Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions by families interested in hosting an ASSIST Scholar. Please contact the ASSIST Representative at your school or the ASSIST office with any other questions about hosting an ASSIST Scholar.

• How do we become a host family?


• Where will our student come from, and how is he or she selected?


• How long will we host the student?


• What is the financial commitment for a host family?


• What happens if our student gets sick or injured?


• What kind of support will our family receive while we are hosting?

How do we become a host family?
The ASSIST representative at each member school is responsible for initial recruitment of host families. Once nominated, families will be asked to submit host family application forms to ASSIST (available for download on this site). ASSIST will process and review these applications, conduct criminal background checks for each household member age 18 and over, and then contact you regarding acceptance as a host family.

Where will our student come from, and how is he or she selected?
ASSIST students are selected with great care from 18 or more different countries in Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and Africa through competitive national scholarship competitions in each country.  After initial pre-screening by in-country leaders, ASSIST interview teams typically spend 10 or more weeks overseas interviewing finalists. We seek students with impressive academic credentials, strong spoken and written English, engaging personalities, and talents that can be shared in extracurricular programs.

How long will we host the student?
A family will be able to host a student for their entire stay in the U.S., which is approximately 10 months, or for a shorter period. We certainly understand that a 10-month hosting commitment is not always possible, and therefore, shorter hosting time periods are possible, such as for a half year, a semester, or during vacation periods. 

What is the financial commitment for a host family?
ASSIST host families are not paid, but you may be entitled to a $50.00 per month tax-deduction for the period of time during which you hosted your ASSIST student. ASSIST students are expected to finance out-of-pocket expenses, but families hosting students may incur some additional expenses related to having a teenager join their family, i.e. meals, entertainment, and fuel.

What happens if our student gets sick or injured?
All ASSIST students must be covered by a health insurance plan throughout their exchange year that will cover medical expenses such as doctor’s visits, x-rays, hospitalization, etc. Most students elect the plan offered by ASSIST, but a few students will be covered by other plans. Prior to hosting, ASSIST will provide each host family with information regarding their student’s health insurance coverage.

What kind of support will our family receive while we are hosting?
Each host family will receive a welcome/orientation information packet of materials from ASSIST prior to the arrival of the student. ASSIST staff and the designated ASSIST representative at the host school will be available for support to both the student and the host family throughout the hosting period. The ASSIST representative will check-in monthly with both the student and host family to offer support, guidance, and to ensure that the hosting experience is progressing well.  ASSIST staff are available via phone 24 hours a day if necessary.