What if it doesn't work out?

At EF we strive to provide the best preparation and personalized experience for all parties involved. However, even with those efforts, difficult periods may arise. EF has a support structure in place to help families and students work through these challenges. Here are a variety of steps and resources to guide you to resolution.

Family meeting

While every conflict is handled according to the needs of the situation, a common step in the mediation process is to hold a family meeting. This is done with your student, family and IEC or RC in attendance. During a family meeting, coordinators help facilitate open communication and outline actionable steps everyone can take to move forward.

Progressive discipline

There are some situations that warrant additional written feedback, or warning letters, to help correct and redirect a student’s behavior. These documents depend on the situation and can only be issued by EF office support staff.

Student moves

Moving a student out of the home is typically used as a last resort, after all other mediation and redirecting efforts have not been successful. Moves are completely based on the individual situation and must be approved by EF support staff. When students leave a host family’s home, they must move into an IEC’s home or another home screened by EF. In some cases, the student may remain in the original host family’s home, if agreed on by all, until a new family is found and screened.

Early return

Some more serious situations may require the student to return earlier than planned to their home country. This is not as common but can happen after these supportive efforts have been exhausted or if the student's behavior is against EF Rules and Regulations or US law. Early return decisions are taken seriously, and only EF support staff can approve and arrange for a student to return home early.

Find the right exchange student for your family

Does your family have any hobbies or interests that you'd like to share with an exchange student? Are you looking to learn more about a particular region of the world? Consider some of these topics and start browsing student profiles today.

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© EF Education First 2011-2021. EF High School Exchange Year is operated by EF Educational Foundation for Foreign Study, a non-profit corporation designated by the U.S. Department of State to operate a J-1 student exchange program. Note: Featured photo/videos do not include prospective students, and are representative of program participants.