Intrested in being a host for an exchange student?

Question

Well apparently there's about a dozens students already here in arizona without any host families. How sad! Anyways, I live with my boyfriend of 2 years and we have an extra bedroom. I emailed the organization that i was intrested in being a host. What exactly would we be getting ourselves into? are there any financial perks? What exactly do we have to provide? and does anyone have stories of exchange students? good and the bad? i want to be prepared if we are approved of being hosts.

Answer 1

Good questions you're asking -- and good to get them answered BEFORE hosting a student.

First, my answers only apply to hosting HIGH SCHOOL students, not university students.

You should actually approach your local high school first. Find out what programs they prefer you use AND if they are still accepting exchange students. Then, contact the organizations your school provided. The premier organizations to work with are AFS, YFU and Rotary.

There are no financial "perks" for hosting an exchange student. Host families are NOT paid and, if the organization implies that they are, this is a red flag NOT to use that organization!

Some general requirements for host families are:

25 years of age

Pass a background check

Financially able to host -- providing room and board for the student

Time and desire -- a willingness to help the student. This isn't just providing a room, this is providing a family. You are the parents and the student is not a guest!

Students pay all of their own personal expenses (from shampoo to athletic shoes). They pay any fees associated with school -- book rental, sports fees, etc. They also come with travel insurance that includes full health care coverage.

Remember, this is a commitment for an extended period of time, either a semester or an academic year. It will not always be fun and games. There will be ups and downs throughout the year but that's normal.  

I've been doing this for 13 years full time now and have had some great experiences (and, I admit, of the 13, one not so great one). My husband and I have even gone to Europe three times now to visit our kids and they have returned and visited us many times. It can be the experience of a lifetime for both you and your student.

For more information on exchange students in general, try this on-line forum:

http://www.exchangestudentworld.com/

EDIT: Well, good luck to you. I'd hate to turn down interested people, but you're awfully young. You could volunteer to become involved. Both YFU and AFS are always looking for people to help! I'd be happy to offer more info.

And, to address the tax issue mentioned by another poster. You do NOT get a tax deduction comparable to having a dependent (i.e. a child) by hosting an exchange student.  Remember, except for room and board, you are NOT financially responsible for the student. Currently, you get a $50/month tax deduction -- listed as a charitable gift. There is a move in Congress to get that raised to $200/month.

Answer 2

If they are already in the area and looking for homes, then you will likely at least be considered, probably interviewed, and if they see you as a good candidate, you might be offered the position.

Financial perks, well, you have a dependent.  You get a tax deduction for the duration, I guess for the whole year, based on the fact that if you have a baby in December, you get to claim him as a dependent for the full year, but you'd have to talk to a tax consultant on that.  You should have the time to spend with them, helping them to learn English, and have experiences with American culture...you say you have that.  You may need to schlep them around to school activities, or, like many parents do, get them into carpools.  You will probably be asked to attend activities given by the organization.  You will probably be evaluated periodically during the year, to make sure the youngster is happy and being well cared for.  It would probably be a good thing for you to be able to show them the sights.  In Arizona, that might mean taking them to Lake Mead, or the National Parks, or Cotton Canyon and such.  I'd check into whether or not there are field trips within their program and whether you would be asked to go along or not.  If so, they might take the kids, and possibly their hosts to Grand Canyon.  

Most situations work out somewhere between really excellent and good.  I do remember one or two students that just could NOT get along!  One girl who was used to being waited on hand and foot, was asked, in our middle class community, to *gasp!* make her own bed!  She stayed a full week, then went home crying to her parents about how horribly she was treated!   Another young woman was just so impossible to live with that she was moved from home to home every two weeks or so.  NO one could stand to be around her!  (She spent a couple of weeks with the sister of one of our family friends....she must have been horrid!)

I know other people who have stayed in touch for lifetimes!  One friend of mine recently went to the wedding of the daughter of the woman who was her "sister" in high school, and one family from my high school, a girl came to stay with them, their daughter went the next year to live with her...the younger brothers did the same, eventually, the whole family was going to Germany, and the German family came here for visits.  I'm sure they are all still in touch.  Often you truly become "family".  Those are the best situations.  

I don't think, given the situation you describe, that you will be rejected, simply because you are young.  They might be so desperate that they will accept out of the box families.  

Answer 3

You can't claim an exchange student on your income taxes as a dependent, but you can get a $50 per month deduction (or is it a credit?  I do'nt remember).  So if the student is with you from September until June, you can deduct $200 this year and $300 next year.  You will spend much more than that on the student... teens eat A LOT!  And you'll want to take him or her to all of the local attractions, baseball/football games, whatever is near you.

Some of the laws regarding exchange students are federal laws, and some are agency guidelines.  If the federal law is age 25 or over, then you will definitely be denied, but if it's just an agency guideline, you might be able to do it!  I think that for the agency we used, we had to be 25 or over, so I'm not sure if it's a law or not.

We hosted two years ago, and had a wonderful experience.  We still talk to Hanna (from Germany), have visited her once in Germany, and she's been back twice to visit, once with her family and for two weeks on her own earlier this summer.  She was a great kid to have around, and an awesome "Big sister" to my two kids!

I wish you luck!  Even if you're too young to do it right now, you have a goal for the future!  :)