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A Printable, full-color .pdf of our Homestay Family Guidelines are
available at this
link.
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ULI desires that each homestay family would open their home and family to
the student. We are looking for more than a “boarder” type situation. We
want our students to have a good experience learning American culture while
they attend ULI. Who would be better to show them our culture than their
homestay family? Please include them in your life!
UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE INSTITUTE
University Language Institute is a Christian intensive English school,
supplying 25 hours of English language instruction per week. Different
students study for different amounts of time. Some come during vacations
from school in their country, others come to improve their English for their
jobs, and others come with the intention of attending an American college or
university after their English studies. During a single 7-week session at
ULI, we may have as many as 20 different countries and cultures represented.
We have 6 different levels of English and each level is for 7 weeks. Some
students choose to take only 1 level while others stay for more levels or
for the entire program.
BEING A HOMESTAY FAMILY
Being a homestay family requires time and effort to make the student’s stay
successful from the moment that they step off the plane. Please consider all
that’s involved in meeting an international student’s needs before you
commit to ULI’s homestay program. When ULI students arrive, they enter a
foreign country with a limited understanding of the language, culture, and
their homestay family. You become their source for meaningful relationships,
food, housing, transportation, and interaction with Americans.
Students need to feel welcome in your family by what they observe and hear.
The students learn and understand by observing your body language, facial
expressions, tone of voice, and rate of speaking. You can help the student
feel welcome in your family by the way you communicate, and by including
him/her in your life. Invite the student to join you for family activities,
to talk about their school day, to help cook a meal, or just hang out and
watch TV. Spending time with a student communicates that he/she is wanted
and accepted in your home. Take the time to make each student feel at home
with you.
HOMESTAY FAMILY APPLICATION PROCEDURE
1. Send the completed homestay family application to ULI (http://www.uli.net/hostfamilyapplication.pdf).
2. ULI will call you to make an appointment for a home visit and interview
(sometimes you may not hear from us until we have a need for a homestay
family).
3. ULI will call your references and do a background check to see if we feel
comfortable placing a student with your family.
4. After your interview, ULI will contact you when there is a student that
might be placed in your home for the upcoming session.
STUDENT PLACEMENT
When placing a student with a family, we consider the family’s preferences
as well as the student’s. For example, if a student does not like pets and
you have pets, we will consider placing them with another family. Or if the
student is a smoker and you do not want a smoker living with you, we’ll
place the student elsewhere.
Once we’ve decided that a student will be a good match for your family, we
will contact you to determine if your home is available and then send you a
student profile page through the mail. We will also be sending the student a
profile page about your family. If you have any photographs of your family
or home, please send them to us so that we can include them in your family’s
profile page.
Please understand that applying to our homestay family program does not
guarantee that you will host a student. Do not rely on hosting ULI students
as a source of income. Generally, only 1-3 students request to live with a
homestay family each session. Also, the majority of our homestay applicants
are males. We do not recommend spending money to prepare the student’s room
unless you can afford it, and/or we have contacted you about hosting a
student for the next session.
STUDENT ARRIVAL
We ask that you pick the homestay student up from the Tulsa International
Airport when they arrive. ULI will give you the student’s flight information
once we receive it. If the student will be arriving at a time when you
absolutely cannot pick them up, let us know so that we can make arrangements
for delivering them to your home.
MOVING IN
Although University Language Institute facilitates the contact between
students and housing providers, any housing agreement or related services
shall be between the student and the housing provider and not between either
party and University Language Institute. University Language Institute is
not liable to either party in regards to the obligations of any housing
agreement or related services.
Therefore, please be sure to write up a homestay contract between you and
the student that is specific to the rules of your home. Have the student
sign it as soon as possible after moving in so that you have the terms of
the homestay in writing. Please have the student sign 2 copies so that both
of you have the homestay terms in writing in case of a perceived discrepancy
and to avoid misunderstandings. We have provided a sample homestay contract
in Appendix A at the back of this booklet. You can also copy the sample
directly from our website (http://www.uli.net/samplehomestaystudentcontract.html)
and paste it into your word processing program so that you can make changes
related to your situation.
RENT
We inform our students that the normal charge for a homestay is $550 per
month. This will change to $650 a month for new students who move into your
home January, 2009 and later. This should hopefully offset the rising price
of food, utilities, and gasoline.
The amount that the homestay student pays each month should cover the cost
of their bedroom, meals, and transportation to and from school. We ask that
you determine in you particular situation how much you want to charge for
each separate component of the homestay (room, food, and transportation).
You should include this in the contract that you sign with the student so
that there is no confusion. Thus, if the student decides to buy all their
own food or if they purchase a car, you can discount their homestay fee
accordingly in a way that feels fair to you. For example, some of you may
only spend $25 a month on gas while others spend $150 on gas because you
live farther away. Or if you host teenagers or a male student, you may find
that you need to provide more food than normal.
Here are some samples based on the $650/month rate:
$275 (bedroom) + $225 (food) + $150 (transportation for family far from ULI)
= $650
$275 (bedroom) + $225 (food) + $0 (student has own transportation) = $500
$385 (bedroom) + $240 (food) + $25 (transportation for family near ULI) =
$650
$385 (bedroom) + $0 (student buys own food) + $25 (transportation) = $410
You should ask the students to pay the first month’s rent to you on the day
that they move in. Thereafter, the rent should be due on the same day each
month. Students who have not paid by the 5th day after the rent is due
should have a $10 late fee. If the student has not paid by the 20th day
after rent is due, you can ask the student to move. Please notify ULI
regarding payments that are 15 days overdue so that we can help mediate. ULI
recommends that students not pay more than one month’s rent at a time.
BEDROOM
We require our students to have their own bedroom unless the student has
indicated a willingness to share a bedroom. The student should be
responsible for keeping it clean. Student rooms should have a bed (not a
sofa sleeper) and a storage area for their clothes. Since our students are
in the United States for the purpose of learning English, our policy is not
to place students who speak the same language in the same homestay. Our
intensive English course is demanding, so the student will need a desk and a
quiet place to study. Students may share a bathroom with other students or
family members.
TRANSPORTATION
Most students will not have their own transportation. Transportation needs
to be provided to and from school. If the student needs to take the bus, you
should help them get a bus pass and show them where their bus stops are. If
you need help figuring out the bus route, ULI can help. Students should be
included in family shopping and recreational trips if they desire. ULI
students have class Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 2:50 pm. You can
drop off and pick up students at the west entrance of the middle Cityplex
tower. If you are not able to pick up your student by 2:50 pm, it is not a
major problem. Several students arrive early or stay late after school and
go to the ORU Aerobic Center, study in the ULI student room, or study in the
ORU library. Please be sure that a meeting place and time is established for
pick-up.
MEALS
Meals are a very important part of a student’s stay in your home. Please
talk openly with the student about food preferences, and allow him/her to
choose desired foods. You might want to take the student to an international
grocery store to buy familiar food items. Your student is paying for three
meals a day. He/She should be fairly self-sufficient and able to prepare
his/her own breakfast, if desired. A sack lunch or left-overs may be taken
to school for the noon meal. There are microwaves and a refrigerator
available for the students to use at ULI in the student room. You and your
student should decide who will prepare the lunch. If at all possible, share
your evening meal with your student. Involve him/her with the preparation of
the meal. This can be a fun activity to do together.
If your student is buying his/her own food, he/she will need to be familiar
with the kitchen and its appliances. Your student would be responsible for
cleaning up afterward.
Sometimes students demand special familiar food beyond the food budget. You
should make your preference clear from the beginning concerning which of the
following (or other) options you prefer concerning special food:
1. If you provide 3 meals a day and snacks for the entire family and the
student doesn’t want to eat
what is provided, offer to take the student shopping for their own food. The
student would be responsible to buy their own special food items.
2. When you go shopping, tell the student that you’ve budgeted $X per month
extra for their special food items. The student should pay for any special
food that they want each month over that specified amount.
3. If the student is mainly responsible for preparing their own food in your
home, you should provide food that the student likes since they are the only
one eating it. Alternatively, you could completely discount them the price
of food and have them buy their own food. If you do this, please discount a
reasonable amount.
MONEY
Encourage your student not to keep large amounts of cash at home or in a
wallet. If the student desires to open a bank account, DO NOT allow your
name to be on the account. Arvest Bank has many branches (including across
the street from ORU) and will allow the student to open an account with
his/her passport and one other photo identification card.
TELEPHONE
Most students buy their own cell phones, so you probably don’t have to worry
about them using your home phone. ULI students cannot get social security
cards, so they will need to find a cell phone provider that does not require
a social security number. However, if the student does plan to use your home
phone, discuss with your student the importance of using a prepaid telephone
card when making long-distance calls. This will eliminate large, unexpected
telephone bills. If you need to set time restrictions for using the
telephone, please communicate this clearly to your student.
COMPUTER
Occasionally, students bring their own laptop computer or purchase one after
they arrive in the U.S. Most students will want access to a home computer
for class assignments and to email friends and relatives in their home
country. Please discuss this option with the student and clearly state any
restrictions you have set concerning time limits and use of the internet. If
you do not have and do not want internet access, you may consider having the
student connect it under their own name instead of yours so that you’re not
left with a bill after they leave.
