Options for Fufilling Au Pair Education Requirement: Online Classes?
Dear Mom:
I’m a first-time host-parent to a lovely 21 year old first-time Au Pair from Scandinavia (through Cultural Care), as well as a first-time mom of 19 month old twins, and I really enjoy this site.
I’m hoping your readers might have some sage advice for me. I’m starting to obsess over this issue, which is ridiculous because the last thing I have time to do it obsess about anything. But when it comes to my Au Pair, who is a bit on the lackadaisical side of life, in addition to being pretty naïve, I often feel like nothing will get done unless I dive in and take over.
So here’s the current problem: We just moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to a remote alpine resort town 3.5 hours away. When we visited the area for an extended vacation we were glad to see a small college in town, half a mile from our home, and we presumed (I know, never make any presumptions) if we moved here, that we’d simply enroll our au pair in an inexpensive Community Education class at this college. We noted that this college is chock-full of Scandinavians, making my Au Pair feel like she has died and gone to heaven.
When we decided we wanted to move here by mid-September, and contacted the college for enrollment information, we were told that all of the classes were full, cost a minimum of $600 per credit, and that they don’t even have a Community Education program! The college suggested classes that Au Pair could take in the Spring semester at their sister-school, but that school is a 45 minute drive each way, and our Au Pair doesn’t know how to drive (public transportation here exists, but that route between our home and the sister-school would take 2 hours each way).
We asked the only other Au Pair in town what she does, and she drives an hour each way 3 times per week to the closest small-city University. I also asked the area’s LCC, who told me along the lines of, “That school in your town is a pain in the neck to get into. The next closest place is over an hour drive in each direction, so if your Au Pair doesn’t drive, that’s a big problem. Maybe the Area Coordinator has a suggestion.”
I might also add that me driving Au Pair to school an hour each way, staying for her class and driving her home is not going to work because my husband is away 3 nights a week, and her classes would take place during her time off, while my babies are sleeping, so please, let’s not go there.
I spoke with our former Area Coordinator at Cultural Care, who isn’t very familiar with my new home town, but did tell me that there simply aren’t enough Au Pairs here to make it worthwhile to them to make a concession, and advised me that Au Pair could take a weekend class at one of two East Coast locations: Silver Bay YMCA 80 miles north of Albany, or CW Post, which isn’t too far out on Long Island.
Bingo!, I thought, until I looked up the course schedule, and then airline schedules. Now, because we feel somewhat guilty about the timing of our move, which was a very self-indulgent move on our part that will allow my husband and I to remain at home with our children full-time (he working from home, me a SAHM), and we really weren’t putting much thought on how it might effect Au Pair, we feel like we should pay for the weekend course and her transportation to/from.
However, after some research, I found that either option will cost us nearly $1,200. Both options are going to require our Au Pair to take a red-eye from our nearest airport plus two more hops just to get there, then manage ground transportation on her own in a strange location (for CW Post, it’s the LIRR and then a shuttle; and in the SB case, if she’s lucky, we might be able to time her flight to catch the private shuttles that have been arranged by the teachers), and upon her return, she will get stuck at a West Coast airport overnight (either LAX, San Diego, Phoenix, or Salt Lake) before flying the remainder of the trip the following morning. As an alternative, we could put her up at a hotel near the school; either way, it means we now have to add the cost of a hotel room, ground transportation and food to the aforementioned fees, not to mention the fact that we won’t have an Au Pair from Wednesday night to Tuesday morning. I haven’t even told my Au Pair all this yet, because I know it will cause her a lot of apprehension and nervousness.
The Cultural Care representative told me that they don’t have weekend courses available on the West Coast, just these two locations in the Northeast. I haven’t been able to determine if these weekend courses that she suggested are specifically run by Cultural Care and, therefore, only available for their Au Pairs that they bring in to the US. I found a weekend Au Pair course at UCLA, which would be wayyyy easier for us to manage, but it alludes that these courses are only for Au Pairs from a different agency.
Would some of your readers experienced in this issue be able to let me know if these weekend courses are “Agency Specific”, and if they are, if they have had experience enrolling their Au Pairs into weekend classes that might not be through their agency?
Our Au Pair needs to fulfill her remaining 3 credit requirement by February 3rd, and due to pre-paid travel plans, that leaves us with one weekend in early December at CW Post as our only option right now. I guess another option would be to let Au Pair lose her deposit (not sure what it is in her country, but maybe we pay her back for it?), but then she can’t extend with another family or re-apply as an Au Pair for two years, and she has already indicated that she’d like to stay (with us, at least).
What do I do? Are there any options I’ve overlooked?
TahoeTwinsMom
Hi TahoeTwinsMom -
Wow. I am really impressed by your efforts to track down all the possible options for your au pair’s education requirement. Many host moms would not have gone to such lengths on the au pair’s behalf, especially if she shows little interest in it herself. I understand that part of your reason for taking on this responsibility is that you feel responsible– your move put your au pair in a tough situation, requirement-wise. But still, many would have given up! good for you.
From what I see, you have two additional options to consider.
One option is to ask your au pair how much she really cares about extending or reapplying, and if she doesn’t care you can just ‘make her whole’ by covering the expense she’d incur by not filling this requirement.
Th e other option is to consider an online class. Doesn’t somewhere like Phoenix University or DeVry have economical online classes that she might take? Even though your au pair would not get out of the house and meet interesting people taking an online class, she might be able to fit it into her schedule easily.
I’d love to hear whether anyone has tried this strategy. And, I can’t wait to see what kinds of options other readers recommend…. Folks?
