By on December 21st, 2015
What to Expect When You Become a Host Family
Hosting international students is a great way to earn extra income, learn more about other cultures, and make lasting friendships around the world, too. If you’re considering becoming a host family, though, you should know what to expect…
Before You’re Matched With a Student
When you apply to become a host family, you should know that you don’t actually have to be a “family” to host international students. You can be single, a couple, a young family, or a retiree, and you can choose which students you’ll be open to hosting, too. Before matching you with a student, though, USH will conduct a home visit to get to know you a little bit better and to make the perfect match possible.
After you’re matched and your student is scheduled to arrive, you’ll be paid for their stay within about five to seven days of when they move in.
When Your Student Arrives
You’ll be informed in plenty of time before your student is scheduled to arrive, so that you can ensure that someone is home to meet them and help get them settled in. If you can’t be home at this time, then you’ll be responsible for making sure that someone is home. Again, you’ll have plenty of warning, so you shouldn’t have any trouble arranging your schedule for when your student gets in.
When your student arrives, you may find that there are some communication challenges to overcome at first. Because most international students are coming to the US to learn English as a second language, when they arrive they may not speak much English. You can generally expect your student to have some English speaking skills, so communication will definitely be possible – it just might take a little bit of patience in the first few days. You may be surprised at just how fast most students pick up the language and start communicating more fluently.
Continuous Support
As long as your student is staying with you, if you have any issues or if you need assistance, you can call on USH for support. We’ll be happy to answer all of your questions and help you overcome any challenges that arise while your student is staying with you.
A Truly Valuable Experience
Almost all host families report that hosting an international student was one of the best decisions they ever made. This experience allows you to learn about other cultures, make friends, bring in a little extra income, and maybe even start to learn a new language, too. Get in touch with USH today and learn about your options for hosting international students today.