Health & Safety: Your child’s health and safety are AFS’ number one priority. As a leader in high school international education, AFS has a long-established, international network of AFS partners, staff, and volunteers who provide support in each country. We have 24-hour assistance in the event of an emergency as well as a Situation Response Management Team in place to monitor world events and respond if necessary. Click here to learn more.
Liability Insurance: In addition to the travel insurance included in your AFS program fee, some AFS partners require participants to obtain liability insurance to protect you in the event of personal injury or property damage. Please be informed that participants applying for the following destinations must purchase liability insurance before arrival: Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and the Netherlands. If you are applying for any of the above AFS programs, please click this link to select your plan(s). The average cost is about $50 USD for 10 months of coverage.
Funding & Scholarships: It’s never too early to start thinking about how you will fund your student’s AFS program. Many AFSers have been able to raise part or all of their program fee through a combination of fundraising and scholarships! To find out more, call us at 1-800-AFS-INFO ext. 2093 or email us at [email protected]. For a specific payment timeline, you can review AFS-USA’s Payment and Refund Policy here. Full payment is due upon receipt of invoice prior to departure. Participants will not be able to depart with a remaining balance on their account. Interested in setting up a payment plan? Please contact the Finance Team at 1-800-AFS-INFO ext. 1869.
CultureTrek: AFS-USA developed CultureTrek, an intercultural learning tool which contains several resources for you and your family. Make sure to click the Life In… section and choose your destination for country-specific information about everything from staying in contact, to AFS’ support structure, and banking while abroad.
Academic Credit: Many AFS participants receive academic credit for their time abroad. It’s all about planning ahead and talking to your student’s guidance counselor. Our Academic Credit FAQ page will help guide you through the steps your child needs to take to receive credit. Learn more about your host country’s education system with our Host School FAQs.
Visas: Your student may be required to obtain a visa for their program, and this process can be complex. Visa requirements differ from country to country and the process for obtaining a visa often requires very precise timing. If a visa is necessary, our Visa Specialists will support you through the process, but it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to acquire their visa. If your child has any travel plans in the three months leading up to their program, please let us know as this may interrupt their visa application process. Our Visa Specialists will contact you when it is time to start!
Travel: Sometimes AFS participants may wish to travel within the host country while on program. Please be aware that AFS is an academic and cultural immersion program, not a travel or tourist organization. Because you will be busy with your host family and school in your local host community, there may not be time to travel to other areas or visit with possible contacts in your host country.
Parent Visits: AFS has learned from experience that visits from U.S. family and friends can be a serious disruption to a student’s adjustment. For this reason, we highly discourage that you visit your student during their exchange. If you still wish to visit, please know that your visit must be approved by the hosting country staff and volunteers. Please reach out to AFS-USA once your student is on program to determine whether or not you will be able to plan a trip. Do not book any travel without obtaining permission for a natural family visit first.
Placement: Please note that host families can be found anywhere in the country. The majority of host families are in small towns or rural locations, while others may be in cities. AFS is unable to guarantee a certain type of host family, school placement, or specific region in your host country. While many of our host families do have children, please note that our host families come in all shapes and sizes. They may have no children, very young children, or they may have children who no longer live at home. Please be prepared that you may or may not have siblings on your AFS program.