Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange
From AFSWiki
The CBYX website provides in-depth information for motivated high school students who want to live with a host family and attend school for an academic year in Germany. Answers to questions regarding the program, eligibility, and the application process can be found exclusively on the website
- Visit the official CBYX outbound website: http://www.usagermanyscholarship.org
Contents |
Program Background
The larger goal of the program is to strengthen the U.S.-German relationship through ties of friendship and understanding. In the process, students will experience German and American life while involving themselves in the local family, school, culture, and recreation.
Throughout the years, CBYX has enabled some 20,000 students to expand their global perspectives and to make new friends.
Program Components
All CBYX programs include the following:
- Orientation programs in Washington D.C.
- Language instruction for American CBYX students in Germany
- Meetings with German and American government officials
- Careful placement with a host family
- Admission to a high school
- Cultural and touring activities including excursions to select cities
Outbound Scholarship Basics
Scholarship basics for American applicants:
- The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX) is funded by the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Youth Program Division along with the German Bundestag.
- CBYX scholarships cover the full tuition for the NH year program. Additional program elements for Americans in Germany include a four-week language camp for CBYX scholars at the beginning of the program, enrollment in a German high school, a homestay experience, and a visit to the German Parliament in May. CBYX scholars also attend Gateway and Return orientations in Washington, D.C.
- AFS awards 50 American CBYX scholarships for the year long academic program to Germany departing in the NH cycle
- These NH cycle programs depart in early September and return the following July
- Students from the following eastern states may apply for a CBYX scholarship through AFS: CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NY, NH, NJ, OH, PA, RI and VT.
- Students in other regions must apply through the CBYX grant holding organization in their region. Please see the official program website http://www.usagermanyscholarship.org for details.
- Nominations for American CBYX applicants are not required, though we encourage educators to help us identify and motivate interested students by nominating them for this scholarship program. Nominations are further encouraged as a way to increase knowledge of CBYX among educators. Nominations can be sent to cbyx@afs.org for follow-up.
- CBYX Scholars are required to attend local pre-departure orientations and participate in all standard AFS pre-departure activities. In addition, CBYX Scholars participate in a series of orientation conference calls in the Spring and Summer before departure.
- In addition to sending students to Germany, CBYX winners from Germany are also hosted in the United States. Each year, AFS-USA hosts 57 CBYX German scholars. Unlike the sending portion of this scholarship, geographic hosting restrictions do not apply to CBYX. If you are interested in learning more about hosting a CBYX student in the United States, please contact your local Hosting Coordinator or call your regional AFS service center at 800.876.2377.
Included in the CBYX Scholarship
The CBYX scholarship covers full tuition in a study abroad program administered by AFS Intercultural Programs. This encompasses:
- Pre-departure cultural orientation
- In-country orientation and support
- In-country cultural activities
- Living in-country with a host family
- Secondary health benefits
- Re-entry orientation
- Membership in the U.S. State Department alumni network, including access to alumni outreach activities
Common Costs Not Included in the CBYX scholarship
- Costs associated with obtaining a valid U.S. passport
- Visa fees
- Required medical examinations and immunizations
- Participants determine the amount of pocket money needed for their personal expenses during the program
Origin of CB Students
The program provides full scholarships for 200 American high school students to live and study in Germany for an academic year, and, concurrently, for 250 German students to be hosted in the United States. AFS-USA administers the selection of 50 students from 10 states within the general Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region.
Outbound Application Process
Applications basics for American applicants:
- Candidates must submit the CBYX application at the official website by the deadline noted there:
- Submitting the CBYX Application is the first step in the application process. Applicants will also be required to complete the standard AFS Application. Applicants are required to complete an additional application for two reasons: the scholarship award is contingent upon meeting AFS medical and placement criteria (in addition to the CBYX requirements), and the AFS application requires materials (like a photo page and detailed placement information) that will help our colleagues in AFS-Germany find the best host family possible.
- Applicants will be invited to attend a Selection Committee Event in January or February. We strive to have Selection Committees Events take place within a two hour drive of the applicant’s hometown, however, this is not always possible. In the Selection Committee Event, applicants will be able to meet other students that might be traveling to Germany with them and also have an individual interview with a panel of Selection Committee members. This is a crucial part of the selection process for this scholarship.
- CBYX applicants are welcome and encouraged to additionally apply for core AFS programs and need-based financial aid.
- The following materials are available for recruitment for the YES Abroad program: Sponsored Programs Sending CBYX Brochure (2011)
To order these and other print materials, please complete the following order form. Allow 10 business days for order fulfillment and delivery. If you have any questions or special requests, please contact LaDonna Funderburke at lfunderburke@afs.org.
Eligibility and Selection Process
For the complete eligibility requirements, and to begin and submit an application, please see the official CBYX website:
Your online application will be reviewed. If you are selected as a Semi-Finalist, you will be asked to participate in group and individual interviews at a regional Selection Committee Event. AFS-USA Scholarship Finalists will be selected in the late spring. Applications of Finalists will be forwarded to AFS Germany for approval and confirmation.
Finalists are selected based on:
- How well they demonstrate the characteristics of a successful exchange student
- Evidence of the personal qualities essential for adjustment to another culture,such as flexibility, curiosity, open-mindedness, sense of humor and a desire to be challenged
- Written and oral communication skills
- Motivation for a cross-cultural experience
Please note: Applicants from all racial, economic, ethnic, religious, and social backgrounds are encouraged to apply, as are students with disabilities.
F.A.Q.
- What are the travel dates?"
Students will depart in September and return the following summer.
- What are my financial obligations?
Students are responsible for round trip transportation between home communities and Washington D.C., a valid passport, and monthly spending money (recommended $300 per month for personal expenses).
- Where will I live?
Students are placed with pre-screened volunteer host families throughout Germany.
- Where will I go to school?
All students will attend the local high school, including students who have already graduated from high school in America. All classes will be taught in German.
- Who should I contact in Germany if I have a question while on program?
Program staff and volunteers are available by phone or email to answer questions and provide support throughout the program.
- Will I receive high school or college credit for the courses I take in Germany?
Please ask your high school guidance counselor or university representative. Many students complete the courses required to graduate during summer school before or after they return from Germany. Some students receive college credit for the German language skills acquired on the program.
- May I return home during the program?
Since this is a cultural immersion program, students will not be allowed to return home for the winter holidays, birthdays, graduations, weddings, etc. Exceptions can be made for emergency situations; these are determined on a case by case basis by the regional organizations.
- When will I find out if I am selected?
Selection committees review applications and make final decisions by late spring. In addition to the 250 scholarships offered to high school students for an academic home-stay program, there are two other scholarship components of the CBYX program. Each requires a separate application process.
- Can I host a student from Germany?
You can make intercultural learning a family experience. Developing language skills, sharing cultures, and making international friendships for life is a large part of what the CBYX program is all about. The CBYX program is a reciprocal exchange- high school students from the United States study abroad in Germany while students from Germany study in the U.S. and live with a volunteer host family.
While hosting a German exchange student is not a prerequisite for program participation, we encourage your family to consider this rewarding international opportunity. German students come with their own spending money and medical insurance. Volunteer host families provide them with a place to sleep, a place to study, three meals a day, and support and encouragement throughout their year in the country. As you complete the outbound application process, please discuss the option of hosting an inbound student with your family. For more information on hosting a German exchange student, please contact one of the exchange organizations.
