Study in Spain
“Estoy contento de haber venido a España” may be your motto while you’re in Spain. It means “I’m happy to be in Spain.” As a YFU summer program student, you’ll enjoy paella dinners, flamenco dancing, Spanish classes, and afternoons at the beach- this program has it all! Year program students will become part of a family, attend school, and live there long enough to understand what it means to be Spanish!
+ More About Spain
“¡Viva España!” These are the words you will be saying as you explore the vibrant culture and rich history of Spain while becoming part of a family, attending school, and learning what it means to be Spanish!
Family is an important aspect of Spanish culture. It is common to spend time visiting extended family on the weekends and gathering to share a meal together. From tapas to paella, Spanish food offers something delicious for everyone to try! Schools in Spain emphasize intellectual curiosity, so your Spanish classmates will be excited to discuss current issues, trends, news, and politics with you. After school, you may find yourself going out with your new friends to the movies or a café. Sports are also very popular in Spain – professional tennis, soccer, and swimming all have enthusiastic fans.
Spain offers plenty of museums, monuments, parks, and unique architectural wonders. There are even some caves and archaeological sites that date back to the Stone Age! You’ll be sure to enjoy flamenco dancing, and if you’re lucky, you may have the opportunity to attend La Tomatina, a huge festival involving a food fight with tomatoes in the streets!
Don’t just take it from us – see for yourself all that the cultural mosaic of Spain has to offer.
+ Scholarships Available
YFU USA is proud to send over 200 American students on cultural exchange with a full or partial scholarship each year. Financial assistance may be in the form of a merit-based scholarship, needs-based financial aid, or Legacy Grant for students who are previously involved in the YFU Community. Scholarships may vary in deadline, requirements, and eligibility. To learn more, please visit our Scholarships Page to find details on the following scholarships eligible for Spain:
Holcomb & Farnell Foreign Study Fund
YFU Legacy Grant
YFU Financial Aid Fund
WEH Foundation Scholarship
Epson America, Inc. International Scholarship
Karla Topolka Scholarship Fund
Passport to Equity
+ Application Deadline
Applications for tuition based programs must be submitted by September 15 for Winter/Spring departure programs and March 15 for Summer and Fall. Applications submitted after this date will be considered on a case by case basis depending upon availability.
+ Additional Information
Visa Information
The visa process for year and semester students can be rather complicated. Students are likely to be required to present their visa applications in person, so they should budget for travel costs to and from the Spanish Consulate in their jurisdiction. A copy of your passport and a copy of your official transcripts affixed with the Apostille of the Hague will be needed several months in advance of departure, as our partner in Spain will need to begin working on obtaining visa documents for you. Students who are applying to study in Spain after high school graduation should have their junior year transcripts legalized. Some students may need to have report cards, grades, or school certificates translated into Spanish by an official translator.
Students staying in Spain for more than 180 days will need an FBI Background Check, which should be submitted as soon as your participation is confirmed in the program. Failure to do so may result in delays beginning the visa application process, or may even mean you are not able to get your visa in time to depart. In addition to the in-person visa application in their home jurisdiction, Students will also need to apply for a foreign student identity card at a Foreigners Office or police station after their arrival in Spain. Your Admissions Counselor can provide additional information about the visa process.
Additional Costs
All students should be prepared to pay for textbooks, school transportation costs, and occasional optional school excursions and activities. Students struggling with the Spanish language may be asked to enroll in supplemental language tutoring. Program tuition does not include personal spending money. Students who study abroad in Spain may sometimes be responsible for buying their own lunch at school. Students will also need to pay an additional fee of 150 EUR for the convalidation and transcript guarantee.
Choose Your Program
+ Academic Year Program
During your time in Spain, you will live with a host family and attend a local high school. Part of your experience will be:
School
Spanish schools are academically challenging. You’ll find yourself taking courses with students who are preparing themselves for university education. Exchange students are usually placed in an “Instituto” and will have eight compulsory subjects, four of which are common to all students while the rest are specific to the learning track you choose. You can choose from five tracks: art, natural science and health, humanities, social studies, or technology. Most schools offer sciences, humanities, and social sciences, while very few have the art and technology path (there are usually special schools for Art or Technology). Most exchange students choose the social sciences track, as it is the most interesting for them and has the greatest variety of subjects. You’ll learn about Spanish history and literature, have the chance to work on language fluency, and maybe even study one of the regional languages (if your host family lives in an area where there is a co-official language)— Basque, Catalan, Galician, or Valencian.
