STUDY


US education can be expensive for foreign students!  Taking part in one of our programs makes studying in America achievable! 

It’s a visa condition that you study for approximately three hours a week during term time, and your host family provides a yearly contribution for you to attend a local college or study online with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).  

You select the course that  you want to study!  For many au pairs it’s the perfect opportunity to continue their English studies, but there are many other courses to choose from such as Photography or Psychology. 

Your host family and community counselor will help you to register at your local college and choose the right course.  Apart from looking good on your resume, college is the perfect place to meet new American friends of your own age and experience a different side of American life.

US colleges and university admission requirements are generally similar to the requirements in your home country. Some require non-native English speakers to have completed a TOEFL test (Test of English as a Foreign Language).  Without this, you’ll probably have to take an English course before you register, so it makes sense to take the TOEFL test before leaving for the USA.

For more information on the TOEFL test and where to take it, click here.

You will be a non-degree student and you can choose from a number of different types of courses. Your options:

Credit courses
Take part fully in class discussions, complete all assignments take the tests and get a grade when the course ends.

Non-credit courses
Similar to a credit course except that you participate on a limited basis and get no formal grade at the end.

Audit courses
Sit in on a particular course without doing the assignments and tests. Obviously, you don’t get a grade either.

Continuing Education Units
Enrichment or professional development courses at a College where you participate fully in class work and get a Certificate of Participation at the end.

Remember to be flexible when choosing your course and keep in mind that your childcare responsibilities come first so class schedules must be arranged around your child care duties. There are day, evening and Saturday classes available and schools vary in what they offer, but most offer a wide range of choices. As long as the course is taken through an accredited post-secondary institution, there are no specific types of courses you can or cannot take. The subject you study is up to you!  Your Counselor and host family will assist you in selecting a course.

Education is an important part of your time in America, so keep in mind that you will not receive your Completion Bonus if you do not complete your education requirement for the year.  If you are taking a course for academic credit and want to transfer credits home, contact the university in your home country as it is their decision if they would accept those credits or not.