All WEP program participants and their families receive comprehensive support from our experienced staff before, during and after your program. While you are overseas, your host family, local coordinator and host organisation will be the main sources of support available to you. WEP Australia will remain in contact with the host organisation throughout your program, to coordinate and monitor your experience, and we will share any progress reports with your parents back home. We are more than happy to discuss your progress during office hours, and in case of an emergency, both you and your family will be able to call an emergency phone number that is answered 24/7.

WEP Australia is unable to say whether you will have to repeat school upon your return. You should discuss your plans with your school before deciding on a specific program or duration. In most cases, we find that students in years 9 and 10 are able to go away for a semester or a year and fit back into the same year level as their peers upon return. For older students, this is less likely to be the case and quite often students must repeat the year of Australian schooling that they have missed, unless they go overseas for a short-term program during the summer holidays. If you are concerned about this, jump on the phone! We can provide lots of helpful tips and advice.

You will have a local coordinator to assist you in coping with any difficulties you may have while overseas, including any problems with your host family. Very often, most of the problems experienced by students are due to miscommunication and culture shock, so an independent mediator is often all that is required. If problems, persist you will be able to contact WEP’s international partner organisation who will be available to help you solve the problem or make different arrangements.

As long as you meet any country-specific requirements (e.g. age or language pre-requisites), your country of choice is always guaranteed. A specific location within the country can also be chosen for some destinations that offer a Classic + or Flex program option. These programs, in fact, offer an extra level of choice with respect to location, or the possibility to choose a specific school/school district. On a Classic student exchange program instead, there is no avenue for students to select a specific location or school and you could be placed anywhere within your chosen host country.

Based on our participants' recent experiences, we recommend having access to at least AUD $450 a month to pay for your personal items, transport to and from school, any lunches purchased at school, school uniform (if required), subject levies, any additional immunisations required for school enrolment, entertainment, the occasional meal out with your family or friends, phone calls, school/optional trips etc. Additionally, you should take AUD $500 for initial purchases on arrival in your exchange country, such as school books, good quality winter clothing, etc.