YFU students can choose to begin their year-long exchange program in either January or August. During your time in Brazil, you will live with a host family and attend a local high school. Brazil is a large and diverse country and while YFU students may be placed anywhere in the country, all students are sure to expect warm and welcoming host families.
| PROGRAM | DEPARTURE | RETURN | FULL TUITION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Spring Year | Late January | Early January | $13,995 |
| 2025 Fall Year | Mid-August | Early July | $13,995 |
- Placement with a host family
- Enrollment in a local Brazilian high school (excluding summer students)
- Airport transfers
- Domestic and international travel
- All pre-departure and post-arrival orientations
- Pre-program support by trained YFU staff
- Support from a YFU Brazil Area Representative while on the program
- Comprehensive insurance
You’ll find that your school in Brazil will be academically challenging, but also a great place to make friends! Because Brazil is in the southern hemisphere, school begins in February and goes on until the following January. Students starting their program in August will begin at the second-semester mark. Students enrolled in a private school may be required to pay an additional enrollment fee. YFU will contact the student and natural parents prior to enrolling a student in a private high school with tuition.
All students applying for the year program must be available for a mandatory 3-day National Pre-Departure Orientation, which usually takes place in mid-July (or early December for Spring programs). This orientation is a required part of the program aimed at preparing students for their experience overseas.
While in Brazil, students will have an arrival orientation, a mid-year orientation, and at the end of the program, students come together for a re-entry orientation to reflect on their experiences. All orientation costs are included in program tuition.
As high schools in Brazil do not typically offer extracurriculars, students are encouraged to join private institutions that offer courses such as languages, sports, karate, aerobics, musical instruments, drama, etc.
Year program students will also usually have the option of participating in a number of educational trips and excursions during their stay, at an additional cost.
Cultural Trip: A few trips are arranged by a travel agency that specializes in excursions for exchange students and has included tours of Pantanal and Bonito, the Northeast coast, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, Iguaçu Falls, southern Brazil, and the Amazon. Each trip varies in cost, depending on the distance and length of the trip, and requires your host family’s permission, but most are generally offered during school holidays. All will offer you the opportunity to see a unique and different part of Brazil from your homestay location, enriching your experience and offering a deeper understanding of the country. More information about these trips will be provided upon arrival in Brazil.
- 2025 Fall Departures: Students born November 30, 2007 – August 1, 2010.
- 2025 Spring Departures: Students born January 28, 2007 – June 30, 2010.
- Students who do not meet this age requirement will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis.
Portuguese. Previous language study is not required.
YFU host families may be anywhere in the country, in small towns, rural, or suburban areas. Students are rarely placed in large urban centers.
