Family Sought to Host 16-Year-Old Tajik Boy, Promote Intercultural Understanding

In August, one 16-year-old boy traveled from his home country of Tajikstan to the United States to live with a U.S. “host” family and attend Quince Orchard High School for the 2016-2017 academic year. Unfortunately, his current host family’s circumstances have changed, so a new family is being sought to host him.

He loves sports and movies, and at home he enjoys spending time with his family, including his three younger siblings. He says he came to the United States to improve his English skills, learn American culture, and share his culture and looks forward to cooking traditional Tajik food for his host family.

Families interested in gaining a new family member and gaining new perspective on the world are encouraged to contact United Studies for more details (Vanessa Chang, vchang@unitedstudies.org, 703-868-4703).

Frequently Asked Questions about Hosting an Exchange Student

Who can host?

All types of families are eligible, including families with young children, high school children, grown children, or no children. Host parents can be single parents or married couples (including same-sex couples).

The host family must:

• provide a warm, welcoming home to an exchange student;
• have a genuine interest in people of other cultures, their language and customs;
• primarily speak English in the home (since our exchange students are hoping to improve their English fluency while they’re here);
• be flexible;
• be communicative; and
• want to make a young person from another country a part of their family.

All host families should have these goals: to experience a new culture, develop a lasting relationship with a new son or daughter, and foster international understanding with the hope that they can contribute to world peace for a better tomorrow.

How long does a family host a student?

Most families opt to host a student for his or her entire stay in the United States, which is typically an academic year or semester, but families who want to have an exchange student for a shorter period of time can host the student for eight weeks as a “temporary” host family.

What is expected of a host family?

As a host family, you are expected to:

• open your home to a student from another country;
• participate in a host family orientation administered by a United Studies Area Representative before the student arrives and to allow United Studies to evaluate the student's adjustment to the family and his/her new surroundings;
• provide adequate room for personal belongings (a bedroom shared with a host sibling at least 12 years of age and of the same gender is OK, provided the student has his or her own bed and there is sufficient room for storage of personal belongings);
• include your new son or daughter in family activities as a member of your family (the student may be given certain responsibilities such as taking care of his/her room and sharing duties with other family members);
• be sensitive to your student's needs and feelings as he or she adjusts to a new, exciting and sometimes lonely and frightening experience of living in a new country;
• communicate with your student about his or her financial situation (the student will bring money for personal expenses); and
• provide an environment in which your student can learn as much as possible about life in the United States.

Do families get reimbursed?

To ensure that a U.S. family host for the purpose of forming a lifelong bond with someone from a different country (thereby increasing understanding and goodwill between the United States and that other country), the U.S. Department of State does not allow U.S. host families to be compensated.

Volunteer host families are, however, allowed to claim a charitable deduction of $50 per month for expenses incurred. See “Are exchange-related expenses tax deductible?”

Are exchange-related expenses tax deductible?

A United Studies Student Exchange host family may claim a charitable deduction in their U.S. tax return of up to $50 for each calendar month in which the conditions below are met for 15 or more days.

The student must:

• be living in your home under a written agreement between you and a qualified organization to provide educational opportunities for the student,
• be a non-relative of the taxpayer and not a dependent of the taxpayer, and
• be a full-time student in the 12th grade or lower in a U.S. school.

Eligible expenses include amounts directly attributable to maintaining the student while he or she is a member of the household and a full‐time student, for example: books, tuition, food, clothing, transportation, entertainment, medical and dental expenses, and anything else for the well-being of the student. One may not deduct insurance, repairs, mortgage interest, real estate taxes, depreciation, the fair market value of lodging, or other expenses not clearly attributable to the exchange.

To claim your deductions:

• Calculate the sum of your hosting-related deductions.
• Include your hosting-related deductions in your total for line 16 of Form 1040, Schedule A.
• Attach to your return:
  • the “Statement of Hosting an Exchange Student” (United Studies will provide you with this form);
  • a summary of the hosting-related expenses; and
  • a copy of your host family agreement (contact United Studies if you need a copy).

For more information, see the IRS’s Publication 526: Charitable Contributions For use in preparing 2015 Returns (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p526.pdf). The section “Expenses Paid for Student Living With You” can be found on pages 4 and 5. See also https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/USCODE-2011-title26/USCODE-2011-title2..., Section 170(g).

How much does it cost to host an exchange student?

There is no fee to apply or be a host family; however, when agreeing to host you are agreeing to make the exchange student a member of your family for the duration of the program, feeding the student three meals per day (for school, this could be a packed bag lunch), providing the student with a bed of his or her own in a room shared by no more than one “sibling” at least 12 years of age and of the same gender, transporting the student to and from extracurricular activities as needed, and including the student in family activities. Exchange students use their own spending money for things like clothes, toiletries, and activities with friends and have their own health insurance policy that covers accidents and illnesses.

How does a family apply to host a student?

The family would complete an online application at www.unitedstudies.org. A United Studies representative would also interview the entire family in the family’s home, contact personal references provided by the host family, and agree for all adults in the household to undergo a background check.

How are United Studies students selected?

United Studies works with partner organizations in various countries who recruit and screen top high school students each year. The students are selected based on their academic abilities and are tested for English proficiency and interviewed in English and their native language. Once the students have been accepted, they attend an orientation that provides them with a basic knowledge of the United States along with United Studies program policies.

Where will the exchange student go to school?

Exchange students typically attend the public school to which the host family is zoned. The student travels to and from school via whatever means of transportation any U.S. student living at that address would use.

Must the host family have children who attend the high school that the exchange student would attend?

A family with children attending the high school could host an exchange student, but that is by no means necessary. Great exchanges can take place in families with children who are homeschooled, younger children, or no children at all! See “Who can host?”

What happens during school breaks?

Exchange students will not be here over the summer. During other school breaks, host families often include their exchange students in their plans, but if this is not possible for the host family, other arrangements can be made. United Studies staff will be happy to talk to you about it and help you reach a solution.

Do exchange students have their own health insurance?

Yes! Every student comes with health insurance to cover accidents and illnesses. Exchange students will have gotten any necessary maintenance check-ups before coming to the United States.

What support do host families receive?

United Studies has a dedicated team of Area Representatives. Every family and student is assigned a local Area Representative and gets to know him or her through interviews, orientations, home visits, and cultural events.

Area Representatives check in with the host family and student at least monthly, and host families can reach out to them at any time with any questions or concerns.

If further assistance is required or a problem arises, just contact United Studies. We're on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

What if we have a problem with our student?

Your Area Representative and the rest of the United Studies staff will be here to offer support and counseling to help you solve any problems or misunderstandings that may arise. In most cases, this enables families and students to work through their issues and have a great year together. If, however, it is ultimately determined that the family and student are simply not a good match, United Studies will move the student. When this decision is made, United Studies asks that the host family agree to host the student another two weeks while another host family is secured.

What is United Studies Student Exchange?

United Studies is a nonprofit organization that integrates exceptional young people from around the world into U.S. communities for up to an academic year so that perspectives are shared, misconceptions are dispelled, and lifelong friendships are formed.

United Studies’ high school exchange program for exchange students coming to the United States for a semester or academic year on a J-1 visa has been accepted for listing by the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET).