How Much Does It Cost To Host A Foreign Language Student In Ireland and how much will you make overall?
Becoming a host family for a language exchange student has grown steadily in popularity throughout Ireland. The benefits are innumerable, many families host because it gives them an insight into other cultures whilst allowing them to exchange theirs, others love to fill their home with new interesting people who can bring a fresh perspective. Whatever your reason for choosing to host it is likely that you have wondered what the expenses will be and if it is a financially viable option. Many people do not consider hosting, assuming it will be too expensive however it’s probably cheaper than you think!
How much do host families earn?
First and foremost you do get paid to host a language exchange student. This can generally range anywhere between €900 and €1100 for 2 weeks and get the tax benefits under the rent-a-home relief scheme. This allowance could increase based on what hosts are able to offer. Whether it be full board or half, the facilities in their home for example room size and en suites and the area they are located. Families can host up to 3 people so depending on how much space you have in your home could be earning up to 6600 euros each month!
What are the costs of being a host family?
So what are the costs involved? There are a number of expenses you should factor in when financing for hosting. When having guests to stay with you, you will provide breakfast, dinner and a packed lunch so this will incur a slight increase to your grocery costs. You might also want to factor in an increase to bills as water and electricity use will increase. However these increases will be small as you are already providing for your own family and increasing a meal by one person generally does not affect price too much.
Other costs of hosting
The increase to laundry load also shouldn’t affect costs as you likely won’t have to increase the number of loads for one or two extra guests. Petrol money may be something to consider as hosts of young kids will need to shuttle them to school, however if you are already doing the school run for your kids this will not add much either. All in all if you are already paying for this as a family it most likely won’t cost much more to host an additional guest!
Registration and administration costs for hosting
Registration with a hosting organization is usually free so you won’t have to factor costs in there. The exchange can be organised for free and any costs will already be covered before receiving your hosting allowance.
Is hosting a language exchange student financially viable?
Overall it is very cheap to host a language exchange student and you will actually find yourself with a decent profit margin! The costs involved are small, especially for hosts already providing for families and kids and the earnings you receive can be quite substantial. Pair this with the priceless experience you will receive of cultural exchange, lifelong memories and new family friends, the choice seems like a no brainer! Register today and start the process to see where it takes you, we can’t wait for you to experience the adventures of hosting!