High School in Argentina

Studying abroad with Greenheart Travel’s High School Language and Cultural Immersion program in Argentina will give you a chance to live and study in one of the world’s largest Spanish-speaking countries in South America’s Southern Cone.

As an exchange student, you’ll live with a host family and attend a local public or private high school, and also have plenty of opportunity to travel around this diverse country.  With trimester, semester, and academic year program length options, this program is ideal for all students – whether your goal is to become fluent in Spanish or simply eat as many empanadas as possible.

This program is perfect for you if:

• Love the idea of going to an off-the-beaten path destination (placements are around Cordoba)
• You’ve had a few years of Spanish under your belt and you’re ready to take on that lleismo and learn lunfardo, Argentine slang
• Love volunteering and want to give back to your host community. Academic year students are required to volunteer!
• Want to travel around your host country: there are several optional trips you can add on

Students in the mountains in Argentina.

Spring 2022 Dates

Apply early and save! Apply by May 28, 2021 and save $300 off a trimester program and $500 off a semester or academic year program. This discount will be applied to your final program balance, not the deposit. 

• Trimester: February 2022 – May 2022
• Semester: February  2022 – July  2022

Fall 2022 Dates

Apply early and save! Apply by December 3, 2021 and save $300 off a trimester program and $500 off a semester or academic year program. This discount will be applied to your final program balance, not the deposit. 

Final Deadline to Apply: March 15th, 2022

• Trimester: July 2022 – October 2022
• Semester: July 2022 – December 2022
• Academic Year: July 2022 – July 2023

Note: Dates subject to change.

Can’t go for a full month but still want to learn Spanish? Check out our 2-4 week summer language camp options in Costa Rica or Spain! Starting in Summer 2020, we also offer online Spanish classes.

Arrival and Departure 

All students are required to book flights on their own. An airport transfer upon arrival is included in the cost of the program. We will provide your exact arrival and departure dates after acceptance, as well as the exact timeframes you should arrive/depart, so that you can start to search for possible flights. We require prior approval of a proposed itinerary before you purchase any flights.

Nervous about flying on your own? We recommend students and parents sitting down together to review the following resources:

• How to navigate an international airport blog
• Flying internationally video
• Webinar with tips on flying internationally

For many Greenheart Travel students their first time flying is across the world to start their exchange program! You can read our alumni experiences on our blog, such as Emily’s or Madison’s blogs on their experiences flying to Japan or Rachel’s tips on what you actually need to know about flying.

• Academic Trimester: $7,820
• Academic Semester: $10,120
• Academic Year: $11,230

The following locations can be guaranteed for an additional cost of $500 USD:

• Córdoba city suburbs — towns like “Unquillo”, Rio Ceballos, Mendiolaza, or Villa Allende
• Rio Cuarto city in the Pampa region
• Córdoba Mountain Range

Packaged into the Price:

• Airport pickup upon arrival
• Host family accommodation and 3 meals per day
• School placement
• Comprehensive medical/accident insurance
• 5 day/4 night Arrival Orientation
  • Accommodation at Orientation Site and 3 meals per day
  • 20 hours of Spanish lessons
  • 6 hours of orientation workshops (covering school life, host family life, Argentine culture, etc).
  • 1 cultural activity per day (e.g. bus tour of Northern Rosario, a boat tour of the Paraná River, etc.)
• Certificate of Completion upon successful completion of the program for use on college applications.
• Access to Greenheart Travel Facebook groups to connect with alumni and others on your start date ahead of your program.
• Greenheart Atlas Program 
• Greenheart Travel T-shirt & Reusable “No Plastic Please” Canvas Tote Bag

Our Support and Services: 

• Visa Assistance in applying for the visa ahead of arrival, including visa paperwork and extensive directions and support.
• Extensive pre-departure advice and support from Allison and Jess, your US-based program coordinators! They will be with you from your first inquiry, all the way through preparing to leave and your arrival in Argentina.
• Support and counseling services from in-country staff upon arrival to Japan.
• Online pre-departure cultural and logistical orientation before you leave
• 24-hour in-country and emergency support for the duration of the program, including 24-hour emergency phone numbers to reach a program manager at any time.
• Opportunity to apply for a Greenheart Grant to give back to your community at home or abroad

Additional Expenses to Budget For:

• Flights to/from Argentina
• Optional Spanish tutoring or academic support tutoring
• Spring 2021 students will be responsible for a $600 14-day compulsory quarantine/orientation due to COVID-19 regulations
• Registration & tuition fees if placed in a private school (typically $100 registration fee and $85/month tuition)
• Weekend excursions (optional trips offered throughout the year – read more here)
• All school supplies, notebooks, pens, calculator etc.
• Local transportation
• Pocket money
• Personal hygiene articles (deodorant, tampons, perfume, shampoo)
• Specialty food items
  • If there is something you want or enjoy that your host family does not typically buy. Students with intolerances have to buy (for example): gluten-free items, lactose intolerance milk, vegan options etc. if this is not part of their host family’s diet.

Payment Details

• $1,500 Application Fee due by the program deadline to formally apply
• $5,000 Commitment Payment due 14 days after acceptance
• Remaining balance is due 16 weeks prior to your start date. If when you are accepted your programs starts within 16 weeks, the remaining program balance will be due at the same time as the commitment payment. 

Please note there is a non-negotiable $450 late application fee for any applications received after the stated application deadline.

Worried about the program fee?

Our goal is to help make travel accessible to everyone and we are here to help when you are deciding if this experience is financially do-able. Each year we offer scholarships for high school study abroad students! We also have a guide to fundraising your program fee, and many high school students fundraise in their hometown ahead of their program.

We also offer discounts for applying early (plus there are many other benefits to applying early!) for each start date and for US families that have hosted an exchange student with Greenheart Exchange.

Please inquire here if you have questions about the program fee, scholarships, or fundraising for your program.

So, what about credits?

Neither Greenheart Travel nor the host school abroad provides high school credit. All credit must be granted through your home school in the U.S. or Canada. All U.S./Canadian schools have different policies. It is strongly recommended prior to departure each student confirms with the home school whether courses will be transferable or accepted. To read how previous alum have transferred credits, click here.

In Argentina, we cannot guarantee your host school will provide you an official transcript. It is the student’s responsibility to request and receive documentation or letters from the host school verifying completion of course work. Students must have good attendance, standing, and behavior in their host school for such requests to be fulfilled.

It is then the student’s responsibility to provide their home school with such documentation as proof of completion. The student’s home school will determine whether credit shall be awarded or not.

Before You Go Abroad

You should meet with your US high school before you leave and share the general curriculum guidelines for Argentina with your guidance counselor and/or teachers.

Each host school has varying curriculum and students are not guaranteed specific classes. Students are encouraged to arrange specific classes within their home school schedules required for graduation, such as U.S. History, pre- or post time abroad.

Greenheart Travel will be able to provide information about the general curriculum for your age level in Argentina, but you will not know your exact course schedule until after you arrive in country and start attending school.

Access your High School Curriculum Guidelines for Argentina here!

Once You’re Abroad

Please keep in mind that the grading system in other countries is different from the US. Most host schools will not put grades on documentation, and rather provide a pass/fail grade or written assessment of students’ performance. If your host school is able to evaluate using a grading scale, these grades may not be an exact match to grades provided at students’ home schools.

What to know about attending school in Argentina:

• The Argentine school year starts in March and finishes in December.
• Students have a 3-month summer vacation starting in December and 15 days of winter vacation in July (the seasons are flipped!).
• Classes are taught in Spanish Monday – Friday, 7:15AM -1PM. Students may have class in the afternoons.
• Each class is about 45 minutes and modules are 1.5 hours, with a recess of 15 minutes after each module.
• You will have 3 obligatory subjects: history, language (typically English), and geography. Schedules vary depending on host schools.
• Most students are placed in the equivalent of U.S. 10th-12th grade.

Optional After-School Tutoring

Students who wish to have extra academic support should speak to their local coordinator about being connected with a tutor to meet 1-2 week to serve as the link between the student and the teacher. They’ll help ensure that the student understands the coursework and has a resource to ask any questions.

Optional Online Spanish Tutoring 

For students who wish to reinforce their Spanish through Spanish lessons, we offer one-to-one or small group Spanish online classes with qualified native speakers. Courses include a mix of grammar, expressions and cultural information that students need to start speaking confidently. Interactive material, a communicative approach and very friendly teachers keep students engaged and make online learning both fun and interesting.  

In researching a study abroad program, you have already shown you are a leader and open-minded in your academic pursuits. You should also:

• Be between 15 and 18 years of age (at the time of travel)
  • Check out our gap year option if you are older than 18 years old
• Be from the United States or Canada
• Possess a high school cumulative GPA of at least 2.75/4.0
• Be in great mental* and physical health
• Have a genuine interest in becoming a part of your host family and community
• Highly suggested: have at least 2 years of Spanish language instruction

*What does it mean to be in good mental health?