Please note: Students may not be able to receive a transcript or a record of grades. Some schools are able to issue a certificate of attendance. Placement in a particular grade level, credit, or graduation cannot be guaranteed.
Orientations
All students applying for the year program must be available for a mandatory 3-day National Pre-Departure Orientation*, which usually takes place in mid-July. This orientation is a required part of the program aimed at preparing students for their experience overseas. All students will participate in a one-day local pre-departure orientation in May or June.
Age Requirement
- 2024 Fall Departures: Students born May 31, 2006 – December 31, 2009.
- Due to visa regulations, students who have graduated prior to the start of their exchange will not be considered for admission.
- Students who do not meet this age requirement will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis.
| PROGRAM | DEPARTURE | RETURN | FULL TUITION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Fall Year | Early September | Late June | $14,995 |
Tuition Includes
- Placement with a host family
- Enrollment in a local Spanish high school
- Airport transfers
- Domestic and international travel
- All pre-departure and post arrival orientations
- Pre-program support by trained YFU staff
- Support from a YFU Spain Area Representative while on program
- Comprehensive insurance
Language
Spanish. No previous language study is required.
Host Family Placement
Host family placement is throughout the country in both cities and rural areas.
Most family members share the responsibility for household tasks like keeping the house clean and preparing dinner. Your new family would love for you to ask how you can help, and they look forward to dinnertime with you to know how your day was and to get to to know about your customs and culture.
+ Semester Program
YFU also offers a Fall and Spring Semester option to study on exchange in Spain. Students will be enrolled in public schools that follow a Semester system, where they will have a choice of science or humanities subjects. Students on the Semester program are likely able to receive final grades from their host schools.
School
Spanish schools are academically challenging. You’ll find yourself taking courses with students who are preparing themselves for university education. Exchange students are usually placed in an “Instituto” and will have eight compulsory subjects, four of which are common to all students while the rest are specific to the learning track you choose. You can choose from five tracks: art, natural science and health, humanities, social studies, or technology. Most schools offer sciences, humanities, and social sciences, while very few have the art and technology path (there are usually special schools for Art or Technology). Most exchange students choose the social sciences track, as it is the most interesting for them and has the greatest variety of subjects. You’ll learn about Spanish history and literature, have the chance to work on language fluency, and maybe even study one of the regional languages (if your host family lives in an area where there is a co-official language)— Basque, Catalan, Galician, or Valencian.
Please note: Students may not be able to receive a transcript or a record of grades. Some schools are able to issue a certificate of attendance. Placement in a particular grade level, credit, or graduation cannot be guaranteed.
Orientations
All students applying for the Semester program must be available for a mandatory 3-day National Pre-Departure Orientation*, which usually takes place in mid-July. This orientation is a required part of the program aimed at preparing students for their experience overseas. All students will participate in a one-day local pre-departure orientation in May or June.
Age Requirement
- 2024 Fall Departures: Students born May 31, 2006 – December 31, 2009.
- 2025 Spring Departures: Students born December 31, 2006 – December 31, 2009.
- Due to visa regulations, students who have graduated prior to the start of their exchange will not be considered for admission.
- Students who do not meet this age requirement will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis.
| PROGRAM | DEPARTURE | RETURN | FULL TUITION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Spring Semester | Early January | Late June | 16,095 |
| 2024 Fall Semester | Early September | Late January | $13,595 |
Tuition Includes
- Placement with a host family
- Enrollment in a local Spanish high school
- Airport transfers
- Domestic and international travel
- All pre-departure and post arrival orientations
- Pre-program support by trained YFU staff
- Support from a YFU Spain Area Representative while on program
- Comprehensive insurance
Language
Spanish. No previous language study is required.
Host Family Placement
Host family placement is throughout the country in both cities and rural areas.
Most family members share the responsibility for household tasks like keeping the house clean and preparing dinner. Your new family would love for you to ask how you can help, and they look forward to dinnertime with you to know how your day was and to get to to know about your customs and culture.
+ Trimester Program
YFU also offers a Spring and Fall Trimester option to study on exchange in Spain. Students will be enrolled in public schools that follow a trimester system, where they will have a choice of science or humanities subjects. Students on the trimester program are likely able to receive final grades from their host schools.