HOUSEHOLD CHORES
The student’s main responsibilities should be to help with dishes, clean up
after themselves, and to keep their room and bathroom clean. However, please
do not ask them to do heavy household chores such as mowing your lawn for
you or vacuuming your house for you. Heavy chores should be the homeowners’
responsibilities.
LAUNDRY
Show your student where the laundry room is located and how to operate the
washer and dryer. Inform your student of any time-frame restrictions that
may apply when doing laundry. Laundry detergent and fabric softener should
be provided for your student. If you do not own a washer and dryer, please
supply the necessary funds for your student to go to a laundromat.
TERMINATION OF HOUSING
The student’s homestay contract will end two weeks after the last day of
class at ULI. Upon moving out, if all bills have been paid, students should
be refunded all homestay fees for any remaining days they have paid in
advance. The last month should be prorated $18.33/day for the $550/month
rate or $21.67 for the $650/month rate.
If a student is found to have behaved with gross misconduct, the homestay
can be terminated. Please notify ULI immediately. Gross misconduct includes
theft, abuse of property, abuse of persons, alcohol and drug abuse, failure
to adhere to local laws, property rules, and regulations. No refunds
whatsoever should be paid to students who have behaved with gross
misconduct.
STUDENT LEGAL STATUS
ULI students are given a visa to come to the United States for the purpose
of studying. Therefore, they must be in school at least four ULI sessions
each year. If your family plans a vacation and wishes to include the
student, please remember that the student may only take a vacation (miss an
entire session) after attending four ULI sessions and may not take a
vacation for more than two sessions.
Please do not try to help your homestay student find a job. It is illegal
for your student to work in the USA or to obtain a Social Security card.
Students should not receive money for doing housework, babysitting, etc. Do
not include these as terms for homestay payment or to supplement payment for
fees. If your homestay student has completed ULI and does not plan to attend
another school, he/she must leave the country within 60 days. Students who
violate immigration regulations are subject to a 3-10 year ban from the USA.
COMMUNICATION
We believe it is very important for the student to feel comfortable in your
home with your family. Communicating with your student may be challenging at
first, but it’s necessary in order to build a strong relationship and avoid
misunderstandings. Some students say they understand, but many times they
don’t understand and are too embarrassed to admit it. Here are some
techniques that may help you communicate more effectively with an
international student.
Speak at a slower rate (not louder)
Make hand gestures to help explain
Enunciate your words and speak clearly
Don’t expect an immediate response, allow time for the student to
formulate an answer
Avoid using slang and idioms, or explain what they mean
Write it down for the student to read
Use simple and concise sentences or questions
Check for understanding by asking the student to repeat the information
back to you
EVANGELISM
Some of the students who live in your home may not be Christian. We have
students who are Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, atheists, and
non-religious. It is important to know that although your student may be
interested in Christianity and its teachings, becoming a Christian can be a
very serious decision in many cases. In some cases students might be totally
cutting family ties to become a Christian.
Our method of ministry here at ULI has been simply to live a Christian life
before the students which means to minister the love of Christ to them. We
invite them to participate in our Christian life as we live it. But please
do not force your student to participate in any area of religious activity
in which he/she is not comfortable.
We want our students to have a wonderful experience while they are here, not
only in class, but also as a part of your family.
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
Even though students are very much interested in our culture, they are still
the products of their own cultures. They will think differently from you,
they will respond differently from you, and they will have different
expectations from yours. Just because they want to study in the USA does not
mean that they want to change to be like an American. Being open-minded and
operating in compassion can help during times when your student seems beyond
your understanding.
Your student may experience a phenomenon called “culture shock.” There are
physical and mental repercussions from moving to and living in another
culture. After a period of time the “honeymoon” phase wears off, and the
student may become homesick, depressed or even physically ill. You may find
that the student spends more and more time alone in their room on the phone
or on the internet with family and friends. Understanding this phase can
assist you in caring for your student during this period. Think about what
it would be like for you to move to a foreign country and live there without
adequate knowledge of the culture and language. During this time away from
friends and family, students need consistent encouragement and acceptance
from their homestay family.
Please do not hesitate to contact us at ULI if you feel that we can be of
assistance to you or to your student. We like to keep an open dialogue with
our families so that we can prevent small problems from becoming large ones.
Our office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:000 a.m. to noon and 2:00 p.m.
to 4:30 p.m. We are interested in all aspects of the student’s life.
Becoming a homestay family can be a rewarding experience for you and a
wonderful experience for your student. Enjoy it!
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