Moving to a new culture and staying in unfamiliar surroundings without your normal support structure can be very stressful, even to a well-adjusted student. Sending a student with pre-existing conditions on a long-term exchange program could exacerbate whatever challenges the student was previously facing. In order to ensure the safety of our participants, we must be rigorous in our pre-screening of all high school abroad applicants.

Therefore, we may not be able to accept students who have struggled with any kind of mental illness, specifically within the last 2 years and/or are reliant on medication to address their existing mental health condition. Each student will be addressed on a case by case basis and ultimately it is Greenheart Travel’s in-country partner who holds the right to accept or decline a student based on their individual policy.

These include, but are not limited to:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Eating disorders
• Chronic debilitating migraines
• Bipolar Disorder

All students who currently experience one or more of these conditions will be required to submit an addendum to the terms and conditions as well as a letter of support from their current mental health specialist. If the student’s mental health issue has been managed (post-medication) for over 2 years, we will still require a note from his/her relevant practitioner (psychologist, therapist, psychiatrist, etc) as part of the application process.  We encourage you to discuss your specific situation with us directly, before securing these documents.

Please note that students who have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD will not be guaranteed any academic accommodations plans by the host school abroad.

The best way to learn about a new culture and language is to be fully immersed in it which is why all Greenheart Travel high school abroad students live with host families. All our host families are volunteers and will treat you as a member of their family.

Prospective host families undergo a rigorous screening process. Participants can rest assured that only suitable host families will be selected. In fact, many of our current host families have hosted students in the past, showing what an impactful experience it was.

In order to qualify as a host family, the prospective hosts must:

• Successfully pass a criminal background check
• Undergo and pass an in-person interview with program staff
• Agree to and pass a home inspection

We will connect you with your host family prior to your arrival in your host country. By e-mailing and speaking with them before arriving, it will help break the ice when you finally meet in person. It will also show that you are as excited to live with them as they are to host you!

Host families have many reasons why they want to welcome you! Our host families are volunteers, meaning they don’t receive compensation for housing and feeding students during their program. Many host families love the experience of cultural exchange – they learn just as much about your country as you do theirs. Many are also former exchange students and want to return the favor, or they have children who have gone or will go to study in the U.S. Having an exchange student exposes their children to new languages and cultures.

A Greenheart Traveler and her host family in Argentina!

All participants will get to participate in a 4-day orientation upon arrival in Cordoba. You’ll have the opportunity to meet many other new like-minded and adventurous students who have also just arrived! By the end, you’ll have new friends scattered around the entire country. Orientation includes important activities and classes on what to expect on your program, language, and local culture. The accommodation will be at a hostel. All meals are included during the orientation period.

We’ll provide you a tentative itinerary after acceptance!

Orientation fun!

During your exchange program, we are able to offer trips to visit some of the most famous spots in Argentina. Below you will find examples of the trips we normally do with other exchange students. These trips are optional and are not included in the program price.

Patagonia experience 

• 2 weeks long
• Visit Puerto Madryn, Calafate, Ushuaia, Trelew, Las Grutas
• Estimated dates: October/November

Buenos Aires

• 2 days and one night
• Estimated price: 200 EUR

Trip to the North West

• 2 weeks long
• Visit Mendoza city, Cordillera de los Andes, Cerro Aconcagua, Talampaya National Park, La Rioja, Catamarca, Ruinas de Quilmes, Cafayate, Salta, Jujuy, Quebrada de Humahuaca, Cerro de Siete Colores, Iguazú Falls, Misiones, Ruinas de San Ignacio
• Estimated dates: April/May

All travel dates and prices could change, they are just estimates. The cost does not include drinks in hotels or restaurants, nor entry fees to national parks and optional excursions.

Additional School Trips

At the end of the school year, each class organizes an excursion to an important place in Argentina. The price of these excursions is not included in the price of the program but usually, these excursions, offered to students by the school, are not very expensive. Your travel plans must coincide with school holidays. Under no circumstances may any exchange student miss school for travel reasons, except for the trips organized by the program. Students that wish to travel alone or with friends need authorization from their parents.

