Why choose Homestay?

Homestay can make a difference in your life! Homestay allows international students and visitors to live in an American home as a member of the family.

• Homestay is a wonderful opportunity for international students to engage in American culture and learn English directly from an English-speaking family.
  
  
• Students get to keep their privacy by having their own private bedroom in the host’s home while still having the opportunity to practice English at home. Students find that their English improves dramatically by conversing with their hosts daily.
  
  
• Students will engage in cultural exchange with their host families and friends of the family. Homestays are conveniently located anywhere from walking distance to 30 minutes by bus to the school campus.
  
  
• Students are provided with a safe, clean, comfortable, and caring atmosphere during their stay. In a homestay, students are offered a furnished bedroom including a bed, desk, lamp, and closet space. Some hosts may even offer extra amenities such as a T.V., computer, DVD player, etc. However, providing extra amenities is not required and it is not all hosts who provide these.
  
  
• Students have the opportunity to learn what the American lifestyle is like directly from their hosts!
  
  
• Students can apply to stay in the homestay as long as necessary–our minimum is 4 weeks, but if you enjoy the homestay, you can stay as long as you like! If you enjoy your homestay and want to extend, you will simply need to contact our office to let us know and we will process your extension request. However, please remember to contact us as soon as you decide to extend. We cannot always guarantee that you can stay with the same host if we do not hear from you in advance. Please click here to learn more about the extension process.
  
  
• Let our homestay professionals assist you! We are committed to helping you succeed in the USA.

Homestay Options

USH gladly offers three different types of homestay services so that students will have more options to fit their individual needs. These are:

Room with Meals (also known as full board)

This option includes family services such as time to socialize with your family, conversation, cultural exchange, etc. as well as two meals per day – a continental breakfast (ex. juices, cereal, toast, bagels, donuts, coffee, etc.) which you will be responsible for fixing for yourself as the host will have the food available in the home; and a cooked dinner in the evening (a hot meal such as pot roast, spaghetti and meatballs, turkey and gravy, etc).

Room and Breakfast (also known as bed and breakfast)

This option includes family services such as time to socialize with your family, conversation, cultural exchange, etc. as well as a continental breakfast in the morning (ex. juices, cereal, toast, bagels, donuts, coffee, etc.) which you will be responsible for fixing for yourself as the host will have the food available in the home. You are responsible for your own dinner with this option.

Room Only

This option includes family services such as time to socialize with your family, conversation, cultural exchange, etc. However, you will be responsible for your own meals if you choose this option. Your host will have cabinet and refrigerator space available for you to store any food you may need to store.

Types of Host Families and Homestays

• The US has a lot of diversity to offer and therefore, students may expect to stay with different types of families.  Our families consist of: couples with children, single parents with children, single men or women, retired hosts, people of  European/African/Asian/ South American descent.  All of our families provide students with an experience of what American culture is like and are English speaking families where English is the primary language spoken in the home.

• While some families offer more lavish rooms, others offer modest sleeping accommodations.  While some hosts live in homes, others live in apartments.  For the most part, students will share the bathroom with the host family, some students may have a private bathroom. All host family homes have been screened by USH and approved to provide homestay services. All of our families provide comfortable and convenient homestays.
  
• Families are anywhere from walking/biking distance to a bus ride to the school campus.  The earlier the student applies, the closer he/she will most likely be placed to the school as we work our way out/further away as students apply to close to arrival date.