Study Abroad in Germany on a full scholarship for the 2012-2013

Imagine being offered a chance to study abroad in Germany, live with a local family, attend a local school, and learn German for free.Thanks to a U.S.-German scholarship program being offered by the U.S. government and Ayusa, this dream is about to become a reality for 50 American high school students.Ayusa, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State, provides merit-based full scholarships for fifty American high school students to study abroad in Germany through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange program, or CBYX. Ayusa is currently accepting applications for the 2012-2013 academic year program. Ayusa invites all interested high school students from Arizona, Southern California, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah to apply for this remarkable opportunity. The application deadline is December 16, 2011. No prior German language skills are necessary to apply.

Thanks to the CBYX program, I figured out that my calling is international affairs, said Jennifer Hamel-Merkel, an Ayusa student from Texas who participated in the 2010-11 CBYX program. Before, I always had problems finding my niche in regular high school classes. But after studying abroad, I've become a more confident young adult who's ready to go out and change the world. Thanks to the CBYX program, I'll be focusing on improving relations between countries.The CBYX scholarship program was designed by the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag (Parliament) in 1983 to strengthen ties and share cultural insights between German and American youth. Ayusa is proud to be one of only five organizations selected by the U.S. Department of State to sponsor the CBYX program since 1993. Each organization facilitates the selection of the students in their specific states, so students in every state are eligible. Each year, 250 American students are selected to participate in the program.

The CBYX program allows motivated high school students regardless of socio-economic background the chance to fully immerse themselves in a new culture and language and see a slice of the world they might not otherwise visit,said David Beiser, director of grants at Ayusa. This unique learning experience is something they will never forget and puts them at a competitive advantage when it comes to continuing education, a career, and community life.The CBYX scholarship includes orientations, meetings with government officials in Germany and the United States, a 4-week language camp in Germany, a 10-month home stay with a volunteer German host family, travel excursions throughout Germany, and international round trip airfare.

About Ayusa
Ayusa International is a non-profit organization founded in 1981 to promote global learning and leadership through foreign exchange, study abroad and leadership programs for high school students from the U.S. and around the world. In addition, Ayusa administers multiple high profile grant programs funded by the U.S. Department of State.