School
Spanish schools are academically challenging. You’ll find yourself taking courses with students who are preparing themselves for university education. Exchange students are usually placed in an “Instituto” and will have eight compulsory subjects, four of which are common to all students while the rest are specific to the learning track you choose. You can choose from five tracks: art, natural science and health, humanities, social studies, or technology. Most schools offer sciences, humanities, and social sciences, while very few have the art and technology path (there are usually special schools for Art or Technology). Most exchange students choose the social sciences track, as it is the most interesting for them and has the greatest variety of subjects. You’ll learn about Spanish history and literature, have the chance to work on language fluency, and maybe even study one of the regional languages (if your host family lives in an area where there is a co-official language)— Basque, Catalan, Galician, or Valencian.
Please note: Students may not be able to receive a transcript or a record of grades. Some schools are able to issue a certificate of attendance. Placement in a particular grade level, credit, or graduation cannot be guaranteed.
Orientations
All students applying for the trimester program must be available for a mandatory 3-day National Pre-Departure Orientation*, which usually takes place in mid-July. This orientation is a required part of the program aimed at preparing students for their experience overseas. All students will participate in a one-day local pre-departure orientation in May or June.
Age Requirement
- 2025 Spring Departures: Students born December 31, 2006 – December 31, 2009.
- 2024 Fall Departures: Students born May 31, 2006 – December 31, 2009.
- Students who do not meet this age requirement or will graduate from high school before the start of their program will not be considered for admission.
| PROGRAM | DEPARTURE | RETURN | FULL TUITION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Spring Trimester | Early January | Mid April | $13,995 |
| 2024 Fall Trimester | Early September | Late December | $12,595 |
Tuition Includes
- Placement with a host family
- Enrollment in a local Spanish high school
- Airport transfers
- Domestic and international travel
- All pre-departure and post arrival orientations
- Pre-program support by trained YFU staff
- Support from a YFU Spain Area Representative while on program
- Comprehensive insurance
Language
Spanish. No previous language study is required.
Host Family Placement
Host family placement is throughout the country in both cities and rural areas.
Most family members share the responsibility for household tasks like keeping the house clean and preparing dinner. Your new family would love for you to ask how you can help, and they look forward to dinnertime with you to know how your day was and to get to to know about your customs and culture.
+ Short Term Program
YFU also offers a Winter Short Term option to study on exchange in Spain. Students will be enrolled in public schools that follow a trimester system, where they will have a choice of science or humanities subjects. Students on the trimester program are likely able to receive final grades from their host schools.
School
Spanish schools are academically challenging. You’ll find yourself taking courses with students who are preparing themselves for university education. Exchange students are usually placed in an “Instituto” and will have eight compulsory subjects, four of which are common to all students while the rest are specific to the learning track you choose. You can choose from five tracks: art, natural science and health, humanities, social studies, or technology. Most schools offer sciences, humanities, and social sciences, while very few have the art and technology path (there are usually special schools for Art or Technology). Most exchange students choose the social sciences track, as it is the most interesting for them and has the greatest variety of subjects. You’ll learn about Spanish history and literature, have the chance to work on language fluency, and maybe even study one of the regional languages (if your host family lives in an area where there is a co-official language)— Basque, Catalan, Galician, or Valencian.
Please note: Students may not be able to receive a transcript or a record of grades. Some schools are able to issue a certificate of attendance. Placement in a particular grade level, credit, or graduation cannot be guaranteed.
Orientations
All students applying for the Winter Short Term program must be available for a mandatory 3-day National Pre-Departure Orientation*, which usually takes place in mid-July. This orientation is a required part of the program aimed at preparing students for their experience overseas. All students will participate in a one-day local pre-departure orientation in May or June.
Age Requirement
- 2024 Winter Departures: Students born September 30, 2006 – September 30, 2009.
- Students who do not meet this age requirement or will graduate from high school before the start of their program will not be considered for admission.
| PROGRAM | DEPARTURE | RETURN | FULL TUITION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Winter Short Term | Early November | Early Febuary | $12,595 |
Tuition Includes
- Placement with a host family
- Enrollment in a local Spanish high school
- Airport transfers
- Domestic and international travel
- All pre-departure and post arrival orientations
- Pre-program support by trained YFU staff
- Support from a YFU Spain Area Representative while on program
- Comprehensive insurance
Language
Spanish. No previous language study is required.
