Benefits & Eligibility

A student exchange program complements your formal education in important and exciting ways. Imagine living overseas for anything from two to twelve months. You’ll be placed with a host family and attend a local school. You’ll live like a local and become immersed in the culture. You’ll learn the language and gain valuable international experience. You’ll learn a lot about yourself.

Being an exchange student is a challenging, rewarding and fun experience. You’re not a tourist or a guest. You’re actually living in your host country as a member of that community.

Student exchange programs promote tolerance, maturity and independence. They also encourage an international perspective. In a very competitive world these are highly sought after qualities.

Benefits:

Student exchange is an investment for life. The experience can be beneficial in many different and valuable ways:

• Learn another language and open career doors you didn’t know existed
• Get to know how others live and come to see the world from another perspective
• Test yourself and acquire independence and maturity
• Make new friends and appreciate old ones even more
• Gain experience and judgement
• Learn about the world first hand

Long after you return home your exchange experience will influence and inform your life. It will provide you with a substantial backdrop from which to make future study and career choices. Employers are increasingly alert to the benefits of student exchange. Your experience will set you apart from the crowd and mark you as someone who has proven themselves in challenging circumstances. Experience is everything.

Eligibility

You are eligible to participate on an exchange program with Student Exchange Australia if you meet the following requirements:

• still at school when you apply
• in good physical and mental health
• have maintained the equivalent or better than a C grade average since Year 9
• are mature and open-minded
• are flexible, adaptable, responsible and ready to learn
• are between 15 and 18 years old (exceptions can be made for 14 and 19 year olds)

The exchange experience is not possible without volunteer host families. Host families welcome their host son or daughter into their family life - with all the rights, responsibilities, privileges and obligations of other family members.

Learn more about becoming a host family here or call us on 1300 135 331 (for the cost of a local call) to discuss participating in student exchange without even leaving home!

Gap Year – Are you finishing school soon? There are still many options… High School Exchange - It may not be too late to participate as an exchange student with Student Exchange Australia. The growing trend of doing something different before work or uni, or spending your "gap year" or "year 13" overseas continues. Being an exchange student is a great way to see more of your world before starting your career or further studies. A number of countries may accept high school graduates on their exchange programs. They include Argentina, Austria, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland! And, there are even more choices for your gap year! Sports Scholarship USA - Open to eligible recreational and amateur sports men & women between the ages of 16-26 who are looking to develop their skills and know-how at an American university. Read more. Study USA (Academic Scholarships USA) – Open to eligible high school graduates, students currently enrolled at uni or uni graduates wishing to study at an American university. Read more. Au Pair USA - If you’re between 18-26 and love children then being an Au Pair in the US gives you more than knowledge about America, its language and culture. A year abroad teaches you about building friendships, taking responsibility for yourself, respecting differences and tolerating the beliefs of others. Read more. Au Pair France – If you’re between 18 and 29, brush up your French skills while living as a local with a French family. Have a secure base, pocket money and the privilege of up to twelve months immersion in French culture while you care for your host family’s children. Read more. Live & Learn France, Germany or Brazil – The Live & Learn program is open to young Australians between the ages of 18 and 25 years. Participants will live with a host family and receive free board and lodging. In return, they will spend 15 hours a week (weekends free) teaching or conversing in English with members of the family. Read more. Work UK – Do you want to work in the hospitality/hotel industry in the UK, be trained at a professional academy, meet new people from different countries and make some money doing so? If you’re between 18 and 30 then this program is for you. Read more. Call us, 1300 135 331, for the cost of a local call, and we'll discuss your options with you.