The U.S. Department of State sponsors the whole program. It covers all major expenses, including airfare, U.S. visa fees, boarding and lodging in the United States, school tuition, and a monthly stipend of $200. Candidates will not bear any costs.

No! Applicants must be at least 15 years old and not a day older than 17 years old on 15th August 2024, the program start date for the 2024-2025 academic year of the YES Program. Therefore, the candidate’s date of birth needs to be between August 15, 2007, and August 15, 2009.

Yes. However, it is highly discouraged because only a specific number of scholars are selected, and the selection process is costly. Only apply if you intend to participate in the program from the beginning and have your family’s consent at all stages of the qualifying process.

No! The program is only for Bangladeshi nationals bearing a Bangladeshi passport. Anyone having dual citizenship is ineligible for the program.

Each student will live with an American host family. The student can be placed in any state. Students are spread across the country with the help of the placement organizations. These organizations are approved by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State.

Host families are average American families (usually from suburban regions), who volunteer to host exchange students for an academic year. The placement organizations very carefully choose them. The host families receive no monetary profit from hosting the exchange students, but they gain the company of the foreign exchange students who present their own culture and values to them. That is what inspires them to host in the first place.

The host families are as ethnically diverse as the population of the U.S. While English must be the first language spoken at home, many families are from various ethnic backgrounds. Students should be mentally prepared for and open to the idea of being placed with host families from any ethnic and cultural background.

In addition, families of all religious backgrounds can be found in every American community. A host family can be of any faith or religion. Community Representatives attempt to ensure that female Bangladeshi students are not placed in families with boys over 13.

The Placement Organizations select the host families by matching them with students with common interests. The potential host families are found through community service organizations, churches, athletic leagues, youth groups, foreign language classes, shopping malls, county and state fairs, advertising, etc. Every host family undergoes a criminal background check by the law enforcement authorities.

A student will develop various relationships during his/her stay in the U.S. during the YES program. The student’s relationship with the host family is at the heart of the cultural exchange and will likely be the most important part of the year. All YES students must possess a strong desire to be part of an American family and be willing to accept distinct responsibilities in their new family. These responsibilities may include (for both male and female students) helping with household chores such as cooking, washing dishes, laundry, and cleaning and abiding by all the family rules, even if they differ from their natural family rules in Bangladesh. Having a domestic helper is extremely unusual in the U.S. Therefore, the family members do all household chores. Please note that American families and society generally treat men and women equally; it is important to learn and abide by cultural and family norms. The student must exhibit flexibility, tactfulness, politeness, and maturity of character. Any YES student who expects to be treated like a guest or be given special treatment in their American families is unlikely to excel in the program.

No! Students are not allowed to be hosted by their relatives in the USA, nor can they demand to be placed with relatives. Such visits are also strongly discouraged during the program year, especially during the initial adjustment period, as they can interrupt the relationship building with the host family and may diminish the exchange experience for the student and the host family. Any unauthorized visit will result in dismissal from the program.

No! The program aims to teach people about religious and cultural coexistence. So, a scholar cannot demand a Muslim or a family of the same ethnicity.

Yes! You can pray and fast during Ramadan and practice your religion. The American constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and American families have cooperated with students who want to practice their religion in the past.

Yes! All female students can continue to wear their headscarves in schools, in the family, and whenever or wherever they choose to wear them. There are several American Muslims who wear a Hijab per their faith.

The scholars may choose to be exempted from performing activities that require them to wear outfits that make them uncomfortable or may go against their religious and cultural values.

Halal food can be purchased from the community’s Halal food shops or ordered by mail/post. However, the student must refrain from demanding it from the host parents. Students can buy Halal food with pocket money and should be willing to cook/make their own meals. Host families are not obligated to provide halal food to exchange students.

No! The scholarship does not guarantee a High School diploma. The students may be enrolled in grades 9, 10, 11, or 12 in a U.S. high school. They will be given a transcript for the subjects they have studied and other achievement certificates for their accomplishments during the program.

It depends on the American high school you will attend, the education system you are from, and the grade you will complete in the United States. For many of the cases, the answer is “NO” but it is possible that you may have to repeat a year in Bangladesh. Upon your return, you can apply for an “equivalence certificate” from the Education Board of Bangladesh to help you get admitted to a University or other institutions (if it applies to you).

Immunization records are very important for every scholar. Other than some common immunization requirements, special vaccinations may be needed to be administered, depending on the host state’s requirement. To attend the program, students must also pass the tuberculosis (TB) skin test.

A scholar can’t stay in the United States after the end of the program. It is against the program rules, and anyone who breaks it will be a federal offender. He or she will never be able to get a visa for the United States again.

YES. Exchange Students go to the United States with a J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa. It has a two-year homestay requirement that prohibits students from emigrating to the U.S. or receiving a U.S. work visa in those two years after the program. After completing the two-year homestay requirement, students can apply for immigration or a U.S. work visa.

• Round-trip airfare from your home country to the United States
• The cost of a Pre-Departure Orientation
• Placement with a U.S. host family for 10 to 11 months
• A modest monthly stipend
• Health insurance and
• The cost of program activities and materials