Spending a full academic year in Slovakia gives you the time to truly experience life at a different pace. You’ll attend a local Slovak high school, live with a volunteer host family, and be immersed in a culture that balances centuries-old tradition with modern European life.

Slovak high schools are structured and academically focused. Teachers are friendly but expect students to be responsible, and education is taken seriously. Don’t worry, nobody expects perfection from exchange students, and your classmates and teachers will help you adjust. Many schools offer optional clubs, sports, or creative extracurriculars, and field trips to historical or natural sites are common. These experiences help you build friendships and gain new perspectives both inside and outside the classroom.

Holidays in Slovakia are rich in meaning and tradition. You’ll celebrate All Saints’ Day, lighting candles at cemeteries; decorate the tree and exchange gifts on Christmas Eve; and enjoy Easter, with painted eggs and playful customs like being splashed with water for good luck. A year in Slovakia is a chance to slow down, connect deeply, and truly immerse yourself in another way of life.

The program cost includes:

• Round-trip international airfare from New York to Europe and South Africa, from Miami to Brazil and Argentina, from Los Angeles to Asia/Pacific.

• Comprehensive health, accidental death, and travel insurance

• Host family recruitment and screening

• Enrollment in a local high school and mandatory school fees

• Mandatory school books

• Ongoing support by an ASSE Representative in the home and host countries

• Monthly information letters

• Pre-departure and post-arrival Orientation Meetings

• Initial language instruction in non-English-speaking countries (School Year and Semester Programs only)

• 24/7 emergency support

• ASSE flight bag

The program fee does not include:

• Domestic travel from home to international gateway city

• Passport and visa fees

• School uniform (if required)

• Optional field trips (if offered)

• School lunch money (if necessary), and pocket money. 

Application Deadline for Fall Departure – April 1