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Links Exchange Programs The following list is designed to give young Americans interested in exchange programs in Germany a first idea of where to look for the right program. The list is not exhaustive, and while every attempt is made to keep the information up to date, we cannot guarantee accuracy. If you are interested in a specific program please make sure to check the website of the respective institution for current application requirements, deadlines, prices, etc.
High School Exchange American Field Service (AFS) AFS is one of the oldest intercultural exchange programs and operates in 40 different countries. This non-profit organization offers a one-year or a semester visit for US students in a German high school. The program starts in early September and ends in February or July. Participants must be between 16 and 18 years old. Speaking German is not required. Participants will visit a Gymnasium (high school) and live with a German host family, who are not paid. The program also includes a pre-departure and an orientation camp at the beginning with AFS-students from all over the world as well as support throughout the year by AFS-volunteers, living close by. Costs are about $8,000. AFS also searches for American families willing to host German students.
American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) AIFS is a worldwide exchange organization operating on 5 continents. It is the umbrella organization for AYA (American Youth Abroad), which also organizes high school exchanges for US students in Germany. Programs start in August or February and last 11 or six months. Students between the ages of 15 and 18 who have studied German for two years or 200 lessons are eligible. They live in a host family, who provide meals and integration. The program includes three orientation camps, prior to the trip, at the beginning and midway (Berlin). Costs are about $6,500. AIFS also offers college study abroad, au pair placement, gifted education and summer programs and is always looking for US host families. Intrax Cultural Exchange Intrax is an umbrella organization for a worldwide network of exchange organizations. It offers one-year, one-semester and summer programs in Germany for US students between 15 and 18. One year of studying German is presumed. The high school programs include placement in host families, orientation camps and excursions throughout the stay. The organization also guarantees a local representative close by. Students visit the Gymnasium. Costs are about $6,500 for the high school programs and around $6,000 for the summer cultural exploration, which takes one month and includes language courses. Intrax also offers several scholarships. Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program The German Bundestag and the American Congress finance a program that each year sends 300 students from each country abroad. U.S. citizens between 15 and 18 can apply to the Congress-Bundestag-Program or to the relevant international exchange program that conducts the exchange for CBP. The course of the program and further provisions depend on the concrete exchange program that conducts the exchange. The CBP bears all expenses of that exchange program. Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) CIEE launched its first programs in 1947, and cooperates with many other organizations worldwide. It offers five- and 10-month programs, beginning in July or January. US students between the ages of 14 and 19 live with a host family and attend Gymnasium. Two to three years of studying German are required only for the five-month program. For the 10-month program, an initial two-week language course is provided. The program further includes local mentoring and orientation camps prior to and after arrival. Costs are about $8,000. CIEE offers partial scholarships. US host families for German exchange students are also welcome. German American Partnership Program (GAPP) The German American Partnership Program is a student exchange program that pairs American and German secondary schools. US schools that teach German or intend to do so can participate. Students of partner schools visit on a regular basis for three to four weeks, and the schools participate in a particular teaching project. This non-profit high school exchange is sponsored by the Goethe Institut. It subsidizes transportation costs for accompanying teachers. Thus the financial burden is small; only transportation and pocket money for students must be provided. Individual scholarships are also available. International Experience (iE) International Experience is a small, non-profit student exchange organization that offers exchanges for US students between 14 and 18. For one year or for one semester students live with a German host family and attend high school. In exchange, the students family in America hosts a student from Germany, Switzerland or Austria during the same time. Basic knowledge of the German language is required. Fifty-one US students are supported by partial scholarships, which do not include flights or insurances. Nacel International Nacel is a worldwide organization that offers various programs for US students. Students between the ages of 15 and 18 can attend a German high school for one year, one semester or one term. They stay with a host family or in a student residence and visit boarding or public schools. Requirements are two years of foreign language studies and a previous experience of living away from home. Costs are about 4,000 euros. Another program offered is the home stay for three to four weeks. The student lives in a German family and is taught German by a family member for a fee of around 600 euros. In the home-schooling program, the family member is a teacher (around 1,000 euros). Nacel also offers language courses for two weeks during the summer. Students between 13 and 17 live in host families can learn German in small classes and participate in excursions (around 1,000 euros). All