We are writing today with an update regarding our 2020-2021 Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) and Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program participants, which had previously been deferred from a fall 2020 year program to a winter 2021 semester program.

Due to a variety of circumstances related to the impact of COVID-19 in the US and abroad, YES and FLEX participation in winter 2021 will be offered to a limited number of participants. Students who were only eligible to participate in winter 2021 were prioritized and those students that meet eligibility requirements for fall 2021 were deferred. Unfortunately, there were also some students who could not participate either in the winter or next fall and they will no longer be participating in a program in the US.

The countries listed below will not have any students on program for the winter/ spring semester, due to these extenuating circumstances.

FLEX: Azerbaijan, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

YES: Israel, Libya, Malaysia (due to changes in national testing this academic year), Morocco, Nigeria, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Suriname, and Tunisia

At this time, the students have been informed of their updated status.

AFS-USA field staff are currently in the process of informing host families of the student withdrawals, for any students who are no longer coming to the US in early 2021. If the family and their local high school are willing and able, they would be eligible to host the same student in the fall of 2021, if their student is one of the ones eligible to roll over to Fall 2021. These families would also be welcome to host a different YES or FLEX student for the winter/spring 2021 semester program.

Unplaced students who are no longer coming to the US this winter will be removed from Global Link, MyAFS, and from the Meet the Students page on the AFS-USA website this week.

At this time, we do not know the exact arrival date for the YES and FLEX students, other than ‘early’ 2021. As soon as we know more about their arrival date range, we will share an update.

No changes in the winter/ spring Congress-Bundestag program have been made at this time, so we still anticipate those students arriving in early 2021.

Please let us know if you have additional questions. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Sylvia Pertzborn and Mary Jo Brock