Academic requirements
No foreign exchange student will be admitted who has already graduated from the equivalent of the 12th grade or who will reach the age of 18 years and six months before the program’s start date.
The student must have average or above-average grades in school.
Except as required by applicable law, the district will not provide foreign exchange students with admission to English as a Second Language programs, concurrent enrollment programs or other special programs.
General requirements
Foreign exchange students are responsible for complying with all district policies and regulations.
Foreign exchange students are expected to pay for meals, books, athletic and student activity fees, yearbook costs, and all other fees and expenses normally borne by students in the district, unless the student is considered indigent and/or determined eligible for free or reduced price meals.
The eligibility requirements of the Colorado High School Activities Association shall be followed.
The sponsor, host family and local program representative must maintain personal contact with the school, must be available and willing to meet with school personnel when problems or circumstances require and must assume full and final responsibility for resolving problems including the early return of the student if personal, family or school difficulties cannot be resolved.
If a student’s grades, attendance, conduct or discipline are deemed unsatisfactory by the school, the student may be withdrawn.
Admissions process
Approvals for admission must be obtained from the district between April 15 and July 31 for the following school year or between October 15 and December 15 for the second semester, except under unusual circumstances.
All applications will be screened by the superintendent or designee before they are forwarded for review and approval of the principal of the school where admission is being requested.
The student must attend the school in the attendance area in which the host family or sponsor lives, unless an appropriate transfer is approved by the district. Should a large number of foreign exchange students be scheduled for a particular school, a transfer to another school may be recommended by the district in order to create a balance in foreign exchange student enrollment.
Upon the student’s arrival in the district, the adult sponsor (host family and/or local representative of the exchange program) and student must come to the school to complete the enrollment process. Students must arrive in sufficient time for attendance on the first day of school.
In addition to the district’s general admission requirements, foreign exchange students requesting admission must submit:
- Birth certificate or other proof of age.
- Recent official transcript with English translation reflecting courses taken and grades earned.
- Records showing required immunizations.
- A letter of application written in English that provides pertinent information about the student, including student’s name, age, birth date, home address and phone number, level of education, reasons for wanting to attend school in the district and the projected duration of enrollment.
- The names, addresses and phone numbers of the foreign exchange student’s own parents/guardians, the host family and the local exchange program representative.
- A current notarized temporary custody agreement between the student’s parents/guardians and the host family and/or exchange program.
Foreign exchange students sponsored by an approved program (J-1 Visa)
Only programs designated by the United States Department of State will be considered for placement of foreign exchange students on J-1 visas.
The program must have a local representative residing in or near the district who will meet with the student, host family, and school personnel on a regular basis.
Orientation, both pre-departure and upon arrival in the United States, must be provided to help foreign exchange students adjust to a new culture. Ongoing contact and support from the local representative of the exchange program must also be provided.
Orientation must be provided to the host family in advance of the foreign exchange student’s arrival. The family should be acquainted with the needs and requirements of housing a visitor for a long period of time, advised of potential problems in hosting a foreign exchange student and provided with suggestions for coping with these problems. Ongoing contact and support from the local representative of the exchange program must also be provided.
Foreign exchange students on J-1 visas are not subject to tuition.
Foreign exchange students privately sponsored (F-1 Visa)
Pursuant to federal law, only high school students are eligible for F-1 visas. A student may receive F-1 status for no more than twelve months in a public school system. The student must have reimbursed the school district in advance for the full, unsubsidized cost of educating the student. This amount will be determined by the superintendent or designee.
Should a student not be able to obtain a visa or not attend for some other reason, the tuition will be refunded in full. Should a student attend for less than a full school year, tuition will only be refunded if a true hardship situation is demonstrated.
Approved: Prior to June 2018
Revised: June 2018
Reviewed: September 2020
Lake County School District R-1, Leadville, Colorado