AISD Foreign Exchange Guidelines

The Texas Education Agency Waiver limits the total number of foreign exchange students to a maximum of (10) ten students per year placed by a nationally recognized program.

  • GUIDELINES

    1. Since this is a cultural experience, earning a diploma from high school is not an option. Students will be required to sign a waiver of their intention to pursue a Texas high school diploma.  

    2. Students will be enrolled as 11th graders whose curriculum focus is American Literature and History. Students will be enrolled for a maximum of two (2) semesters. Official transcripts are available, and together with report cards should provide the necessary documentation for students returning home.

    3. Students are subject to AISD attendance and discipline policies and are expected to participate fully in their classes, including taking tests.

    4. A representative of the exchange program must live within the school district and cannot be a host family member.  Program representatives who do host a student must have another local representative from their program sponsor this student. An exchange company shall be limited to three (3) students in placement at Allen High School at one time. There are several exchange companies who wish to place students; this will offer a greater number of companies that opportunity.

    5. The representative is expected to maintain continuous personal contact with each of its Exchange-Visitor students, the host family, and the high school in which each student is enrolled. The representative shall initiate action to resolve any problems that may arise with respect to the student’s participation in his or her academic program or with respect to the student’s relationship with his or her host family.

     

    PROCEDURES

    1. Requests to place students for the upcoming school year will be accepted beginning March 1st and should be submitted to the AHS Enrollment Office, Allen High School, 300 Rivercrest Blvd. Allen, Texas 75002, or email Julie.Miller@allenisd.org. The request must include basic information about the student (including immunizations, school transcript, and verification that the student has not completed their high school education); and a copy of the host family’s approval form. The program representative cannot be named as a host family on a temporary basis while awaiting a permanent host family. 

    2. Program sponsors are responsible for entering information to register students in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).  Students must submit a SEVIS-generated Form, DS 2019, and Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status as part of the application packet and will not be enrolled without presentation of the Form DS 2019 Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status.  

    3. When AISD has reached the limit of 10 students in a year, no further requests will be accepted. Termination of placement of one student from a program does not automatically gain placement for a new student from that program.  An application for a new student must be completed and will be reviewed in order to receive a receipt of complete applications. The withdrawal of one foreign exchange student does not automatically create an opening for a new placement. Depending on the time of year of withdrawal, a placement may not be advisable even if the ten (10) student allowable is not filled. 

    4. Waiting lists will no longer be maintained to hold a company’s or student’s request for enrollment. Only completed documentation will be accepted and only if the ten-student limit has not been met at the beginning of the school year.

    5. Once a student has been accepted as a foreign exchange student at Allen High School, the host family will complete the NSOE (new student online enrollment) and complete the enrollment process once the student has arrived and resides within the AISD school district boundary.