The host family program is designed as an outreach to the students, helping them to experience American life beyond the university setting. Most of the meetings center on routine family-type activities.
We will do our best to place each interested student with a family. The International Affairs & Studies Office at Heidelberg University offers several activities for the students and their families throughout the year.
If interested, be sure to fill out the Host Family Program Student Survey upon arrival.
For undergraduate students coming to study at Heidelberg, please review the International Undergraduate Student Handbook.
For students who will be coming to Heidelberg to study a graduate degree, please review the International Graduate Student Handbook.
Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a period during which undergraduate and graduate students with F-1 status who have completed or have been pursuing their degrees for more than nine months are permitted to work for at most one year on a student visa.
OPT must be directly related to the student’s major area of study. Attending a workshop is mandatory for those who intend to apply, but here is a checklist to get you started.