Study in Germany

12-month fully funded scholarship program

Application deadline: December 16, 2007
Download the application (PDF)

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX) is a government sponsored grant awarded to U.S. high school age students to study for 12 months in Germany while living with a volunteer host family. The goal of the program is to help participants expand their global awareness to all elements of the German culture (social, political, and economic) in addition to learning a language, making lifelong friendships and memories and having the adventure of a lifetime!

German Chancellor Schröder meeting with CBYX students from the U.S.

Program highlights
Students will be assigned a member of the German parliament to serve as their “pata,” or mentor. This person helps students in their discovery of the German government and culture. CBYX students participate in two one-week seminars: one in late May in Berlin to witness the Bundestag in action, and one in Hamburg or Munich as the mid-year orientation.

CBYX students will spend the first four weeks with a temporary family during an intensive language and culture camp conducted by local German teachers with the help of program volunteers. Students are grouped according to language level (beginner to advanced).

Who can apply?

• U.S. citizens or national or permanent residents
• Minimum GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale
• Between the ages of 15 and 18 by the start of the program (graduated students are accepted)
• Knowledge of the German language is not required

Find out how to apply.

The Reichstag Building, seat of the German Parliament, in Berlin Dem Deutschen Volke (To the German People)

Fees
$0 – Full Year Scholarship

Scholarship includes:

• Round-trip international travel from AYA's departure city
• Domestic transportation to host families in Germany
• Placement with a carefully selected host family
• 4-week intensive language and culture camp
• Pre-departure orientation in the U.S.
• Two one-week seminars in Berlin and Hamburg
• Preparatory materials
• Support services in Germany (24 hours/day)

Scholarship recipients are responsible for:

• Round-trip domestic travel to/from AYA's departure city
• Passport and, if necessary, visa fees
• Any excess luggage tariffs
• Airport taxes
• Optional cultural trips
• Personal spending money (including phone calls, books, etc.)

CBYX student with the German Chancellor Schröder

German high school
Due to the added layer of language, students do not have to maintain a certain grade point average while on the program.

How to apply
The application deadline is December 16, 2007.

Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program Application Form

You will need a PDF file reader to view the application form. If you do not already have one installed on your computer, please click here to download a free reader.

Please mail applications to:

AIFS Foundation
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program
River Plaza
9 West Broad Street
Stamford, CT 06902

Please note that applying for the CBYX scholarship is separate from applying to the regular AYA program to Germany. In order to ensure your exchange dream becomes a reality, you can apply to the regular program concurrently with the scholarship. This will help to reserve your space on a program should you not be selected for the competitive CBYX grant.

Email aya.info@aifs.org for further program and application information or call 1-800-322-4678 ext. 5164.

For CBXY Alumni!

Visit www.CBYX.net to reconnect with other CBXY alumni!
Upon returning home after your time abroad, there is no reason to lose touch with fellow participants. You now have the opportunity to reconnect with other alumni that were on your program or live in your area through CBYX.net! Logging in is simple, using your name, birthday, Program and Program year. Once you have logged in, your can create a profile that will also help your host organization to keep in touch with you. You can search for other alumni, post messages, post pictures, organize a meeting, learn about new opportunities, and now, even post resumes for employers who are looking for people with just your kind of experience and background! Companies interested in applicants with some experience with German or Germany will also be able to post jobs on CBYX.net. The more people involved, the better for the site and the alumni community, so go to www.CBYX.net, login and start communicating with other alumni and friends!

In Their Own Words – speakout.state.gov
This site allows thousands of exchange alumni to relate their experiences in their own words, thus giving feedback on exchange programs. Visit speakout.state.gov to post your story!