These exchanges provide a framework for academic, personal and cultural experiences.
Students benefit by having the opportunity to study with a foreign educator.
When families are involved, a total life experience is felt. The actual number of annual community college participants is small, but the effect on individuals is substantial upon return to their classroom and their campuses. Fulbright Exchanges are the best known vehicles for this opportunity, but colleges sometimes initiate their own exchange programs, usually for periods of less than a year. In the U.S., applications are due in October, with interviews in November and matches proposed in April. Because the matches are made so late, there is little time to pre-correspond, and college reviews.