BECOME A HOST FAMILY
The DCU International Academy is the designated Educational Training Centre for English Language and University Pathway Programmes at Dublin City University. With over 30 years of experience, we have assisted students from over 105 different countries in advancing their educational and personal goals. All of our students are international students (we do not offer courses for Irish students / native speakers of English). Our courses run throughout the year, and we have new students arriving to start courses at DCU each week (rolling admissions). We offer short and long term courses, so students will attend course duration of between 1 week and 1 year.
a) Requirement for New Host Families
Many of our students will require a place to stay during their programme. Because of this we engage with people living in the locality of DCU to accommodate the students as a ‘Host Family’. At present we have over 1,000 Host Families but are seeking to take on new Host Families.
Please contact hf@dcu.ie for more information or apply directly at the « Apply to Become a Host Family » Button below.
b) Apply to Become a Host Family & Home Visit
We invite persons interested in becoming a Host Family to complete our ‘Host Family Application Form’ online. Once we receive your application we will arrange a visit to your home (‘Home Visit’) at a convenient time for you (between the hours of 10am and 5pm Monday to Friday).
A ‘Home Visit’ is where one of our staff members calls to your home to speak to you about the host family process and to view the room(s) where students will stay. The visit will last between 30 and 45 minutes. Please don’t think of the home visit as an ‘inspection’ – it is moreso an opportunity for us to learn about you and an opportunity for you to ask questions about the Host Family process.
Once the Home Visit has been completed and you are happy to proceed we will add you to our panel of Host Families for student placements. At present we require student placements for the immediate period, later in spring and summer.
c) Our Students – Adults and Juniors
We place students to Host Families throughout the year. Students come from many countries around the world including Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Italy, France and Russia. The type of students we receive a can be defined by 2 categories:
1. Adult Students
- Aged 18 years and upwards
- These students will attend for courses between 1 week and 1 year in duration
- Students are placed to families on a rolling basis throughout the year
Requirements:
We require for Host Families to provide the following to adult students:
- One single bedroom per adult student
- Breakfast and dinner from Monday to Friday
- All meals at weekends
- To include the student’s laundry items in the family wash
- To include the student as part of the family – e.g. involve them in family conversation, special occasions etc. The student should be thought of not as a lodger, or someone who rents a room – moreso a guest at the home.
(Payment is made by DCU to the Host Family – never from student to Host Family)
2. Junior Students
- Aged 14 to 18 years
- These students are typically ‘short-stay’ students – attending for between 1 week and 4 weeks.
- We receive junior students throughout the year.
Requirements:
Junior students are placed to Host Families in 2s and 3s (in general we do not place individual junior students to host families). We require for Host Families to provide the following to junior students:
- A shared bedroom for 2 or 3 junior students (each student requires their own bed)
- Breakfast, packed lunch and dinner each day
- To include the students’ laundry items in the family wash
- To include the students as part of the family – e.g. involve them in family conversation, special occasions etc. The student should be thought of not as a lodger, or someone who rents a room – moreso a guest at the home.
(Payment is made by DCU to the Host Family – never from student to Host Family)
d) Student Placements – The Process
Once you are registered as a DCU Host Family we will contact you (by phone or email) when we require student placements. You are free to accept or reject a placement (for example if a placement conflicted with your holiday plans).
When you confirm your availability to host a student we will confirm the student name, arrival date and placement period with you. Similarly we will confirm your details to the student, and it is likely that the student will contact you by email in advance of their arrival in order to introduce themselves.
e) Become a DCU Host Family Now!
We are recruiting new families immediately and invite you to make an application to become a Host Family. You will get to meet lots of new people from around the world while gaining an income for your services.
So what are you waiting for – apply now! Once we receive your application we will be in touch soon to set up an appointment to visit your home. We look forward to receiving your application.