Program Details
| Program Length | Start | End | Price | Age on Departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August | July | $73,800 | 15-18.6 |
Hungary is situated in the centre of Europe. The Hungarian landscape is varied and is divided into three regions.
There a two large rivers, the Duna (Danube) and the Tisza, both of which play an important part in the lives of Hungarian people. Holiday sights are found along these rivers which are also used for trade purposes. There are thermal springs all around the country that have been used since prehistoric times.
Hungary is rich in history and cultural significance. The capital is Budapest which is a beautiful city, famous for its architecture and surrounding landscape.
Hungary has four distinct seasons with temperatures rising in July to 30-35C, and in January becoming as low as -15ºC.
AFS in Hungary
AFS Hungary was established in 1989 with the Short Program. In 1990 the year program began with nine students hosted in Hungary and five Hungarian students going to the USA. Presently AFS Hungary sends 25 students and hosts approximately 35. The majority of hosted students are placed within rural environments. AFS Hungary offers a small, but strong program, based on a network of supportive volunteers and high schools. Every host student is provided with a contact person for support, which may be a school teacher or a volunteer.
Host Schools
Hungarian schools will accept AFS and other exchange students who are between 15 and 18 years on arrival. Students who have graduated from high school and/or are older than 18 years can not be placed due to the requirements of the education system.
The school year commences in September and finishes for the year in June. A normal school day begins at 8:00 and ends at 2:00 pm. The majority of schools are state schools.
A typical subject list includes: Hungarian language, mathematics, science, history and physical education. Students are also encouraged to participate in extra curricula activities such as sport or music. Education is highly valued in Hungary. Students take great pride in learning.
Hungarian is a unique language with Turkish and German influences. As an AFS student in Hungary said: “The language is beautiful and I know you’ll want to learn it once you realise it is going to play a major role in your AFS experience.”
Host Families
Hungarians are hard working people with both parents employed. Housing in Hungary is quite small and every member of the household must be prepared to contribute to the housework. Many families also have a “garden”, which is a small farm or a summer house, and considerable time during the summer months with the family is spent there.
Food is very important to the people of Hungary, they are real meat eater. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day and will include soup, a main dish, a side dish and bread. The food is considered to be different and at the same time very good.
For the official website of AFS Hungary, please refer to the front page.
