1980
Pacific American International Student Services (PAISS) founded in San Francisco by John Wilhelm and Takeshi Yokota. Offices are located in the "Icehouse", a renovated warehouse near the Embarcadero in San Francisco. First programs are established between the Western States and Europe.

1985
AYUSA receives a grant from USIA to open a Regional Center in Tokyo. Asian programs begin.

1988
AYUSA launches Study Abroad programs for American students to travel to Japan and Western Europe.

1990
AYUSA opens a Western European Regional Center in Stuttgart.

1993
AYUSA selected by USIA to operate the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) with Germany.

1996
AYUSA moves Western European Regional Center to Berlin.

1999
U.S. Information Agency incorporated into the U.S. Department of State. AYUSA programs operate under the auspices of Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

2001
AYUSA relocates to an expanded headquarters in San Francisco's Pacific Heights district. AYUSA Southern Africa Regional Center opens in Johannesburg, South Africa. AYUSA selected by the U.S. Department of State to operate the Brcko District Academic Semester Program serving the United Nations administered district of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

1983
AYUSA receives a grant from the USIA to expand exchanges with the Intermountain States. Name changes to AYUSA (an acronym for Academic Year in the U.S.A.).

1984
AYUSA becomes a founding member of the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel and Exchange Programs. AYUSA is first approved for listing by CSIET, and has continuously listed each year since.

1989
AYUSA Central and Eastern Europe Regional Center (AICEE) opens in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.

1991
AYUSA achieves placements in all 50 U.S. states.

1994
AYUSA selected by USIA to operate Freedom Support Act Future Leaders Exchange (FSA/FLEX) with the Newly Independent States (NIS) of the Soviet Union.

1997

AYUSA selected as the international youth exchange provider to Kiwanis International and Key Club International service clubs worldwide. AYUSA Andean Regional Center opens in Quito, Ecuador.

2000
Twenty-year total: AYUSA exceeds $13,000,000 in U.S. grant scholarships, awarded to over 3000 participants. AYUSA selected by the U.S. Department of State to operate The Serbian Youth Leadership Program.