Aspect Foundation offers two partial scholarships per year ($900 for semester programs/ $1800 for academic year programs). There are no scholarships available for summer language programs. Children of past or present Aspect Foundation host families will receive a $500 discount on the program fee for the academic year and semester programs. Request more information on our How to Apply page.

Maybe. This is a question for your US high school counselor. It is up to your school in the US to decide whether or not to issue credit for the courses you take abroad. In most cases, you will NOT receive an official transcript or grades from the school in your host country. Instead, you will most likely receive a letter from the school verifying the classes you completed. You will also receive a Certificate of Completion from Aspect Foundation. We strongly recommend speaking to your US high school counselor before applying to the program. If possible, it is always a good idea to make sure you have the credits you need for graduation exclusive of the exchange.

Aspect Foundation cannot guarantee the availability of specific classes at high schools abroad. Local students are often given first priority for class choice. Please also note that schools abroad generally do not offer the wide range of elective courses found at US high schools.

You must be open to placement in any part of the host country. Your placement could be in a rural area, big city, small town, or anything in between. For some countries, you may state a preferred region for placement but, we cannot guarantee placement there.

Your local coordinator and your host family will be your guides to the host community, and will be happy to point you to local resources such as sports facilities, clubs and houses of worship. However, just as we cannot guarantee placement in a specific area, we cannot guarantee that your sport/hobby/church will be available to you during the exchange.

Most of our international partner offices also send students to the US, so they have a large network of families with an interest in exchange. They also rely on schools and local coordinators to identify appropriate families. The families are interviewed and screened by our partners in the host country. Most host families are volunteers, however in some countries they are paid a small stipend.

Not necessarily. Just as you must be flexible about living in any type of area, you should also be open to living in any type of family. Our host families are diverse and can be couples without children, single parents or empty-nesters.

Even the most well-matched students and host families will experience periods of adjustment. Occasionally, a student or host family may feel that the exchange is not working. Your local coordinator and the office in the host country are the first resources to contact when this happens. Very often, conflicts are the result of miscommunication and cultural differences. The local coordinator will first try to mediate the problem. If attempts to resolve the issues are unsuccessful, then the local coordinator will work to find a new host family for you.

In most cases, natural parent visits are only allowed during the last month of the program. All visits must be pre-approved by Aspect Foundation and the partner office in the host country.