Click Here to enquire about hosting or call 1300 884 733 to request a free information pack, application form and profiles of prospective students.

All students are covered by the Australian Government’s mandatory health insurance – Overseas Student Health Cover – the equivalent of Medicare. Many students also have additional insurance. Host families are not expected to include exchange students on their own insurance policies.

Host families have an extensive, experienced support network to call upon should they experience routine or more serious problems during a student’s program.

Your main source of support will be a local WEP coordinator. The coordinator is also a volunteer and is expected to get to know both your family and the student in order to ensure a pleasant experience for both parties. Most of the problems experienced by students and host families are due to miscommunication and culture shock, so an independent mediator is often all that is required.

If an issue persists you will be able to contact us directly at our office. In the case of an emergency, both you and the student will be able to call our 24-hour emergency phone, the personal mobile of our CEO Carleen Wheeler.

Generally speaking, students arrive in late January and early July. If staying for a semester, students will leave in June or the end of November; if staying for a year, they will leave in November or the end of May/June.

The majority of students are from European countries, with some coming from North and South America as well as Japan. Host families are able to indicate their preference on the Host Family Contact Form and are encouraged to choose a student who they believe will best fit into their way of life.

Government regulations prevent the remuneration of host families, so families generously volunteer to host.

The student is responsible for any costs incurred through telephone usage, school uniforms, school materials, local transportation, personal items and any other general expenses that do not fall under the family’s usual outlay.

Students pay a program fee to the organisation in their home country, which finances their application, interview & acceptance process, screening of suitable host family, program materials, flights, health insurance, orientation programs and 24 hour support for both themselves and the host family.