Can’t miss part of your semester or a full academic year? No te preocupes! (Psst – that means “don’t worry”)

One of the great things about Argentina being on another hemisphere is that during North American summers, Argentine schools are still in session! You can still attend a local high school and live with a local host family and get the full exchange experience without missing your school year.

In addition to our traditional academic year and semester program, we also offer a short-term summer program with all of the same basic program details, just short term (1 month or 2 months!).  If you only have the summer to spend away, this is a perfect way to get abroad for that time! This is geared towards students who have commitments that do not allow them to commit to a full semester or year in Argentina but want to travel during their summer vacation.

Learn more about the Summer in Argentina High School Abroad Program here.

Our gap year program is a great way to the full exchange student experience and gain university experience before you even start your U.S. university! Gap year students study for one semester in an Argentine high school and (provided you’re a great student!) the second in a local university. You’ll stay with the same host family during the whole experience but shift your focus from high school to college within the same program. The perfect transition!

Here are the requirements to apply:

• Must be at least 18 years and 9 months old
• Have graduated from high school
• Be prepared to speak about your home culture or history
• Be willing to volunteer in your host community (previous volunteer work preferred!)
• Demonstrate a willingness to adhere to the same demands as any other local student

Once you’re accepted  and start the program, you’ll first be placed in a host family and local high school and study there for one semester (July-December). You will be expected to give your full effort and learn as much Spanish as possible. Then, in November you will have a Spanish exam to assess your level. If you pass this exam and have shown good behavior in your host high school, you will then be able to complete your second semester at a local university. You would most likely study alongside other first-year university students, though sometimes there are classes also with students who are in their second or third year of university.

You’ll be able to give preferences on which “course” (like a major) but we cannot guarantee you’ll be placed in your top preference. This all depends on the host university and where they are willing to place you. Some examples of past “courses” students have taken at university are humanities, arts, and biology. Your assigned local coordinator will help you apply for the university you wish to student at.

Notes:

• If you opt to go to a private university, the tuition is not included in the cost of the program
• You are required to choose a university located in your host community. If you choose a university far from your host community, you must commute and will not be placed in a new host family.
• You must complete all required work at both high school and university in order successfully complete the program
• Students are not formally enrolled in the university, but are considered “listener students” (similar to auditing a college class). This means you would not be eligible to graduate from an Argentine university or receive a university transcript. (Psst! Fun fact: Universities in Argentina are free and open to the public.)

Please contact us here for more information and an outline of the full eligibility and study abroad requirements for this gap year opportunity. 

Greenheart Travel has been working with high schoolers for many years, and there are advantages of applying for this program through us:

• 33 years of experience with cultural exchange programs
• Friendly, responsive, and professional support from your program manager, Allison.
• Connect with alumni and others on the program via our Greenheart Travel only Facebook forums, before you even leave!
• We try and make our program fees as inclusive as we can. We include things like medical insurance and flights so you don’t run into any hidden fees down the line.
• Greenheart Atlas Program. The Greenheart Travel Atlas is a cultural training interactive guidebook alongside five videos where you will find three main topics covered: Personal/Professional Development, Cultural Understanding, & Environmental Awareness.
• Our alumni recommend us! GoOverseas.com Reviews // GoAbroad.com Reviews
• Hands-on support and personal attention every step of the way
• 24/7 emergency phone number to reach a staff member at any time
• Pre-departure “Culture Shock and Adjustment” Webinar before you leave
• Discounts for future Greenheart Travel programs
• We are a non-profit, mission-based organization
• Continued support throughout your time abroad

We also have some unique offerings to our Greenheart Travel students and alumni!

Greenheart Global Impact Grants (GIGs)

Greenheart GIG Grants are funds awarded to Greenheart Travel participants to use for community development projects in their host or home country. A GIG is the opportunity to create, improve, or maintain an impactful, community-focused project abroad or at home. Grant funds could be applied to supporting women’s cooperatives, schools, community centers, or health clinics, for example. Grant winners will be featured on our website, social media, and blog. You can see our past winners on our blog here.

Greenheart Alumni Program

We created the Greenheart Travel Alumni Program to provide resources and a community to support alumni in their advancement as global leaders, and a way to celebrate and reward our participants for being ambitious, inspiring catalysts of cultural exchange!

Junior Greenheart Global Leaders Conference

Each May Greenheart offers full-ride scholarships to around 10 teen alumni to attend our annual conference in Chicago. You can see more about what Jr. GGLC is and what you could do at the conference here.

Have questions and want to chat with a program advisor? Set up a time here: