Why AYUSA

Program Quality

AYUSA is a premier high school cultural exchange program with over 30 years experience providing life-changing cultural exchange experiences to students on both inbound and outbound exchange programs.

  • Recipient of 3 major grants: AYUSA has received 3 major grants from the U.S. Department of State every year for the past 5 years due to the extremely high quality programs we operate. 
  • YES Study Abroad Grant Program: AYUSA is one of only two organizations to receive the YES Study Abroad grant from the Department of State, which sends American students to study abroad in predominantly Muslim countries. The first batch of AYUSA students studied in Mali, Morocco and Oman in 2009.
  • Full Listing on CSIET: AYUSA is one of the longest standing members of CSIET (Counsel on Standards for International Educational Travel) and has received a “full listing” as an accredited exchange organization for 25 consecutive years, since CSIET’s inception. AYUSA is a founding member of CSIET and is also part of their board so are apprised of everything that happens in the industry.
  • Global Impact: AYUSA is a truly global company and works with students from 65 countries and operates programs in 12 countries. Our inbound and outbound programs reach over 1,700 students each year.

AYUSA Students: Those accepted into the AYUSA program are rigorously screened and part of a select group. Students are evaluated for their grades, social and intellectual maturity, willingness to live in the United States, and leadership qualities.

  • Selection process: AYUSA adheres strictly to the Department of State’s regulations for student requirements and imposes additional requirements of its own.
  • Strong English skills: AYUSA students are required to have SLEP scores over 50. Scores of 40 to 45 are the standard required by other organizations.
  • Language Support: For students who require a little extra preparation, we run a pre-program language camp which offers 40 hours/week of English language instruction in preparation for the exchange experience.

AYUSA Staff: The people that work for AYUSA are a diverse and globally-minded group. They have experienced cultural exchange first-hand and believe in the importance of these life-changing experiences.

  • Personal Experience: 90% of AYUSA staff have either studied or worked abroad, hosted exchange students, and/or welcomed host brothers and sisters into their home.
  • Dedicated Local Support Staff: AYUSA has a strong network of dedicated field staff who have been with us for many years and understand the program. Since our local staff often start as AYUSA host parents, they can speak to questions or concerns from personal experience.
  • Ongoing support: AYUSA provides a live person call center available for host families and students in case of an emergency-- 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Cross-Cultural Experts: AYUSA is a part of Intrax Cultural Exchange, a family of companies devoted to cultural exchange in over 80 countries. AYUSA benefits from the shared cultural expertise and available resources from each company, including their multicultural staff members and well-developed and longstanding partner relationships.

  • Overseas Partners: Our partners are carefully screened and trained according to AYUSA’s strict recruitment guidelines. We are continually refining our relationships with partners and only continue to work with those that produce high-quality students for AYUSA.
  • International Governments: AYUSA is celebrating its 25th year as a representative of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) program jointly developed by the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag to create one-for-one exchange opportunities between German and American high school students.
  • Government of Georgia Scholarship Exchange: Starting in 2009, AYUSA pioneered a new program in conjunction with the Georgian government which awards 50 Georgian high school students full scholarships to study in America.

Commitment to community service: Most AYUSA students participate in community service projects while on exchange. Community Service is a main component of the AYUSA program and is cited as one of the main reasons students are attracted to AYUSA.

  • Staff participation: The AYUSA staff participates in numerous community service projects related to high school students, including the annual “World Savvy’s World Affairs Challenge” where students create projects which propose solutions to relevant world issues.

Most comprehensive tools for host families: From inviting your new exchange student to an introductory orientation to suggesting activities to help students and families get acquainted, AYUSA provides host families the most in-depth package of suggestions and support to make this the best exchange year possible.

  • We keep our host families informed. AYUSA likes to keep our families connected so families can look forward to the monthly FOCUS newsletter and the annual AYUSA Star which will keep you informed about recent successes and regular program updates.
  • Perks for hosting an AYUSA student: AYUSA also offers outbound Study Abroad programs for high school students so families who host an AYUSA student receive a $500 credit towards any of our 32 year-long or semester study abroad programs and $250 towards our summer program in 12 countries.
  • First to hear about outbound full scholarship programs: In 2009, we will be advertising at least 2 full scholarship programs for students. AYUSA host families will be notified first about these opportunities.