Did you know that some international exchange students come to the U.S. through scholarships supported by the U.S. Department of State? AFS is a proud collaborator with the U.S. Department of State to bring students from more than 80 countries to share their culture and language with U.S. students and classrooms.
When your school chooses to host one of these scholarship students, your school receives the Medallion Member School designation for that academic year. This designation will be shared with your school in two ways each year.
- The Principal or Head of School will receive an email in the fall (September/October) with a link to the digital medallion files in multiple colors. This digital medallion can be shared on social media, on your annual school profile, your school website, or added to any print materials or signage. For a school that hosts a student only during the second semster, the digital medallion will be emailed in February.
- Later in the school year, usually May, the scholarship student(s) that you are hosting will be mailed the official certificate from the U.S. Department of State and they will be asked to present it to the Principal, Superintendent, or School Board. If you have a preference, please let the scholarship student know.
The primary U.S. Department of State scholarships that bring international students to U.S. schools are:
- The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX) is jointly funded and managed by the U.S. and German governments and provides scholarships for students in Germany to spend the academic year in U.S. schools. Also, U.S. high school students can apply to participate in a year-long exchange in Germany.
- The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program (YES) was initiated in 2002 to build bridges between Americans and people in countries of strategic importance. This program includes scholarships for U.S. high school students to study abroad and for students from countries such as Indonesia, Ghana, Mozambique, and Thailand to be part of U.S. schools for the academic year. U.S. high school students can apply to study abroad with this scholarship program as well.
- The Future-Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX) began in 1993 to bolster mutual understanding among the people of Eastern Europe and Eurasia with those of the United States. This exchange program includes inbound exchange students from countries such as Estonia, Tajikistan, Mongolia, and Romania.
If your school is already hosting one of these great students, you can access the 2025-2026 School Administrator Handbook for CBYX, FLEX, and YES programs here.
If your school is interested in this recognition and would like to host these scholarship students, please contact your local AFS School Representative. If you do not know who your local AFS School Representative is, please contact the AFS-USA staff at educators@afsusa.org.