E.C.I.
Educational and Cultural Interactions, Inc.
 
Foreign Exchange Student Programs
 

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ONE ACADEMIC YEAR OR ONE ACADEMIC SEMESTER
IN PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL

Students live with a qualified volunteer host family to practice English and become acquainted with American life. The host family is also eager to learn about the student's culture and the history of their country.

Program Includes:

  • Services for finding a host family

  • Room and board with host family

  • Provision of documents for the student visa

  • Enrollment in school

  • School tuition

  • Medical insurance

  • Supervision

  • Student activities

  • 24 - hour toll free number

Tuition
Tuition for private schools ranges from $6,500 to $18,000 for an academic year in day-school.  When the student completes the ECI application form, he needs to specify what tuition range he is interested in.

Host families are paid a stipend for transportation, since private schools do not provide transportation for the students.

American School Schedules

  • Block:  Every day the student takes four subjects for 2 hours each
  • Semi-Block:  Every day the student takes four subjects for two hours each, and on alternate days he takes four other subjects for two hours each.
  • Traditional:  Every day the student takes six or seven classes, the same subjects every day.

ECI requires all students to remain in school and retain a "C" or better grade average in every class.

Insurance
Students are covered by accident and medial insurance. Dental and ophthalmologic services are excluded, except for services to alleviate pain. Pre-existing illnesses are not covered.

Trips
ECI organizes two major trips (at an extra expense) during the winter and spring breaks. 

Program Fee Covers:

  • services to place the student with a host family;
  • services to place the student in school;
  • accident and medical insurance;
  • provision of the document for visa;
  • homestay stipend;
  • monitoring of the student within 24 hours during 7 days;
  • counseling of the student (if it is needed);
  • provision of toll-free number for any calls received by the students;
  • some student activities: orientation meeting upon the arrival (orientation meetings are held in the location where students arrive), cultural activities and meetings and gatherings throughout the stay of the student (the activities are different in different locations, and they are organized by local area coordinators).

N.B.:
ECI works with agents abroad that facilitate the screening and selection of the students/participants, as well as prepares the students to the new cultural endeavor. Thus, the agent abroad (not E.C.I.) enters into contractual agreement with the students and the natural parent regarding the cost of the Program.

Expectations
We cannot guarantee  placement in a particular region, nor in a town of a certain size, or with a particular kind of host family. A private bedroom is not guaranteed. However, a separate bed is guaranteed.

The student must comply with all reasonable rules of the host family (example.... curfews, household chores, visitors, phone calls, etc.)

STUDENT RULES

The student must keep the host family informed at all times of his or her whereabouts, with whom he or she is associating, and times of departure from and return to the host family's home.

The student must not borrow money from the host family or from any other source.  Natural parents must supply the student with an adequate amount of spending money at all times, normally $250-300 per month, to cover school lunches at school, purchasing of personal items: (hygiene items, clothing, pocket money when the student goes to a movie with his/her friends), school supplies, telephone cards, etc.

Students must respect the federal, state, local and Program rules that are described in detail under "High School Programs student Rules and Regulations"

Visa
Students applying and accepted for private high-school program are provided I-20 documents from their respective schools. These students will be applying for F-1 student visas.

Instructions for Visa application
After receiving the I-20 and the acceptance letters by the school and ECI Program, together with the other documentation required for visa application (proof of financial and social ties to your country), you need to contact the American Embassy or Consular Offices in your country to ask for the instruction in order to wire the required visa application fee. In addition to the required visa application fee, you are also required to pay the SEVIS fee (I-901 fee) in the amount of $100.00. You can pay the SEVIS fee by going to the website www.ice.gov. You must pay by credit card (Visa, Master, American Express). After you pay your SEVIS fee you will immediately receive a receipt; print the receipt and present it at your Visa interview on the scheduled date.

HOME  CONTACT

 eci@ionet.net
469-872-0069;
972-239-8555
Fax: 405-810-8714
Copyright (c) 2019 ECI