Host an International Student

The English Language Program is continuously looking for warm, friendly families who would like to open their homes to our students. The English Language Program is a very special time for our students. Some students are seasoned travellers, but for others it is their first time away from home and our host families play an important role in their experience.

As a Homestay family, you will be offering students the unique opportunity to experience Western Canadian culture first hand. You will also benefit from learning about them, their countries, and their cultures. Remuneration is provided on a per-student basis.

Many of our host families are…

• Families who want their children to get to know people from other cultures.
• Empty nesters.
• Hosts who want to share their Canadian experience
• Hosts who may have done homestay or studied abroad and want to “give back"

As a homestay family, you are responsible for providing the following...

• A private, single bedroom with a door and a window.
• A closet, a drawer, curtains, beddings, a desk, a desk chair, a desk lamp, a garbage bin and a laundry basket. 
• A private or shared bathroom. 
• Laundry facilities that are not coin operated (Students to be able to use both the washer and the dryer once a week with a full cycle).
• Three meals a day, seven days a week (with one prepared meal by host family - i.e. dinner). 
• Breakfast and lunch ingredients (i.e. cereal, milk, yogurt, banana, apple, sandwich ingredients). 
• Extra towels (if students needed). 
• Toilet paper. 
• Hand soap. 
• An English-speaking environment (other languages cannot be spoken when the students are around).

What we look for in a Homestay family...

• Cleanliness of home.
• Warmth and care exhibited by the family.
• Able to spend at least an hour daily with your student(s) (i.e. during dinner time). 
• Able to teach English and help your student(s) do homework. 
• Able to include your student(s) for family activities whenever possible. 
• Able to treat your student(s) as a member of your family. 
• Proximity of the home to the University (maximum 80 minutes by public transit).
• Accessibility of the home to the University by public transportation, including evenings and weekends.
• At least one family member should have strong English communication skills, with good pronunciation.
• Students are not a renter but a member of your family. 

All adults living in a household in the UCalgary Homestay Program must provide a criminal record check in order to host students.

Please contact us if you have questions, or need more information about hosting a student in your home.