USA High School Exchange Prices
Your guide to our programs, schools and prices
Your USA high school exchange fees will depend on the type of program you choose, how much you customise your experience, and the duration of your exchange. Every exchange program is built on our decades of high school exchange experience, knowledge of American school systems and vast network of educators and host families. Every student is supported by our team – whenever you need us, in your home country or abroad.
Explore our programs and prices. Then contact the high school exchange experts and we will answer your questions and prepare a program to match your budget and goals.
Programs available in the USA: Classic High School, Classic High School with Location Choice, Select High School.
USA Classic High School
Our Classic High School program is a traditional cultural exchange on a J-1 visa. Share the culture and daily customs of your caring host family. Attend the local high school and live the life of an American teenager. You cannot choose a school with this program, but you can request an area for an additional fee, which is charged only after your request is granted. These programs depart, usually in January or August – subject to your exchange location.
USA Classic High School
| Length | Dates | Price NZD | Apply by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Academic Year | Jan 2025 – Nov 2025 | $16,450 | SOLD OUT |
| Classic Academic Semester | Jan 2025 – Jun 2025 | $15,450 | SOLD OUT |
| Classic Academic Year | Aug 2025 – Jun 2026 | $18,450 | Mar 1, 2025 |
| Classic Academic Semester | Aug 2025 – Jan 2026 | $17,450 | Mar 1, 2025 |
| Classic Academic Year | Jan 2026 – Nov 2026 | $18,450 | Jul 31, 2025 |
| Classic Academic Semester | Jan 2026 – Jun 2026 | $17,450 | Jul 31, 2025 |
Please apply early to secure a place on your preferred program.
Each destination has a budget for flights included in the fee. If flight costs are above this budgeted amount, a Flight Surcharge may apply. Please see Flight Surcharges for more information.
Program start dates serve as approximate arrival times at the destination. We will notify you of your confirmed program dates ahead of time to prevent any confusion or inconvenience.
The USA Classic High School program includes:
- Return economy airfares from your nearest capital city with a reputable carrier. Please note that a flight surcharge may be applied to all applications. We reserve the right to increase the flight surcharge if, at the time of making flight bookings, airlines are charging a higher amount for flight prices. If there is no increase made to flight prices, then we will not charge a flight surcharge.
- Travel to and from your host community at the beginning and the end of the program – this may be a domestic flight, bus or rail transfer. **
- Full comprehensive medical, hospital, health, accident, baggage, cancellation, personal liability & travel insurance. Please be aware that full medical insurance is provided for all COVID pandemic related medical costs whilst on program but any other COVID specific related expenses including but not limited to early return or quarantine fees are not covered by this insurance policy. The policy can be viewed in full on the insurance page on our website.
- Your own Southern Cross Cultural Exchange Program Coordinator to support you throughout your time away as necessary and required.
- Application Support.
- Pre-Departure Orientation Meeting online.
- Arrival Orientation meeting in your host country (may be in your host community). Overnight Soft Landing Camps may be available at an additional cost (subject to your program length).
- Full board in a carefully selected host family.
- Enrolment at your host school. In most destinations, students are not required to wear a school uniform. Additional costs will apply where required for uniforms, school cafeteria/canteen meals/books/materials/transport and excursions etc.
- Southern Cross Cultural Exchange admin costs.
- 24/7 emergency phone.
- Organisation & Local Coordinator in your host country.
- Certificate of completion.
** Southern Cross Cultural Exchange is required to book flights for students to arrive and depart at set times, as stipulated by the overseas partner. A further fee of $300 is required to make any additional changes to the flights for a requested earlier departure or for personal travel at the end of the program. This will be in addition to the airline cost to make any change to the flights.
