- There
may be fees charged by the secondary school or school district
participating in the program (in order to pay the cost of
educational services for someone not paying local taxes);
- The
period of any exchange program is fixed and cannot usually
be extended; and
- As
a consequence, you cannot expect to use an exchange program
as a steppingstone to becoming a regular student and graduating
from a U.S. secondary school
More information
about international student exchange programs can be found
at the U.S. school you are interested in, or at a school or
U.S. Educational Advising Center in your home country (see
Assistance in Your Country).
You may find that exchange program information on U.S. school
websites primarily address the needs of American students.
You should contact the schools if you would like information
specific to your own situation.
For an
example, see: The
Fund for American Studies
For links
to over 750 education-abroad programs, see the Institute of International Education.
If you
are an advanced student, you may be interested in the Fulbright
Program, an exchange program for graduate study, teaching,
or advanced research in the U.S. You should contact the Fulbright
Commission or Foundation in your country.
For more
programs, you might try these links:
Vocational Schools, Community and
Technical Colleges
Vocational
education is designed to train you with practical or specialized
job skills, including industrial or commercial occupations.
Such training may be obtained through vocational and technical
schools, as well as community colleges. Many vocational schools
do not require a high school degree, though they may request
some sort of high school equivalency score.
Community
colleges, also called junior colleges, provide two years of
academic instruction, as well as technical and vocational
training. Graduates of a community college usually earn an
"associate’s" degree (which is not
equivalent to a four-year college or university degree). Many
students begin at a community college, and then transfer to
a regular college or university to earn a typical undergraduate
(bachelor’s) degree. Community colleges often do not
demand as high TOEFL scores as universities in order for you
to be accepted. While a score of 475 probably would not get
you into many universities, a community college would be more
likely to accept you. The visa requirements for community
colleges are similar as for universities, although you should
ask the school for specific details (you may also see Student
Visas
for more information). Community colleges are often less expensive
than regular colleges and universities.
As an
example, Greenville
Tech in Greenville, South Carolina, encourages international
students to attend and has a web page devoted to informing
foreign students about the school (although you will see that
it requires a minimum TOEFL score of 550). In addition to
other programs, Greenville Tech has two programs designed
for students who wish to continue their education at a four-year
college or university. Another school, the Atlanta
Technical Institute offers 33 diploma programs and 34
technical certificates and provides services for students
with limited English proficiency. Yahoo offers a fairly comprehensive
listing of American
community and technical colleges. For more, see Additional
Sources of Information.
For
a detailed guide for foreign students, see: If
You Want to Study in the United States: Technical and Vocational
Studies
  
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