Council for Educational Travel, USA

Council for Educational Travel USA (CETUSA) is a nonprofit educational and cultural exchange organization dedicated to providing youth from around the world with the opportunity to exchange ideas, arts, philosophies, and ways of life with host families in the United States. Through its network of overseas representatives and American-based managers and local coordinators, CETUSA provides inbound programs to high-school-aged students including academic year and semester programs and programs for groups and individuals.

CETUSA’s overseas representatives recruit prospective students for the CETUSA program and provide the initial screening and pre-departure orientation. Program participants are then screened by CETUSA staff to ensure their language proficiency and academic ability as well as for evidence of maturity, flexibility, and adaptability.  

CETUSA maintains a broad-based network of over 400 trained managers and local coordinators who work closely with the high schools, interview and select host families, provide orientations, and supervise the program locally. Host families participate in the selection of the student who will live in their home CETUSA’s office staff provides support services to host families, students, and local coordinators, including cross-cultural orientations, counseling, and services.

Because careful host family and student matching and ongoing supervision are keys to the success of the program, CETUSA maintains a low coordinator to student/host family ratio average of 1:3. 

CETUSA is an organization founded on friendship and dedicated to its mission: …reaching out to encourage a lifelong journey of global peace and understanding.

U.S. Academic Year/Semester Program— foreign students ages 15 to 18 live with an American host family for a school year or semester while attending a U.S. public or private high school. Participants must demonstrate an interest in academics and their English language proficiency. Students are supervised and supported by the CETUSA network of local coordinators. Orientation is provided before departure from the home country and upon arrival in the United States. Cost to participants is approximately $4,520 to $6,750, depending on country of origin and program inclusions. Transportation and insurance are not always included, and personal spending money is additional. Private high school tuition, when selected by the student, is additional.