Some AFS participants that are hosted in the U.S. have the potential of receiving credit for their U.S. coursework when they return home although this is never guaranteed by AFS. For some students, what is required for them to receive credit in their home country is obtaining an apostille on their U.S. high school transcript and sharing that official document with the school or Ministry of Education in their home country.
An apostille is an authentication of the school transcript (or other official document) that is affixed to the transcript by the Secretary of State from any given state. The school has no authority or ability to provide an apostille. Students, families, or volunteers should collaborate with the local school to help in obtaining an official transcript with notarization as that is not customary in most schools. Many schools have a notary on staff or in their central office who is able to notarize the transcript (if needed). To know what is specifically required and how long the process may take locally, go to the website for your state’s Secretary of State’s office. There, you’ll likely find very specific instructions for the process that should be followed which may entail mailing the documentation or scheduling an in-person appointment weeks in advance.
For a simple handout to share with families, school officials, or volunteers, please refer to this document.
A best practice is to have students ask their home country school officials, their natural parents, or their AFS organization if this is something that they'll need so the family, student, and liaison can all be prepared for quick action at the end of the academic year!
*We know from experience that our students hosted from Portugal and Turkey are usually in need of an apostille.*