Foreign Exchange Program

All students attending Lovejoy ISD as foreign exchange students are expected to have a command of the English language, both written and spoken.  Student must be over 16 and under 18 years of age by September 1 of the school year in which he/she plans to attend Lovejoy ISD.

The foreign exchange student must have been enrolled in high school in his or her home country the semester preceding the exchange. No exchange student who has completed the equivalent of the 12th grade in his or her home country, has received a diploma or a certificate of graduation, or is considered eligible for college or university placement will be eligible to attend Lovejoy ISD.

Foreign exchange students who meet graduation requirements in Texas and wish to complete their studies in Lovejoy ISD  must declare their intent to graduate upon enrollment. Foreign exchange students will not be placed in the class ranking. Foreign exchange students who do not wish to pursue graduation shall sign a waiver of graduation upon enrollment. Foreign exchange students, by signing the waiver of graduation, become exempt from state-mandated testing (End of Course exams). In addition, foreign exchange students will not be afforded the opportunity to take the PSAT or SAT.  Foreign exchange students will take a full course load typical of any other Lovejoy ISD student but should not participate in work-based programs.

Foreign exchange students wishing to participate in athletics, fine arts, and other activities/competitions governed by the University Interscholastic League (UIL) must submit to the UIL rules and regulations governing participation which requires completion of an Application for Waiver of Athletic Eligibility. Participation is not conveyed with high school placement. Coaches and sponsors of extracurricular activities will be responsible for checking and obtaining proper credentials for participation in each activity.

Foreign exchange students are subject to Lovejoy ISD attendance and discipline regulations and policy and are expected to participate fully in their classes. Students must be in attendance at least 90 percent of days each course is offered to receive credit.

The host family must be established at the time of application. Agent/temporary placement may NOT be used while waiting for the permanent host family to be located. Host families must be residents of the accepting high school’s attendance zone. Additionally, Host families must provide proof of residency in the form of a current (within the last 30 days) electric bill, gas bill, water bill, or lease agreement.

Foreign exchange organizations shall meet the requirements and be listed (“Listing Status: Full”) on the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) approved list of foreign exchange organizations for the school year in which placement is requested. The CSIET approved list may be found at www.csiet.org . Additionally, the foreign exchange organizations must be able to bring the student via a J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa, since Board policy and State law prohibit the issuing an I-20 form for a student to obtain an F-1 Visa.

The representative of the exchange program cannot be a member of the host family.  Additionally, neither the program representative or employee of the program agency can be named as a host family on a temporary basis while awaiting a permanent host family. 

A foreign exchange organization representative is expected to maintain continuous personal contact with each of its Exchange-Visitor students, the host family, and the high school in which each student is enrolled. The representative shall initiate action to resolve any problems that may arise with respect to the student’s participation in his or her academic program or with respect to the student’s relationship with his or her host family. The District shall be consulted if problems arise which lead to a change in student placements. The contact person for the program is the Executive Director of Student Services. 

Lovejoy ISD has obtained a waiver from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to limit the number of foreign exchange students to a maximum of five (5) foreign exchange students per high school per year.  Placements will be made on a first-come, first-served basis with applications being accepted between March 1 and June 30.  Waiting lists will not be maintained to hold a company's or student's request for enrollment. Only completed documentation will be accepted and only if the waiver limit has not been met. 

Please note that foreign exchange students will only be accepted for one calendar year.  One-semester placements will not be granted. 

If a foreign exchange student is returned to his/her home country or is moved to another district during the school year, no new foreign exchange student will replace the withdrawn student.

The local foreign exchange organization representative should complete the online application form. All of the required documentation concerning the exchange student shall be attached to the online application. The application must be complete when submitted or it shall not be considered. Applications denied for any reason must be re-submitted and will be processed in the order received.

Please note that:

• Immunization and transcript records submitted must be official records.
• All records submitted must be in English
• Falsification of a student record will result in immediate withdrawal.

Documentation required within application:

• Birth Certificate and/or Passport (passports may not be expired)
• Immunization Records - https://www.dshs.texas.gov/immunization-unit/texas-school-child-care-facility-immunization 
• Host Family Proof of Residence 
• Official High School Transcript (translated to English)
• Agency’s Acceptance Letter (must be fully completed except for needed signature)