he goes through a CSIET listed program (such as AFS) those are fairly easy to obtain. That is a J1 visa. However, if he tries to come on his own, he needs an F1 visa. Much more difficult PLUS they have to have proof they can support themselves while they are here (I think that’s proof of $25,000).
Second, your school may not accept an exchange student who is NOT here through a program. They don’t want the hassle. In fact MOST schools won’t. They have to go through a lot of hoops just to be able to accept a student with an F1 visa. When you spoke to the counselor, did you happen to mention your friend would NOT come through a program? You may get lucky on this if you happen to live in a large city or an area that has a large International population for another reason — a university, business, etc. Then it’s possible your high school has a set up for it. BTW: If your school DOES accept this sort of exchange student, generally they will charge tuition!
Truly an exchange program IS the best way to do this — and generally cheaper in the long run. You might look into Rotary Exchange. It’s much more need based than AFS. Your friend would still have to come up with SOME funding but a much more reasonable amount.
Here’s the website for that: http://www.rotary.org/en/StudentsAndYouth/youthprograms/RotaryYouthExchange/Pages/ridefault.aspx
Good luck!
References :
14 years hosting/repping exchange students