Short Term Exchanges – EducationUSA

Canadian students have many opportunities to study abroad in the United States with short-term programs. Some of these short-term programs are reciprocal exchanges or special partnerships between universities that allow students from both universities to study abroad while registering at and paying tuition fees of their home institutions. Most reciprocal exchanges are offered for undergraduates, but programs exist for high school students as well. Examples of notable short-term exchanges are the Killam Fellowship and the Youth Ambassadors Program.

High School students (Grades 9-11)

The Youth Ambassadors Program
The Youth Ambassadors Program allows Canadian students aged 15-18 to spend three weeks in the United States during the summer. The program aims to promote mutual understanding between the United States and Canada, emphasizing the central themes of civic education, community service, and youth leadership. Students stay in a host community during the exchange and are expected to complete a follow-up community service project in Canada upon their return. Two adult mentors, such as secondary school teachers, school administrators, and community leaders who work with youth, are also selected to participate in the program.
2025 Deadline: February 9, 2025
2025 Program Details (English)
Détails du programme 2025 (Français)

University Students

The Killam Fellowship
The Killam Fellowship offers opportunities for both American and Canadian undergraduates. Exceptional undergraduates in Canada can apply for this fellowship to study abroad in the United States as exchange students for either a semester or a full academic year. American undergraduates may apply to study abroad in Canada through the Killam Fellowship for Americans. Students can apply as direct exchange students (registering at their home university and paying their home fees) or as self-placed exchange students (registering at the host university and paying the host university’s tuition fees). Check with your university for its individual deadline if you are applying as a direct exchange student.
The National Student Exchange
The National Student Exchange is a network for inter-university exchange within the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. There are approximately 170 institutions within the network. The key program feature is that the member institutions grant tuition reciprocity to their students who study abroad within the network. NSE students can also apply for the open program through the Killam Fellowship.

Consult university exchange offices, too, for more opportunities to study abroad. You can visit either in person or online. Many university websites will provide application requirements and important deadlines for students wishing to study abroad.