Looking to host an exchange student?
Our international high school students are young people aged between 14 and 18.
They are ready to develop their independence, self-confidence, and maturity, make new friends, improve their English language skills, become part of a new family, and immerse themselves in our unique Australian way of life.
They are also enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge of their own language, culture and traditions with their new family and friends.
Why host an exchange student?
When you host an exchange student, the whole family will gain from the experience.
Some of the benefits include:
- Providing an international perspective of the world
- Adding some fun to your family environment
- Improving tolerance and respect for different cultures
- The opportunity to build lifelong relationships
- Enhancing foreign language skills
Host families will be provided with a subsidy to offset the cost of hosting a student in line with the National Guidelines, November 2025 update.
This is a support payment intended solely to assist with the cost of living expenses incurred while hosting a student. This payment is not a financial incentive to host.
Who can host?
Our families that choose to host come in all shapes and sizes.
It doesn’t matter if you are a single-parent family, have several children or all of your children have grown up and left home.
Anyone generous enough to open their home and heart to a new family member and be willing to embrace differences in culture and language can host.
What our host families do have in common is excitement and enthusiasm for meeting someone who speaks another language and the unique opportunity to see Australia through the eyes of their exchange student.
How to host
01. Enquire
Click the buttons above or below and enter your details. We will arrange a time to call you for a chat about hosting.
We can help you work out what kind of hosting arrangement would work best for your household.
02. Apply
Fill out and submit a hosting application form. All residents of your home over the age of 18 will need to hold a valid Working With Children Clearance for volunteers (known as Blue Card in Queensland).
If you don’t already have these clearances, we can assist you to apply for them.
03. Choose a student
We discuss with you your preferences for who you would like to host. Perhaps your family loves French culture and would like to welcome a French student into your home, or maybe one of your children is learning Spanish and would love someone to practise with.Â
Once we have received your clearances and discussed your preferences with you, we will work with you to choose a student by reviewing our students’ applications, which include letters written by the students to potential host families. This is one of our favourite parts of our job—we love matching students to families!
04. School enrolment
We organise your student’s enrolment in a local high school. If your children are in high school, we will try to enrol them in the same school. Otherwise, another local high school will be found. The student’s placement with you will not be final until they are accepted into a local school.
05. Welcome the student
Once finalised, your new family member will receive details of their placement with you. At that point, they can contact you, and the two families can get to know each other long distance.
We will frequently communicate with you as you prepare to welcome your student. Depending on your student’s arrival date, they may be part of an arrival orientation. In this case, they will come to you at the end of the orientation. When the student arrives, they become a part of your household and begin their life-changing experience in your home.
06. Enjoy your time together
Your student will settle into Australian life and you will all enjoy getting to know each other. We provide plenty of support along the way and will always be available to assist or answer any questions.
Of course, as a host, you will look after your student by providing a safe and welcoming home, but you do not have to be a tour guide for the student. Exchange students come to Australia to experience everyday life as an Australian, and that includes whatever it is that your household does.
Students are encouraged to contribute to household chores and abide by family rules.
07. Goodbye but not the end
Many of our host families continue their friendships with their exchange students and their families long after they depart for their home countries.
We love hearing stories about host families travelling and staying with their students’ families. We are also happy to continue our relationship with you after your student has left – we have many repeat host families.
Inbound Student Profiles
Meet the students coming to Australia - enquire anytime.
Alessandra
Language: Italian, learning English and French
Dietary/Allergies: Nil
Alessandra is a 17-year-old girl from Italy who will celebrate her 18th birthday while on exchange. Alessandra is enjoys listening to music, cooking and even cleaning! She also likes to keep fit through playing volleyball, going to the gym and dancing - especially classical ballet, modern dance and hip hop!
While On Exchange...
Alessandra is excited to step out of her comfort zone and grow as a person through this experience. She's also looking forward to the opportunity to improve her English skills and learning to speak it more naturally.
Alessia
Language: Italian, learning English and Spanish
Dietary/Allergies: Nil
Alessia is a 17-year-old girl from Italy who is passionate about music and currently plays the trumpet and harmonica, sings in a theatre choir and is sometimes involved in opera performances. She also enjoys cooking, going out with friends, shopping and going to the gym.
While On Exchange...
Alessia is excited to build friendships with people from a different cultural background to her own and learn more about our way of life. She also wants to improve her English by using it in everyday situations and become more independent, open-minded and confident.
Cristina
Language: Italian and Hindi, learning English and French
Dietary/Allergies: Nil
Cristina is a 16-year-old girl who will celebrate her 17th birthday soon after arriving in Australia for her exchange. Cristina enjoys relaxing with a good book, drawing, cooking, listening to all kinds of music, especially pop and rap music and playing the flute. To keep fit she likes to go for walks (and occasionally runs), play badminton with her dad and volleyball with her friends.
While On Exchange...
Cristina is looking forward to learning more about our culture and make some beautiful memories with her host family and new friends!
