“I often think of hosting like flying a kite…
it’s only when you take it in your hands and help your student to fly
that you see the true joy that so many families receive from hosting!”
Host families
Join our InterStudies community! Hosting an international student will enrich your life in so many ways – you’ll become a key part of the experience for a student who has come to live and study abroad. Our students come from all around the world to learn about language and culture.
Students live with a host family, attend school, and become a part of the local community. Our host families are a really important part of what we do – they provide a safe and welcoming home away from home for our students.
As a host family, you’ll have the chance to grow your family, make new friends, learn more about the world and make a real difference to each student’s experience. You’ll also benefit from dedicated local support and competitive compensation rates.
Become a host family!
Meet one of our host families!
We spoke with Julie, one of our host mums, to find out more about what hosting means to her – and about how it has changed her family life!
Growing our family. We’ve always been sociable, and we like to share our family – but family isn’t just blood; it’s who you choose to be with. There are times when things are stressful, but that’s just because the student is truly a part of our family. She’s like a daughter to us!
Yes – do it! But do it right; we didn’t get it quite right the first time. You need to set ground rules from day one. This will help the student to settle, will avoid any awkwardness, and will prevent you from getting frustrated further down the line! Communication is key.
Hosting FAQs
We welcome a wide variety of families into our hosting community! The most important thing is that you can provide a welcoming and safe environment for our students. No two host families are the same, just as no two students are the same.
You’ll need to be able to provide a bedroom for your student, with adequate space – including somewhere for students to store their belongings. Students also need access to a quiet place to study, perhaps at a desk in their room or at your kitchen table.
You can host one or two students, in either a shared room or two seperate rooms. If you host two students, they will be of different nationalities.
We ask our host families to treat their students like a member of their family – so that means involving them in day to day life, supporting them if they have any problems, and joining in with your family meal times.
All of our host families receive monthly compensation for hosting students. This is intended to offset the cost of food, electricity, heating and similar. Families are compensated at the end of each month for the duration that the student has been in your home. Monthly compensation for hosting should not be seen as an extra source of income.
You’ll have a dedicated Local Support Coordinator in your local area who is nearby to help and support you throughout your hosting journey. We also have an experienced team at our Head Office (including many current or former host families) who are also here to help you, including in the unlikely case of an emergency.
Most of our students arrive in August or at the start of September, and some also arrive in January. Students stay on the programme usually for a term, a semester or a full academic year. Sometimes, we also welcome shorter term (between 2-12 weeks) students.
We place students in many different locations across the UK and Ireland! If you’re interested in hosting, please get in touch and we can discuss your local area.
You can fill out our enquiry form and one of our Local Support Coordinators will soon be in touch with you! After that, we’ll ask you to complete an online application, and our LSC will visit you in your home, where they can answer any questions you might have.
