USA International


		Congratulations on having made the decision to study in Seattle. Choosing to live with a host family can be one of the most important decisions you make, affecting your development for years to come. What we hope is to make this a valuable experience for you, both in terms of education and personal satisfaction. In order to assure that you have a safe, rewarding and educational experience, our organization has established the following guidelines. It is essential that you read and understand them. Please remember that each host family is different. They are very excited to host international students. As it is very difficult finding host families, please be thankful to them for sharing their home with you. Please follow the rules of your host family. Each family will have their own rules and lifestyle. Your host family has kindly allowed you to become a part of their family, for which they deserve your appreciation and respect. What your host family requires of you may be different from what your friends’ host families require of them. Please do not have relatives or guest stay at your host family's house during your first three months. After three months, you must obtain permission from your host family and USA International prior to inviting anyone to stay at your host family's home. Living with a host family means that you are a part of the family. Please remember to clean up after yourself (washing dishes, turning lights/TV off, cleaning your own room which includes making your own bed, and washing your own cloths.) Students are responsible for own personal belongings whether at home or at school. USA INTERNATIONAL will not be responsible for your personal belongings. Remember not to carry a lot of cash with you, and always keep your valuable belongings secure. It is important to communicate with your host family. If you do not understand your host family, it is nice to tell them that you do not understand. Try writing on paper if you need to communicate something important. If you will be late coming home please remember to let your host family know ahead of time or please call them so they do not worry. You should not lend money to or borrow money from your host family or anyone else. If you need money, contact USA INTERNATIONAL so that we may be able to contact your family and/or agency. You should inform us immediately if someone asks to borrow money from you. You are responsible to pay your host family a monthly stipend of $550. This stipend is for room and board only. Other expenses such as bus fare, movie and personal items are to be paid by you. The stipend is due upon your move-in date and every month there after and should be paid directly to your host family. If students move out earlier, we will not guarantee a refund. Ask your host family about telephone rules since each family has different rules. Please do not make long distance phone calls from your host family’s phone. Instead, we advise you to use a calling card or make collect calls only. Please do not make or have people call you late at night. Students are responsible for any damage to their host families’ house that they cause. Please ask your host family about changing anything in your room (moving furniture, placing things on the wall and so on.) Please do not ask your host family to drive you around too often. Students must be able to take the public bus to school and other places. Please do not ask your host family to be taxi drivers for you. If you have a problem with your host family, please call USA INTERNATIONAL immediately. USA INTERNATIONAL is here to help you. The first month is a trial period for both students and host families. If the student or family feels that it is not a good match, the student may move out. USA International does not guarantee that the host family will give any refund. Sometimes students should stay at least one month so that you will not lose the homestay stipend. Students should call USA International immediately should you decide to move out. If you feel that your host family is not a good match, you must contact USA INTERNATIONAL within 30 days of your move-in so that we can find a new host family. If you want to change your host family after 30 days, there will be a service charge. Students are expected to stay with your host family for a minimum of one quarter. You must give your host family at least 15 days notice if you will be moving out. For notices less than 15 days you will be required to pay for one-month homestay fee. Please call USA INTERNATIONAL when you decide to move out. If the student and/or host family have a disagreement and student decides to or is asked to move out suddenly, USA INTERNATIONAL does not guarantee any refund. Keep in mind that you are visiting the U.S. as a citizen/diplomat of your country and that you are expected to behave accordingly. This means that you are representing the people of your country as being courteous, considerate, and open-minded. Please respect the ways, traditions and culture of your American Hosts and remember that you are making an impression that will last long after you leave the U.S. It is our goal to ensure that you have a successful time while in the United States. Our goal is for you and your host family to have a lasting friendship and be understanding of each other, for many years. We are here to help you. Do not hesitate to call us immediately if you have any difficulties.