Marina
Language: Italian, learning English and French
Dietary/Allergies: Gluten-Free
Marina is a 17-year-old girl from Italy who is passionate about dancing, expressing her creativity through food and beverages and spending time with her family, friends and pets. Music is big part of Marina's life with high-energy dance genres such as House and Reggaeton being among her favourites. Marina's favourite way to relax is with a visit to the beach.
While On Exchange...
Marina is excited to connect with local Australians and experience the 'good vibes' that our country is often said to offer.
Lavinia
Language: Italian, learning English, French, Spanish and German
Dietary/Allergies: Nil
Lavinia is a 17-year-old girl from Italy who enjoys going for long walks, swimming, playing tennis and going to the gym. When she's not keeping busy with exercise, she loves to take some time out to spend time with friends, watch movies (her favourite genres are Romance, Drama and Fantasy) and listen to music some of her favorite artists are; Gue (Italian rapper), A$AP Rocky and Stormae.
While On Exchange...
Lavinia is excited to discover a new way of life, meet new people and learn more about Australian culture!
Hosting rebates
Discover the Joy of Hosting an Exchange Student and reduce the cost of your program fee via our hosting rebate!
Welcoming an exchange student into your home is a rewarding opportunity that enriches your family’s life. Whether your family hosts before you embark on your own exchange journey, during or after your return, we offer a hosting rebate to thank you.
Our exchange students come from various countries across Europe and The Americas, typically arriving in January, June, or July for various program lengths up to a full school year.
Please note:
- All host families must complete an application and undergo a vetting process before hosting can proceed.
- We provide a hosting rebate upon successful completion of the hosting period.
- This rebate can be claimed if you host an exchange student within three years of your child’s exchange program’s start date.
Conditions apply, and the rebate amount will vary depending on the hosting length, up to a maximum of 20% of the cost of the outbound program fee.
Interested? Let’s get started!
Contact our team today to learn more about the hosting process, the benefits involved, and the clearances required by the Education Department, including working with children checks, to ensure you are eligible and that we provide a safe and enriching experience for everyone. We’re here to guide you every step of the way!
Contact UsStudent Exchange Hosting FAQs
Who can host a High School Exchange Student in Australia?
Anyone who meets child-safety requirements and is willing to welcome a High School Exchange Student into their home can become a host family.
Our host families come in all shapes, sizes and backgrounds. They can be parents with children, single parents, families without children, an older couple whose children have already grown up or same sex-couples. Whatever size or shape, as long as the host families are open to receiving a student from overseas and sharing their home and hearts, they will be considered for the role.
What are the requirements to become a host family for a High School Exchange Student?
Host families must pass safety checks, working with children checks, interviews, reference checks, and a home visit to ensure a safe environment for the exchange student.
We also require the adults within the family to read and adhere to our child safety policies, procedures and code of conduct. These procedures are in place to comply with our child safe policies. The house visit is also a great way for our staff members to get to know your family and answer any questions you might have.
You can also find additional information about our child-safety commitments on the About page.
Can we choose which High School Exchange Student we host?
Yes, you can review student profiles and choose the exchange student who best suits your family.
Once we have details about your family profile, interests and hosting preferences, we will send you a few student profiles that could be suitable. In their profile you will find their first name, any special requirements, hobbies and a letter they have written to their prospective host family. This information can help you select the student you think will best fit into your family.
What are our responsibilities as a host family for a High School Exchange Student?
Host families provide a safe home, meals, guidance and support, just as they would for their own children.
Your responsibility is to welcome the exchange student into your home as a member of your family and provide the same care and support you would give to your own children.
Exchange students should have their own bed and their own bedroom if possible. If necessary, they can share a bedroom with a sibling of the same gender and a similar age, provided both children are comfortable with this arrangement.
Exchange students are expected to help with simple chores, follow a curfew and respect household rules.
You can also find additional information about our child-safety commitments on the About page.
Do High School Exchange Student have health and travel insurance while staying with us?
Yes, all exchange students have comprehensive travel and medical insurance for the duration of their stay.
Host families are not expected to include exchange students in their own insurance policies.
You can also find additional information about our child-safety commitments on the About page.
What support do host families receive while hosting a High School Exchange Student?
Host families receive full support from our team, including regular check-ins and a 24/7 emergency line.
Students of the World provides host families and exchange students with full support for the entire hosting period.
We contact both the host family and the student to make sure everyone is having a positive experience. We also have a 24-hour emergency phone and are always available to help with any difficulties that might arise.
Host families will be provided with a subsidy to offset the cost of hosting a student in line with the National Guidelines, November 2025 update.
This is a support payment intended solely to assist with the cost of living expenses incurred while hosting a student. This payment is not a financial incentive to host.
You can also find additional information about our child-safety commitments on the About page.
Can we host more than one High School Exchange Student at the same time?
Yes, as long as students are from different nationalities. If they are different genders, they will require their own bedroom. If they are the same gender, they can share as long as they have their own bed and are no more than 2 years apart in age.
You can also find additional information about our child-safety commitments on the About page.