Not included in USA Classic high school program price:
| Personal spending money | NZ$400-500 per month |
| Vaccinations & Visa Applications | Personal expense. USA immigration fees including Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) fee of USD$220 as well as Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee of USD$185 is charged in addition to the program fee. These fees form part of the visa application process and are required by the USA immigration authority. Please note: Students must attend a face-to-face visa appointment at their closest US Authority in Auckland, NZ |
| Soft Landing Camp – available for Semester & Year arrivals in August/September | NZ$2,150 |
| School expenses | Books, school materials, transport to/from school/school trips |
| Allergies & Special Dietary Requirements | Please note some medical restrictions may apply and can be discussed further upon application. Allergies to household pets and/or special diets may incur an additional fee of NZ$900. |
| Flight surcharge | Budgeted flight cost is NZ$3,200 and the surcharge is the amount beyond this at the time of booking flights. |
| Additional luggage fees | As charged by the airlines |
| Optional excursions and tours | May be arranged by your host school or Local Coordinator once on program at an additional cost. |
Upgrade your USA Classic High School
Want to live and study near the beach or in a city? Upgrade your USA Classic High School Exchange Program by requesting an extra feature. Area requests will be charged only after your request is granted. This option is not available for January programs, August./September arrivals only.
Southern Cross Cultural Exchange students participating in an August Year or Semester Classic Program to the USA can pay an additional fee to guarantee a city, metro, state, regional or top school location. These guarantees are subject to availability and will be confirmed upon receipt of payment.
Applications must be submitted by December 15 prior to the departure year.
Please note, eligibility criteria applies for Area Requests:
- B average or higher
- No allergies (dogs, cats, nuts etc.)
- No dietary restrictions
- No pre-existing medical conditions
There are many ways you can upgrade your USA Classic High School Exchange Program
Classic Program Price + Additional State Request:
| State | Price (NZD) |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $2,200 |
| California | $4,300 |
| Colorado | $2,200 |
| Florida | $4,300 |
| Georgia | $2,200 |
| Illinois | $2,200 |
| Indiana | $2,200 |
| Michigan | $2,200 |
| Minnesota | $2,200 |
| Nevada | $2,200 |
| North Carolina | $2,200 |
| State | Price (NZD) |
|---|---|
| Ohio | $2,200 |
| Oklahoma | $2,200 |
| Oregon | $4,300 |
| Pennsylvania | $2,200 |
| South Carolina | $2,200 |
| Tennessee | $2,200 |
| Texas | $2,200 |
| Virginia | $2,200 |
| Washington | $4,300 |
| Wisconsin | $2,200 |
Classic Program Price + Region Request Price:
| Region | Price (NZD) | Locations |
|---|---|---|
| Central | $1,600 | Includes: Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming |
| Great Lakes | $1,600 | Includes: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin |
| West | $1,100 | Includes: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming |
| North East | $1,600 | Includes: Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Wisconsin |
| Region | Price (NZD) | Locations |
|---|---|---|
| East | $1,100 | Includes: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, D.C, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin |
| Mountain States | $1,600 | Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming |
| Pacific Coast | $2,200 | Includes: California, Oregon and Washington |
| Warm States | $2,200 | Includes: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas. |
Classic Program Price + City Request Price:
| City | Price (NZD) |
|---|---|
| Chicago, Illinois | $5,400 |
| College Station, Texas | $3,200 |
| Columbus, Ohio | $3,200 |
| Corpus Christi, Texas | $3,200 |
| Dallas, Texas | $3,200 |
| Grand Rapids, Michigan | $3,200 |
| Houston, Texas | $3,200 |
| Indianapolis, Indiana | $3,200 |
| City | Price (NZD) |
|---|---|
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin | $3,200 |
| Minneapolis, Minnesota | $3,200 |
| Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | $3,200 |
| San Antonio, Texas | $3,200 |
| St Louis, Missouri | $3,200 |
| Traverse City, Michigan | $3,200 |
| Metro City (50K+) | $3,200 |
USA Select High School
With our USA Select High School program, you can customise your exchange based on your academic and personal goals. It starts with what you want to gain from the experience – a favourite subject, sport or artistic activity, or the city you want to live in! You can choose the Select school that is the perfect match, or we can help you decide which high school is right for you.
