FLEX Global (Future Leaders Exchange) Program

The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Global Program is a fully funded U.S. government exchange funded and administered by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented by American Councils for International Education in partnership with AFS-USA, Amideast, and iEARN. FLEX Global builds on the legacies of the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX), which has run since 1992, and the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) programs by expanding participation globally.

How it works:

Selected students spend an academic year in the United States living with a volunteer host family, attending a U.S. high school, engaging in community activities, and developing leadership skills. Students return home with deepened English fluency, cross-cultural skills, and a lasting network of host family and alumni connections.

Cost:

The official 2027–28 brochure states that applying is free and lists round-trip travel, school enrollment, host-family placement, activities, medical insurance with exclusions, and a monthly allowance. It excludes passport costs, excess baggage, internet/data plans and personal spending beyond the allowance.

Selection:

FLEX Global is a highly competitive, merit-based program. Applicants complete country-specific application and testing stages; the official brochure says final selection is based in the United States. Deadlines vary by country.

Eligible countries (2027-28):

Argentina, Armenia, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Egypt, Georgia, Greece, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

How to apply:

Recruitment for 2027–28 has begun, but open status depends on the country and its deadline. Applicants in Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan can start the online application at discoverflexglobal.org/apply-to-flex. Applicants in the other countries should contact their FLEX Global country office.

Country deadline check, November 4, 2026: The central Apply page provides country routes and the 2027–28 brochure. The following verified deadlines apply only to the named countries, not all participating countries:

The Kyrgyzstan page explicitly says applications are closed. Some other pages still say “open” alongside an already-past cutoff. Those labels do not establish that a past country deadline was extended, or that all 31 countries share the same status. Deadlines for countries not listed above must be checked in their own official instructions.

The brochure’s country-specific birthdate and grade table replaces a general ages 15–18 shortcut. Applicants need citizenship and secondary-school attendance in the country where they apply, good academic standing, English ability and visa eligibility, with additional exclusions stated in the brochure. Most country rows exclude already-graduated students; Tajikistan has a specific exception. Passing into an ineligible grade before departure can disqualify a student. These are 2027–28 rules, not confirmed requirements for a later cycle.