Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange

At-a-Glance

The CBYX program provides merit-based scholarships for eligible high school students to spend an academic year attending a German school while living with a host family. The program provides a network of support through reputable international exchange organizations, field staff, trained volunteers, and carefully screened host families to ensure the safety and success of the participant’s exchange experience. The program is designed to strengthen ties between youth, improve their career skills through formal study and work experience, and expand their perspectives and awareness of each other's culture, society, history and politics.  Volunteer host families, schools, and communities across the United States and Germany all play a key role in achieving the program success.

CBYX provides scholarship opportunities to American:

High School Students (15-18 year olds)
Vocational School Graduates (18-19 year olds)
Young Professionals (18-24 year olds)

American families can bring Germany to their homes by hosting a CBYX participant.  Learn more at hosting.state.gov!

Germans interested in becoming CBYX participants or hosts should visit the Bundestag website.

Program Length

1 Year

Eligibility and Application Overview

Public applications are accepted.

High School Students (15-18 year olds)

Participants in the CBYX high school program attend a German high school and live with a host family for their year.  The Department of State partners with five organizations for the recruitment of U.S. citizens and placement of German participants in host families in the USA.  Those organizations are AFS-USA, ASSE, CIEE, and Youth for Understanding.

Applications from U.S. citizens are accepted at:
http://www.usagermanyscholarship.org/app/

To host a German CBYX high school scholarship winner in your home visit:
http://hosting.state.gov

Applications for Germans are accepted via the Bundestag website:
https://www.bundestag.de/ppp

Vocational School Graduates (18-19 year olds)

Participants in the CBYX vocational program, who are recent graduates of vocational training programs, live with host families in Germany, study for a semester in vocational institutions, and undertake semester-long vocational training internships in a variety of fields.  The Department of State partners with Nacel Open Door on the recruitment of U.S. citizens for the vocational component of CBYX.

Applications from U.S. citizens are accepted via the Nacel Open Door website:
http://www.nacelopendoor.org/exchange-programs/americans-abroad.html

Young Professionals (18-24 year olds)

Participants in the CBYX young professionals program spend two months undergoing German language training, four months attending school, and five months getting practical work experience.  The Department of State partners with Cultural Vistas on the recruitment of U.S. citizens and the placement of German participants for the young professional component of CBYX.

Applications from U.S. citizens are accepted via the Cultural Vistas website:
https://culturalvistas.org/programs/abroad/congress-bundestag-youth-exchange-young-professionals/

To host a German CBYX young professional, please visit:
https://culturalvistas.org/for-prospective-hosts/host-information-cbyx/

Applications for Germans are accepted via the Bundestag website:
https://www.bundestag.de/ppp

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