Background Info

Okay, so for those who have no clue what student exchange is and can't be stuffed to Google it, it's basically where a student, usually between the ages of 14-18 go over to another country to study and live with a 'host family', and live the way they do with their culture and everything. So you go to school over there, make friends, hang out, learn, and pretty much just that. But because I suck at explaining things, here's an extract from a website I found, it'll probably make more sense and sound better than what I said.


'A student exchange program is a program in which a student, typically in secondary or higher education, chooses to live in a foreign country to learn, among other things, language and culture. ...'

Some programs you can swap with your host families child or just go one way.


Many companies sell the experience as:

• Gain "insider" knowledge about a foreign country and culture
• Learn a foreign language fluently (unless you travel to the US) and might even dream in a new language after a few months.
• Become part of a "second family" abroad
• Meet new friends from your host country and all over the world
• Explore a different school system
• Gain experience and skills that will benefit your future career and studies
• Challenge yourself and grow as a person
• Learn about the world first hand
• Open career doors you didn't know existed
• Get to know how others live and come to see the world from another perspective
• Learn another language
• Test yourself and acquire independence and maturity
• Make new friends and appreciate old ones even more 
• Gain experience and judgement
• Become a member of an overseas family,
• Attend an overseas school,
• Learn a new language,
• Make friends from around the world,
• Immerse yourself into a different culture,
• Experience life as an overseas teenager,
• Explore a new country, culture and customs,
• Have the time of your life!

Host Families

Rightio, host families are families who want to let another person into their home and life and hopefully accept you as a part of their family. Most of the time they don't get paid and are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. It may just be a young couple, a single mum, a big family with twelve children, small family with two kids, an older couple or something else entirely.
  They apply to have a total stranger come live with them and want to help them get the best out of their exchange. They expect you to live like them, do chores, cook dinner, perhaps attend family outings and have manners. Treat them with respect, like you would hopefully treat your normal parents.


'Host families come from all walks of life. You could have children or not, you may have children older or younger than the exchange student, you may be a young couple or an older couple, or you may be single. You may live in a house, in an apartment, in a town or in the countryside.'
     Another extract from a website


Cost
Depends on which company you go with and the country, varies on the price, it could be anything from  $8000 to $12 000, or maybe more. Most companies offer scholarships to get some money off or some even do whole scholarships where, if you get it, they pay for your whole exchange, the only company I know that does this is AFS.
    It also depends on what is included, visa, medical insurance, region choice etc.




Few different sites:
http://www.ef-australia.com.au/highschool/
http://studentexchange.org.au/
http://www.wep.org.au/info/
http://www.sts-education.com.au/australia/hs/exchange_program/
http://www.afs.org.au/