Study Abroad F.A.Q.: Homestay

What are the benefits of staying in a homestay?

Homestay can be a great part of the immersion experience. The thing to think about is what would make the situation the most comfortable for you. You might want to be with another student, you might want to be on your own. You might want children in the household, or maybe teens, or maybe not. If you give some thought to what you think would work best for you, you can request that we try to match your interests and concerns. Let us know any special concerns as to allergies, pets, special diets, etc. Although we can't guarantee that we will be able to, we will certainly do our best to fulfill your homestay requirements. The earlier you apply, the better chance you have of the school being able to meet your homestay requests.

What should my expectations be about my homestay experience?

According to our past participants, the homestay is either the best or worst part of the trip. The differences are usually a result of different levels of expectation. Students who have read a lot about the culture, economy and political situation of the country before they visit usually have realistic expectations and love their homestays. Those who are unprepared or have unrealistically high expectations can be disappointed. Remember you are coming from one of the richest countries in the world and few homestays will be equal to the comforts to which you are accustomed. Before choosing a homestay, you should decide exactly what you want. Do you want something different from or similar to the comforts of the U.S? If the program's homestays do not meet your individual needs, you should probably seek alternative housing (see below).

Who chooses homestay families?

Our homestay families are carefully chosen by our schools. If ever you were to have a problem with your homestay family, the school would be there to help you resolve the problem or, if necessary, to arrange a different homestay. This hardly ever happens, since our schools would not continue to work with a problematic homestay family.

What are other lodging options?

For those not interested in living with a local family, AmeriSpan offers other options. We can recommend hotels and apartments. Upon arrival in most cities, students can find apartments or lodging right away. With many programs, especially outside of Latin America, there are lodging options in residences, dorms, and shared apartments.

For more information about homestays and all aspects of our study abroad programs, click here.