High School in Austria

Eligibility Requirements

Participants must be between the ages of 15 – 17,6 years old on the day of departure.

The AFS Program

After your host parents greet you with traditional hospitality, it shouldn’t be long before you feel at home in their open, friendly community. By going to a local high school, you’ll be totally immersed in a new language and customs, and what you learn during the day will be reinforced at night when you spend time with your host family. This is your chance to break out of your comfort zone and join in this diverse and ever-evolving culture.

Your high school

You’ll likely attend a traditional public high school. Since the education system in Austria is known to be rigorous, you may find your new school more academically challenging than your school at home. You can plan for all classes, including English, to be taught in German. Schools have classes Monday-Friday from 8:30 am to around 2 pm or later, and some have classes on Saturday morning too. To help you feel comfortable in German even before you get to Austria, you’ll be given access to a Rosetta Stone language course. You’ll start learning German through this online program before you leave, and of course continue improving your skills once you arrive.

For more information on fees and scholarships.

Returning Home

“Life-changing” is hard to describe, yet it’s nearly always the first thing that AFSers say when asked about their experience abroad.
“Transformed” is another one. When you return home, if you’re like most AFSers, you’ll bring with you a sense of accomplishment unlike any other. You’ll have gained maturity and independence, discovered new passions, and feel like you can do anything you set your mind to. That transformation isn’t visible only to you, though – others see it as well. AFSers gain critical skills for college and careers, ranging from language fluency to intercultural competence and critical reasoning. “Life-changing” means it’s only the beginning.