Host Family Placement
Host family placement is throughout the country in both cities and rural areas.
Most family members share the responsibility for household tasks like keeping the house clean and preparing dinner. Your new family would love for you to ask how you can help, and they look forward to dinnertime with you to know how your day was and to get to to know about your customs and culture.
+ Summer Program
If you want to learn Spanish there’s no better place than Spain, especially through this long-running YFU program!
This intensive four-week program offers Spanish (Castilian) classes and a full itinerary of activities in Santander, a beautiful seaside beach town in the north of Spain. Stay with a host family while enjoying group activities with other students, including hiking and boating, art and dance classes, city tours, and museum visits. A day trip to Bilbao is also planned, with a visit to its famous Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. There’s also plenty of free time to explore Santander at your own pace, discovering its many lovely gardens and parks, charming old churches, outdoor markets, small shops, and pleasant cafes. On the weekends you might enjoy some beach time with your host family, attend a local festival, play sports, go to the movies, and enjoy delicious dinners late into the night.
In addition to living with a host family, during past summers, students have had the opportunity to discover the riches of history and culture that Spain has to offer on excursions to places like the Magdalena Palace Peninsula, the charming ninth century village of Santillana del Mar, and an optional bull fight. Participants may also spend their days going to museums, an aquarium, a planetarium, and botanical gardens. In addition, many exciting activities are planned during your stay in Santander, including salsa and merengue dance lessons, an art class, traditional dinners, shopping in the many city markets, and Roman Route hiking.
Beyond the included Spanish classes, participants may choose to add an optional intensive course in soccer, sailing, or cooking, subject to availability, at an additional cost.
Tentative Itinerary
Subject to change
** Day 1:** Arrive in Spain, transfer to Santander. Meet your host family.
** Days 2-3: Spend the weekend getting to know your host family and the local area.
** Day 4: Welcome orientation and afternoon at the beach.
** Day 5: Spanish classes and city tour.
** Day 6: Visit and tour of local historic sites and afternoon at the beach.
** Day 7: Art workshop and afternoon at the beach.
** Day 8: Day trip to Bilbao, including Guggenheim Museum and shopping.
** Days 9-10: Free weekend with your host family.
** Day 11: Spanish classes and optional Spanish dance class in the evening.
** Day 12:** Spanish classes and afternoon at the beach.
** Day 13:** Tour of the Maritime Museum and Aquarium and special oceanography class. See the opening celebrations of the local summer festival.
** Day 14:** Spanish class at the local market. Hands-on marine biology workshop and night safari.
** Days 15: **Day trip hiking on the Roman Route.
** Days 16-17: Free weekend with your host family. Go to the local festival and parade.
** Day 18: Festival mass and parade, followed by free afternoon with host families. Optional Spanish dance class at night.
** Day 19: Spanish classes and afternoon free at the beach.
** Day 20: Day trip to the botanical gardens, prehistoric caves, and medieval village.
** Day 21: Boating excursion on the bay and pottery workshop.
** Day 22: Spanish classes and free afternoon with host families at the beach.
** Day 23: Free day with your host family. Check out the local street theater, concerts, and dances.
** Day 24: Optional bull fight and flamenco dancing.
** Day 25: Farewell ceremony and chocolate con churros tasting.
** Day 26: Final free day with your host family, last chance for souvenir shopping and packing. Fireworks and concert in evening. Depart for home next morning.
| PROGRAM | DEPARTURE | RETURN | FULL TUITION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Summer Program | Late June | Late July | $8,995 |
Tuition Includes
- Placement with a host family
- Enrollment in Spanish classes
- Airport transfers
- Domestic and international travel
- All pre-departure and post arrival orientations
- Pre-program support by trained YFU staff
- Support from a representative in Spain while on program
- Comprehensive insurance
Age Requirement
- Summer 2024 Departures: Students born December 31, 2006 – September 29, 2009.
- Students who do not meet this age requirement or will graduate from high school before the start of the summer program will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis.
Language
Spanish. No previous language study is required. Students will have Spanish language classes throughout their summer exchange.
Host Family Placement
All host families are located in Santander for the summer Language and Culture Program.
Most family members share the responsibility for household tasks like keeping the house clean and preparing dinner. Your new family would love for you to ask how you can help, and they look forward to dinnertime with you to know how your day was and to get to to know about your customs and culture.