Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange

Beginning in 1983, the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) program was founded to strengthen the ties between the United States and Germany through exchange programs. The U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag jointly fund this highly competitive scholarship program. It is overseen by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Since its inception, over 29,000 students have been awarded this opportunity.

This scholarship is for highly motivated high school students who want to experience complete immersion in another culture for an entire school year. Each year, YFU sends 55 students on a full-ride scholarship for an academic year program to Germany on the CBYX scholarship.

Eligible Countries

Germany

Programs

August 2025 – June 2026

Deadline

November 8th, 2024

Application Fees

The application fee is to be paid by the sponsor.

Scholarship Amount

This is a full scholarship which covers 100% of tuition.

Tuition Includes

Application Fees
Round-trip international travel
Placement with a carefully selected host family
Regional orientation for scholarship recipients and parents
Preparatory materials
Support services in the host country
Medical insurance coverage

Eligibility

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX) is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, funded by the U.S. Congress and German Bundestag, and administered by YFU USA. It is for motivated high school students who want to live with a host family and attend school for an academic year in Germany. No previous language experience is required. Students who have previously participated in a semester or year exchange in another country are not eligible for the German programs and scholarships. Additional information on this prestigious scholarship may be found here.

To be eligible, you must:

Be a U.S. citizen, national or permanent resident
Have a GPA of 2.50 or better on a 4.0 scale
You must reside in one of the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Wisconsin, or Guam.

Age Requirements

Students must be between 15 and 18½ years old as of August 1 of the program departure year. For the 2025-26 program, eligible students must be born between February 1, 2007, and August 1, 2010.

Notes

Scholarship programs are subject to change or cancellation without prior notice.

Scholarship Recipients are Responsible for

Passport
Any excess luggage tariffs
Personal spending money*

*In some instances, additional CBYX grant funding is available to cover personal spending money for students who demonstrate financial need. Please get in touch with the YFU Registration department at admissions@yfu.org to learn more about the qualifications for additional funding for personal spending money.

Complete Application Includes

Online Application
Host Family Letter
5 Short Answer Essay Questions
1 Teacher and 1 Community Leader Recommendation
Academic Transcript
School Certificate
Parent-student agreement
CBYX Terms & Conditions
1 Smiling headshot
5 Candid photos

Apply Now

YFU also has a few other scholarships to Germany, both full and partial opportunities! These opportunities have a separate application through the YFU website. You may apply to as many as you would like. If applying for multiple scholarships, please indicate each scholarship’s name and code on your application. All scholarship recipients are required to travel on the YFU group travel dates and to complete the entire program. For more information regarding YFU and the scholarship selection process call 1.800.TEENAGE or refer to the Scholarships Overview section of this website.

CBYX is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by YFU USA.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) scholarship is a full-ride scholarship for studying abroad in Germany for an academic year. This program was designed after World War II to strengthen bonds between Germany and the United States. The CBYX scholarship covers costs to participate in program activities, including:

Application Fees
Round-trip international travel
Placement with a carefully selected host family
Regional orientation for scholarship recipients and parents
Preparatory materials
Support services in the host country
Medical insurance coverage

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX) is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Congress and German Bundestag and administered by YFU USA. CBYX is for motivated high school students who want to live with a host family and attend school for an academic year in Germany. No previous language experience is required. Students who have previously participated in a semester or year exchange in another country are not eligible for the German programs and scholarships.