Foreign exchange student coordinator discusses challenges facing the program

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- From travel bans to visa freezes, the Trump Administration’s immigration policies are leaving many foreign exchange student programs in a state of limbo.   

For the ASSE International Student Exchange Program, executive orders stopped visa interviews, paused funding for state department-sponsored students and banned travel from multiple countries, some of which ASSE partnered with.  

When the state department funding was paused, ASSE’s CEO paid student stipends out of pocket for the scholarship recipients, many from low-income countries, making sure they didn’t lose their opportunity.  

This week, the program got word that the pause is being lifted.  

While they’re still waiting for official confirmation from the state department, students are already working to reschedule their visa appointments ahead of the next school year.   

"We're just excited that things are picking up. It looks very positive because the kids are arriving real soon and it just breaks our hearts if they can't come. It's hard on them. They've worked hard to come," Public High School & Area Coordinator for Illinois and Indiana for ASSE International Student Exchange Programs Barbara Calvin said.  

Calvin said Over 200 students are still waiting to be placed in a host family before school starts.   

To learn more about being a host family, click here.