prices do not include airfare. Rotary International Eastern States Student Exchange or ESSEX Essex organizes student exchanges for Rotary clubs in 31 districts in the eastern United States, Bermuda, Quebec and New Brunswick, Canada. The long-term program lasts one academic year and sends students abroad to live with a host family that provides room and meals. The Rotary Clubs provide limited spending allowance, counsel and supervision. They also arrange travel and assist with visas. Scholarships are available. Participants are selected by the sponsoring Rotary Club according to their written application and their personal interview. Every student between the age of 15 and 18.5 is eligible. The short-term program lasts three to eight weeks and the student lives with a host family. Both, reciprocal hosting and hosting only are offered. This program is also sponsored by the Rotary Club of each country. STEP IN STEP IN offers student exchange programs from two months to one year. Students will live in host families and attend the Gymnasium (German high school). The program includes an arrival orientation camp and excursions every six months. It usually starts in August but can also be commenced in the middle of a semester. Students have are always able to contact their mentors. STS Foundation STS organizes student exchanges to and from the United States. For US students between 15 and 18 it also offers exchange programs to Germany for one semester or one year. Students must have learned German for at least two years. They live with host families and attend the Gymnasium. The program includes constant supervision through a local advisor and orientation camps prior to departure and after arrival. The costs are about $6,500, not including airfare or application fee. STS is a mutual program and thus always looking for host families to host German exchange students. Youth for Understanding (YFU) YFU is one of the oldest intercultural non-profit exchange programs operating worldwide. YFU offers year-long, semester and summer exchanges. They start in July or January and in June for the summer. Students will live in host families and visit the Gymnasium. All programs include orientation camps at the beginning and at the end of the stay. The high school programs also provide a month orientation with a language course and a midterm seminar and cost around $7,500. The summer program costs around $5,500 and lasts six weeks. YFU provides and arbitrates several scholarships. US host families for German exchange students are also welcome.
Higher-Education / Young Professional Exchange AIESEC AIESEC is a worldwide network, spanning 90 countries and 700 universities. The organization cooperates with hundreds of enterprises, in order to find suitable internship positions for their members. It sends US students from all participating universities to gain practical work experience abroad. AIESIC prepares the students, helps them to settle in the foreign country by organizing visa, airport pickup, accommodation, bank account etc. Students eligible for applying have to come from the fields of business, IT or engineering. Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program for Young Professionals (CBYX) The German Bundestag and the American Congress finance a program that each year sends 75 students from each country abroad. The program lasts 12 months and starts in late July with two intensive months of language school in Germany. These are followed by classroom instruction at a university or college and by five months of internship. Students live in host families or other accommodation. Their studies are accompanied by orientation camps prior to the exchange, in mid-year and at the end. The program bears all costs except personal expenses. U.S. citizens between 18 and 24 are eligible to apply. They should mainly come from business, technical, vocational or agricultural fields. At least one term of work-experience is required. US host families for German students are always sought-after. German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst) is the German agency that supports international academic cooperation. DAAD offers a variety of programs and funding options for students, faculty, researchers and others in higher education, providing financial support to over 50,000 individuals per year. It also represents the German higher education system abroad, promotes Germany as an academic and research destination, and helps build ties between institutions around the world. Check out the wide range of opportunities for students, scholars, and universities for study and research in Germany at the DAAD website. Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) Exchange Scholarships The FES is a German political foundation that also sponsors students, post-graduates and doctoral candidates. FES awards scholarships to foreign students that study at a German University or work on their doctorate or masters. Applicants need to have an adequate knowledge of the German language, proven by the DSH with a grade point average of at least 2, the TestDaF, or the language test conducted by the Goethe Institut. Except for masters students, applicants must show efficiency statements by a German university. The sponsoring includes a monthly stipend of around $800 and oppurtunities to participate in various programs, seminars and workshops. Fulbright Scholar Program / Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) Fulbright is the best-known student exchange program in the US, being the flagship program for international exchange founded in 1945 by Senator Fulbright. For US students it offers and funds various programs. The traditional Fulbright Scholar Program offers US faculty and professionals grants to lecture, do research or participate in seminars. Fulbright Distinguished Chairs Program is viewed as among the most prestigious appointments. The Fulbright International Educational Administrators Seminar Program sends US administrators to Germany for two- to