Naturally, your family has many questions. Give us a ring (800.555.6211), fill out a quick inquiry and we’ll get back to you, or we can arrange for a local representative to meet with your family in person. In the meantime, we’ve tried to answer as many frequently asked questions about the hosting experience as possible.
PAX exchange students come from over 70 countries around the world. You can see them all on our Map of the PAX World.
PAX works with organizations all over the world, including those representing the FLEX, YES, and PAX Means Peace Scholars programs. These partner organizations screen and choose students to participate in international high school exchange. PAX is their U.S. partner, finding host families and providing support while the students participate in their exchange year.
Students who come to the U.S. through the PAX program each submit a written application, pass a standardized English language test, provide health and academic records, receive all necessary immunizations, participate in a personal interview, and demonstrate appropriate maturity and motivation. For U.S. Government-sponsored students from the FLEX and YES programs, the selection process is especially rigorous and being chosen a particularly prestigious honor.
Yes. PAX works with you to find the right student for your family. That might include choosing by country of origin, shared interests, gender, or even shared hobbies. You can also search for students for whom we’re looking for host families right on our site!
Yes. PAX international exchange students have studied English for a minimum of three years and have a demonstrated level of proficiency. They also have a desire for an immersive English speaking environment and often experience a dramatic increase in their fluency as they become a part of family and school life.
PAX students are between the ages of 15 and 18 when they arrive in the United States.
With the help of our international partners, all students participate in a pre-program orientation in their home country. Additionally, every PAX student attends a PAX-led local orientation upon arrival in their American host community. In addition to the overall support structure, these meetings help set students up for a successful exchange experience.
All PAX students are enrolled at an accredited high school—most commonly the local public high school for which the host family is zoned. Their grade in school is determined by the individual participating high schools.
No, they cannot. But families that homeschool can host an exchange student! Your student will have to be enrolled in high school but their host siblings do not.
Our high school exchange students are expected to adapt to their host family's lifestyle, respect and uphold house rules, participate in family activities, and pitch in with chores. Being an exchange student is like joining a family—along with the rewards come responsibilities.
Yes, they do, as well as clear disciplinary procedures. PAX program rules cover everything from drinking, driving, and using drugs and tobacco (none of which are permitted) to expectations in school and for when exchange students need to return home. Independent travel is also limited. Program rules are detailed in the PAX Host Family Handbook, which every host family receives before their exchange student arrives.
PAX exchange students are encouraged to join clubs and organizations to enhance their experiences in the U.S. Our students do everything from playing soccer or running cross country, to being the entire debate team or having a part in a school play. Many PAX students also take part in International Education Week, during which they give presentations about their home countries to high school classmates and other community groups. It should be noted that final determination about exchange student eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities rests with the host high school.
Yes. All PAX students are expected to participate in some form of volunteer activity within their host community in honor of Global Youth Service Day. FLEX and YES program students are required to volunteer at least 30 hours during their exchange year, and others simply want to give back to the communities that welcome them. Some students get their whole host families involved in their volunteer projects!
Host families provide three quality meals a day, a place to sleep and study, and transportation to and from school activities. Host families also provide a warm, supportive environment in which their exchange student can learn and grow.
No. PAX and our partners take care of visas and other travel requirements for international exchange students.
PAX students typically stay for a full academic year, which is 10 months, or a semester, which is 5 months.
Yes, you can. Some families who are not ready or not able to commit to a full semester or year act as “welcome” families, and host a newly arrived exchange student for 6-8 weeks.
PAX exchange students arrive for full year and first semester programs in August. Those participating in second semester programs arrive in January.
PAX exchange students return home within two weeks of the end of their school year.
No. Host families provide the basics of food, shelter, and transportation without reimbursement. PAX high school exchange students have their own spending money for things like clothing, toiletries, and school activity fees.
No. While you may see stories about vacations PAX exchange students take with their host families, travel is not required. If you do choose to vacation, students should cover their costs with money from their natural families. Travel is a great way for PAX students to experience the diversity of the United States, but trips don't need to be extravagant to be valuable. Visits to extended family, to local or regional areas of interest, or other excursions all give your student the chance to learn about the U.S.
No. All PAX students have full medical insurance to cover their medical expenses.
PAX has a great deal of experience not just in matching exchange students with host families, but also in providing support throughout the exchange experience. Community Coordinators are your first point of contact should an issue arise, holding meetings with families and students to help moderate a discussion and make sure everyone is heard.
Rarely, formal disciplinary action is required. If a student needs to change host families for any reason, PAX assumes responsibility and the Coordinator is available for counsel and support for both the family and student.
PAX also has a dedicated support and supervision staff in the national office and maintains a 24-hour emergency line. For emergency situations after hours, host families, students, schools, and Community Coordinators can call the normal PAX phone number (800.555.6211) and follow the prompts to be connected with the on-duty supervision team member.
In much the same way PAX students benefit greatly from a PAX-led orientation, host families do as well. Before your student arrives, you will receive a PAX host family orientation to help set you up for a successful exchange experience.
Yes! PAX offers double placement opportunities. Some families prefer to host two students at a time. Both students and their natural parents agree before such a placement is made, and the students cannot speak the same native language. You can read stories about double placements, their advantages and challenges, and the life-long connections made in our Exchange Stories.
Are you interested in sharing your America and learning about a new culture? Then yes! There really is no “typical” host family, just as there is no “typical” exchange student. The perfect match for a PAX student may be a married couple with teenagers at home, a family with young children, a single parent, or empty nesters. Host families, and foreign exchange students, are as diverse as the U.S., and there are infinite ways to experience a fantastic exchange year.
Every hosting experience is different, but our host moms and host dads have shared a lot with us over the years about their students and families. You can read host mom stories and host dad stories to get a glimpse of what a year hosting an international high school student might be like for your family.
Host siblings form some of the closest bonds during the student exchange experience. Host brothers and host sisters do everything from helping their students make friends, giving students a sibling for the first time, or even allowing their student to be a big brother or sister for the first time. Your kids should expect to share the things they love about their community, family, and culture, and receive the same from your exchange student.
Give us a call at 800.555.6211 or shoot hostfamily[at]pax.org a quick email by selecting the button below. We'll do our very best to ensure your family has all the information you need before beginning this exciting journey!
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