The price of your USA Select program will depend on the school you choose as well as currency exchange rates between Australia and the USA. You’ll study on an F-1 visa, giving you similar rights and privileges as American students including the possibility of earning a US high school diploma if you study in Grade 12.
Not sure about next steps? Start with our most popular schools
To help you start planning for your exchange, we’ve listed great schools, but there are many more to choose from – just ask! We’ll answer all your questions and provide a personalized quote for your USA Select High School Exchange.
The fees listed below are not inclusive of the school and accommodation fees.
Please contact us for a detailed quote.
| School or District Name | Academic Semester & Year Management fee |
|---|---|
| Gilbert Public School | $5,995 |
| Sierra Vista – Buena High School | $5,995 |
| Mesa Public Schools | $5,995 |
| Chico Unified School District | $5,995 |
| Morgan Hill Unified School District | $5,995 |
| Duarte Unified School District | $5,995 |
| Bishop Verot High School | $5,995 |
| Indian River Charter High School | $5,995 |
| Arlington High School | $5,995 |
| Beverly High School | $5,995 |
| Marblehead High School | $5,995 |
| El Camino Real Charter High School | $5,995 |
| Alameda Unified School District | $5,995 |
| Brevard Public Schools – Heritage High School | $5,995 |
| Miami Dade Public Schools | $5,995 |
| Shore Regional High School | $5,995 |
| Winthrop High School | $5,995 |
| Scottsdale Unified School District | $5,995 |
| Paradise Valley Unified School District | $5,995 |
| The Cambridge Matignon School | $5,995 |
The USA Select High School program price includes:
- Return economy airfares from your nearest capital city with a reputable carrier. Please note that a flight surcharge may be applied to all applications. We reserve the right to increase the flight surcharge if, at the time of making flight bookings, airlines are charging a higher amount for flight prices. If there is no increase made to flight prices, then we will not charge a flight surcharge.
- Travel to and from your host community at the beginning and the end of the program – this may be a domestic flight, bus or rail transfer. **
- Full comprehensive medical, hospital, health, accident, baggage, cancellation, personal liability & travel insurance. Please be aware that full medical insurance is provided for all COVID pandemic related medical costs whilst on program but any other COVID specific related expenses including but not limited to early return or quarantine fees are not covered by this insurance policy. The policy can be viewed in full on the insurance page on our website.
- Your own Southern Cross Cultural Exchange Program Coordinator to support you throughout your time away as necessary and required.
- Application Support.
- Pre-Departure Orientation Meeting online.
- Arrival Orientation meeting in your host country (may be in your host community). Overnight Soft Landing Camps may be available at an additional cost (subject to your program length).
- Full board in a carefully selected host family.
- Enrolment at your host school. In most destinations, students are not required to wear a school uniform. Additional costs will apply where required for uniforms, school cafeteria/canteen meals/books/materials/transport and excursions etc.
- Southern Cross Cultural Exchange admin costs.
- 24/7 emergency phone.
- Organisation & Local Coordinator in your host country.
- Certificate of completion.
** Southern Cross Cultural Exchange is required to book flights for students to arrive and depart at set times, as stipulated by the overseas partner. A further fee of $300 is required to make any additional changes to the flights for a requested earlier departure or for personal travel at the end of the program. This will be in addition to the airline cost to make any change to the flights.
Not included in USA Select High School program price:
| School & Accommodation fee | Find price here Please note, school and accommodation prices are listed in USD. |
| Program management fee | NZ$5,995 |
| Insurance fee | Year: US$995 Semester: US$495 |
| Personal spending money | NZ$400-500 per month |
| Application fee | US$250 – US$600 (Subject to the choice of school) |
| Vaccinations | Personal expense |
| School expenses | Books, school materials, transport to/from school/school trips |
| Flight surcharge | Budgeted flight cost is NZ$3,500 and the surcharge is the amount beyond this at the time of booking flights. |
| Additional luggage fees | As charged by the airlines |
| Optional excursions and tours | May be arranged by your host school or Local Coordinator once on program at an additional cost. |
