Study in the U.S. - The Au Pair Educational Requirement

One of the great advantages of becoming an au pair is the chance to take classes at American universities and schools.

The United States Department of State requires that all au pairs enroll in an accredited post-secondary institution for not less than six credit hours of academic credit or its equivalent. This means that during your au pair year you must take, generally, any two classes of your choosing in a classroom-type setting at an American community college, college, or university. Your host family will contribute up to $500 toward the cost of these classes.

These classes can be in a variety of fields:

Language
History
Art
Journalism
Business
Computers
Science

These are just a few of the options that will be available to you! Taking these classes provides you with the chance to improve your English, meet new people, and continue your studies from home. Your local coordinator, your host family, and the au pairs in your new cluster can help you with what schools are in your area that would best be suited for you and your interests. You can visit the College Board website to see how many options are available to you!

Read what some Au Pairs had to say:

"I want to be a teacher, so I have been taking English pronunciation classes, and I also took a history class!"

-Nadia

"I am really interested in the tourism industry, so I took a geography class. I am also enrolled in an English class".

-Mayumi

"I want to open my own business when I return home, so another au pair in my cluster recommended the local business school, and I have taken a number of computer classes and an economics class".

- Wesley