three-week summer seminars. The Fulbright German Studies Seminars Program sends US academics and professionals to Germany to participate in a two-week summer seminar on current German society and culture. Fulbright Senior Specialists Program offers short-term grants of two to six weeks. The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) GMF is a non-partisan American public policy and grant-making institution that supports individuals as well as institutions working on transatlantic issues. It offers several fellowships, all in some way supporting the US-EU relationship. The Marshall Memorial Fund supports US and European emerging leaders. They visit a number of cities on the other continent and meet formally and informally with their counterparts. Among other requirements, applicants have to have a strong record of civic involvement and should be well-positioned to be influential within their communities. Interested people from business, media, the non-profit sector, politics or the government must be nominated by recognized leaders in their community. GMF also sponsors the Manfred Wrner Seminar, where 30 Americans and Germans examine the German and European security interests over 10 days in three different German cities. Except for a fee of around $300, all expenses are covered. Applicants should come from the fields of government, media, business or the non-profit sector. Finally, GMF also supports exchange fellowships like the Transatlantic Fellowship Program, Congress Bundestag Forum, Comparative Community Foundation Fellowship and the Journalism Program. International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE) IAESTE is a worldwide organization that combines the needs of students to gain practical experience and of employers to receive qualified trainees. Students already attending university can apply for a paid, technical work experience via the IAESTE network. The relevant study fields are engineering and technology, sciences, agriculture, applied arts, commerce, economics, management, among others. The application has to be sent to the IAESTE of the students home country. Successful students receive an interim job offer, support with their work permits, visa, accommodations and travel. They will also receive cost-of-living allowances to cover living costs abroad. Students have to pay for traveling to the workplace. Institute of International Education (IEE) IEE is an international nonprofit organization that manages 250 programs for institutions like the US Department of State and the World Bank. It works with undergraduates, graduates, trainees, teachers or professionals. For US students, wanting to study in Germany, it offers 5 different programs funded by Fulbright, Global Engineering, Goldman Sachs, Institute for International Education – Europe and NSF Central Europe Summer Research Institute. The requirements and provisions of participation depend on the program. Rotary Scholarships Rotary Clubs offer various programs for graduate and undergraduate students and for young professionals. The most prestigious program is the Ambassadorial Scholarship. Through application to the Rotary Club in the applicants district, students can receive scholarships for university studies of one year or several years or for three to six months of language studies. The applicant must be a citizen of the country of the Rotary Club, must have studied at college level for at least two years, and must not be a Rotarian, a lineal descendant or spouse of one. He or she should be proficient in the foreign language if applying for the one or multi-year scholarship. The Group Study Exchange program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits between paired areas in different countries, lasting four to six weeks. The program covers airfare, while the partner Rotarians provide lodging, meals and group travel. Members of the group should be employed, have working experience, be between the ages of 25 and 40, must not be Rotarians and should have knowledge of the foreign language. Other programs include the Rotary Peace and Conflicts Study Program and Rotary Grants for University Teachers. For further information please see website and provisions of the relevant Rotary Club. General Youth Exchange Kolpingwerk/ Kolping Jugendgemeinschaftsdienste Kolpingwerk is a Catholic social organization that promotes the development of its members in many fields of their daily life through education and activities. The youth section of Kolping organizes international work camps in Germany. For two weeks, youngsters from all over the world come together for a work camp in Rulle in order to learn from each other through discussion and workshops. Holy masses are conducted together. Experiment Experiment is an international nonprofit membership association that promotes intercultural learning experiences through home stays, group travel, study abroad, language training, work exchange and other cultural immersion programs. For three to five weeks, participants focus on themes such as community service, language study, ecology, travel, or the arts, as they enjoy life with their host families, travel throughout Germany and work. Applicants must have completed 9th grade and not started college yet. The program fee is around $5,000 and includes a roundtrip to Germany, meals, lodging, transportation in the host country, orientation and insurance. Financial aid is available to a limited number of students, based on need and availability.Volunteers for Peace (VFP) Volunteers for Peace is a nonprofit membership organization that is a partner to a large network of similar organizations worldwide. It provides intercultural education through community service. Volunteers work together with others from different countries and live together with them. Projects in Germany cost around $500 and are organized by the partner organization in Germany, IJGD (s.a.). Volunteers for Peace also offers a search engine allowing you to search exchange opportunities by country.
Professionals and Interns Alexander von Humboldt Foundation The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is a nonprofit foundation established by the German Government in order to promote international research cooperation. It enables highly qualified scholars to spend extended periods of research in Germany through different scholarships and promotes academic contacts. Check out the foundations website for a variety of programs, like the Humboldt Research Fellowship, the German Chancellor Fellowship or the TransCoop program. Deutscher Bauernverband e. V. – International Internship The Deutsche Bauernverband offers internships to young U.S. farmers, gardeners, homemakers, and students with practical experience. Students will work and train mostly on a family farm and can usually receive lodging and meals there. Thus they are included in the everyday life of a German farm and can also learn German. Additional payment is usual, but differs. A traineeship can last up to 18 months. U.S. students must apply via their home country partner institutions. The OHIO program is also open to students from outside of Ohio and provides agricultural and horticultural internships for foreign and American agricultural students. MAST is another international agricultural exchange program of the University of Minnesota that hosts agricultural students and mediates placements for U.S. students abroad.
International Youth Service of the Federal Republic of Germany (IJAB) IJAB organizes qualified exchange programs for youth work specialists within the framework of the bi- and multilateral relations of the Federal Republic of Germany, provides information and counseling and is involved in jointly organized programs of further education and training for specialists. The spectrum of activities includes study programs and job-shadowing in specific vocational situations within the child and youth services, specialist conferences on subjects relevant to youth policy, networking seminars and conferences. IJABs Language Service organizes German courses for foreign youth work specialists, advises on matters relating to specialist terminology and compiles foreign-language glossaries in the field of child and youth services. The Language Service also helps to find interpreters. Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program/ CDS International, Inc. The Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship program provides young American professionals (ages 23-34) with two high-level work placements in the federal government and private sector in Germany. Three seminars taking place throughout Europe provide an in-depth understanding of issues facing Germany and the European Union today. Candidates are chosen from the fields of business administration, economics, journalism, law, political science and public policy. The Robert Bosch Foundation is administered in the US by CDS International. Programs for Journalists There are a variety of journalist exchange programs and fellowships offering opportunities for U.S. journalists to gain work experience in Germany. For an overview, check out our special journalist exchange link list here.
Education First (EF) – International Language Schools EF offers language schools at their school in Munich. Four different courses can be taken, lasting between two and 24 weeks: Intensive (32 hours/week), General (26 hours/week), Basic (20 hours/week) and Exam Preparation (32 hours/week). All courses can be taken on all levels. Students can find accommodation in one of the EF locations or they can choose to stay with a host family. On-site support and daily breakfast are included. Prices range from around $1,000 to $1,200 per two weeks. Courses start almost every month. Lexia Study Abroad Programs Lexia offers three programs in Berlin: Visual Culture, Architecture and Area and Cultural Studies. Courses are conducted in English, but students have the opportunity to learn German through full participation in the daily life and work of a community. The courses last seven weeks during the summer, two semesters (fall and spring) or one academic year. Costs are about $7,000, $15,000, and $27,500 and include on-site orientation, tuition and fees, scheduled excursions, housing costs and a medical insurance policy. Students can also apply for state or federal aide and for Lexia scholarships. All students who have completed at least one year of studies at a college are eligible to apply. Language Studies International (LSI) LSI has language schools all over the world and offers the acquisition of a language in the foreign country, including Germany. A school in Frankfurt (Main) provides various courses, including 20 lessons/week, 30 lessons/week, one-on-one classes or staying with a family where a family member teaches 20 one-on-one lessons/week. It is also possible to do an international school year of 20-30 lessons/week.
Useful information and links for financing studies abroad for undergraduates can be found at the National Association of International Educators (NAFSA). A very good overview of German or European study centers within the US can be found at
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