The Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX) is a fully funded U.S. government exchange administered by American Councils for International Education on behalf of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Since 1992, FLEX has brought tens of thousands of secondary school students from Europe and Central Asia to the United States for a full academic year.
How it works:
Selected students live with a volunteer U.S. host family, attend a local American high school as full-time students, and participate in community activities and cultural exchange throughout the year. The program includes "American Excellence" enhancement activities focused on business, technology, and entrepreneurship. Students return home in spring with deepened English fluency, cross-cultural skills, and a lasting network of American host family and FLEX alumni connections.
Cost:
FLEX is entirely free to participants. All program costs — travel, housing, school enrollment, and enrichment activities — are covered by the U.S. government.
Selection:
Competition is intense: over 30,000 students apply each year across 18 eligible countries, and fewer than 2% are selected. The selection process takes place entirely in the applicant's home country and involves multiple rounds of written testing and interviews administered by American Councils' local offices.
Eligible countries:
Armenia, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
Students with disabilities are explicitly welcome — nearly 400 have participated in FLEX since 1993.
How to apply:
Applications are handled through American Councils' in-country offices. The 2027-28 academic year cycle is expected to open in Fall 2026. Visit discoverflex.org and select your country to find the local office contact.