Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange
The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, 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 Germany programs and scholarships.
Eligible Countries
Please refer to individual country pages for program duration and departure times.
Programs
Fall Year
Deadline
Nov 8, 2023
Open Office Hour- CBYX Q&A Application Session
Have application questions? YFU staff are available this evening for any last-minute application questions you may have! Feel free to pop in and out of this open office hour before the November 8 application deadline hits!
- Tuesday, November 7th from 4:30 to 6:00 EST- https://www.yfuusa.org/informational-webinars/cbyx-study-abroad-webinar-b9sr3-aywhx-sk5xy-m6t2f
Scholarship Amount
This is a full scholarship.
Eligibility
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 Germany 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
Reside in one of the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Wisconsin.
Age Requirements
Students must be 15 to 18 ½ on August 1 of the program departure year (born between February 1, 2006 and August 1, 2009 for the 2024-25 program).
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 for the CBYX scholarship program.
YFU also has a few other scholarships to Germany, both full and partial opportunities! These other 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.
Application Fees
Application fee to be paid by the sponsor.
Scholarship Covers:
Round-trip international travel
Placement with a carefully selected host family
Regional orientation for scholarship recipients and parents
Preparatory materials
Support services in host country
Medical insurance coverage
Scholarship Recipients are Responsible for:
Passport
Visa fees (if necessary)
Any excess luggage tariffs
Personal spending money*
Notes
Scholarship programs are subject to change or cancellation without prior notice.
*In some instances, additional CBYX grant funding is available to cover personal spending money for students who demonstrate financial need. Please contact the YFU Registration department at admissions@yfu.org to learn more about the qualifications for additional funding for personal spending money.
YFU USA will be holding a special Virtual Information Night (VIN) for students interested in the CBYX program. Stay tuned for additional details soon!
PLEASE KEEP A COPY OF THIS PAGE AND YOUR APPLICATION MATERIALS FOR YOUR REFERENCE.
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.