Foreign exchange students living within the boundaries of the school district who have obtained a J-1 visa and who are sponsored by an organization listed on the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) Advisory List will be allowed to apply to enroll in the district without paying tuition. Compliance with district policies and procedures is required before the district will enroll a foreign exchange student.

A foreign exchange student is defined as a foreign national having a residence in a foreign country who has been granted a J-1 visa for temporary admission to the United States for the purpose of participating in an educational exchange program.

Foreign exchange students must file their registration at the high school principal's office. Applications will be accepted between December 1st  and June 10th for the upcoming academic year. Applications received after June 10th will not be considered. Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received. No more than one student will be approved per agency prior to March 1st. No more than two students will be accepted per agency per year. In order to promote a diverse foreign exchange student population, no more than two students will be accepted per home country.

In the event that student requests exceed available slots, students will be placed on a waitlist in the order received. Students must have applied by the June 10th deadline in order to be placed on the waitlist.

1. The district will accept foreign exchange students from sponsoring agencies approved and published by the CSIET. The district will only enroll foreign exchange students with a J-1 visa.

2. Foreign exchange students must be proficient in both written and oral English. The district may deny enrollment to a foreign exchange student if it appears that the student will have significant communication difficulties. It is the responsibility of the sponsoring agency to verify the English proficiency of foreign exchange students in their program, and proof of English proficiency must be submitted to the district.

3. Foreign exchange students must be between the ages of 15 and 18 at the time of enrollment.

4. Foreign exchange students must live with a host family residing within the boundaries of the district.

5. Foreign exchange students must also provide proof of immunization and meet other enrollment requirements as set forth in state law and Board policy.

6. The superintendent or designee will make the decision to admit or deny enrollment to any foreign exchange student.

7. The district will not approve a slot for a host family pending their selection of a student. Only fully completed applications that include required student information will be considered.

Please review the Administrative Procedure below for the full set of guidelines.

• Foreign Exchange Students Administrative Procedure- Board Approved

If you have additional questions or need additional assistance, please contact the Instructional Services Office at 573-842-2050.