Images:
Karyn Gartel Online Class from marthaleverDistance Education from The Degree Experts
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I am reading this blog because I want to try to understand the needs of au pairs and their host families. I think there should be simple solutions to satisfying the education requirements. How ridiculous it is that families and au pairs should have to go through so much just to get their education credits!
I am actively trying to get local accredited schools to make things easier for au pairs. If any one is in the Washington DC or Northern Virginia area, and has an au pair education issue, feel free to contact me directly at wmuirhead@nvcc.edu.
Bill:
I’m a NoVa host mom. The biggest complaint our APs had was that there weren’t many classes available to them. They seemed to be only qualified to take English classes at NVCC, which they did not enjoy at all. For the same price, they can complete all of their credits in a few weekends at at a school in Maryland and do more than have innane conversations in English. Is there some way to make a wider variety of classes available to them? Perhaps even Phys. Ed. type of classes or art classes where the English level may not be as much of a barrier (which, by the way, my APs have been German and very proficient in English, but I assume that was the barrier for them).
Bill,
I am going through it right now. Our au pairs also take classes at NVCC, and the only affordable ones (several seem to be designed just for them) are in the Continuing Education program. THat’s great, but they want to take psychology, not American Culture or ESL class. So yes, it would be great if there were more of those 6 credit $475 evening classes on other topics.
Yes, many au pairs want to improve their English. But many want to take courses related to their profession, it can help them back home. Common request was psychology (all those teachers/humanities majors…)
Or maybe have an affordable combo of a 2 credit and a 4 credit class in the Continuing Education program, where one class is serious – psychology or marketing etc., and one is fun – art or gym, or special project, dance, au pair theater troup, etc.
Emailing you the above.
Agreed, Anna. You also raise a good point about tuition. Affordability is key as the HF pay only up to $500 and the AP is stuck with the rest. My current AP is REALLY cheap. I think she’ll be shocked by the reality of how much she will likely end up paying.
My AP is staying in the US for a year to study–today was her last day. She had planned to go to NOVA CC but having not heard anything about her I-20 since November, when I was also worried and called, and was assured that “it’s being worked on, everything is fine!” I called last week. Turns out that there was some documentation missing and no one ever bothered to call and let me know. I left a message with the international student office last week, and surprise, never got a call back (after I was assured I would hear back by the end of the day). Fortunately we found a smaller, more concerned school–where AP had already taken classes–that is able to issue the I20 in a short time period, since NOVA pretty well dropped the ball. It works out better also because the other college is much more affordable. I can’t get enthusiastic about my AP, who has worked hard and socked away a lot of money this year, paying over $300 per credit hour for community college English classes.
AFHostMom – can you share what the smaller, more concerned school was? We’re in NOVA too and I’d love to know of a more affordable, “friendly” (?) option is. Our current au pair did a class that combined classes near the Smithsonian with a trip to Niagara Falls (I think different from the one that was just posted about) and one of the weekend classes in Maryland, but having another option would be great.
Sure–it is an English school, though, so you may not find it useful for an AP who wants more choices. She’s going to Lado College, which has centers in Arlington, DC and Silver Spring. I am normally *not* a fan of for-profit educational institutions, but this is an exception. My AP (and the new one arriving this week) both came to the US from South America with the express goal of improving their English, and since their educational goals have that focus, Lado has worked well so far. Departing AP got all her education credits for less than the $500 educational stipend, and we were able to pay for her materials too. They have several class options during the week and on weekends which worked well for us since she was spending her weekends in Arlington. And they offered a 10% discount on course fees to au pairs.
I have had APs who have used LADO in the past – they’re all over the greater metro DC area, and they are a bargain for APs trying to get all of their credit requirements for $500 or under. They are not great for APs whose greatest need is a listening comprehension/speech class, because their function appears to get ESOL students ready to take the TOEFL. In my experience, if you have an AP who takes the LADO test and scores at a level 5 or higher–and her goal is to really improve her English (not just meet her requirement), then her needs would be better met at a community college.
I will say that I had two APs who took a course at LADO, followed by one at Montgomery College (where one ESOL or composition class will meet the total requirements for about $600) and they found Mont. Coll. course far superior and rigorous (one ended up staying in the US and the other really wanted to stay). For HP in Montgomery County, Maryland the college treats APs as employees and offers in-county tuition.
Thanks TACL–good info, and I’ll pass it on to former and new AP. Former AP scored 3 or 4 on the test (I think), so the school was a good fit for her. Incoming AP is VERRRRRY anxious about her English and has gotten a lot of help from her sister (a former AP herself)during our phone calls and skype interviews, so I think it will be appropriate for her too. We’ve selected au pairs who really want to work on their English because we’ve found it gives us a better pool of candidates with the qualities that are important to us (so far). But we live near the PG/AA county line so unless she plans to do the same thing former AP did and go away every weekend, Lado will not be convenient for her.
For folks in NOVA who are close to DC, Georgetown Univ also has English classes (offered at night), and au pairs can use a 15% off coupon for at least a few more days (I think until the 17th). Our AP, who is an Educare so needs double the credits/hours and has double the amount from us to spend on classes, took classes last semester at Montgomery College and this semester will take one at Mont Co and one at Gtown – all for just slightly more than the $500 allotted per semester.
The guy at Gtown who oversees au pair registration is very willing to help with any issues, too.
Georgetown also offers free, 1 CEU classes that are a few hours on Saturday afternoons for a few weeks. However, the education is NOT very differentiated, so our AP who used this found it intriguing, but it did not change her language skills (it did, however, help her bond with some people she might not have otherwise met). It can be chaotic, because sometimes all the groups meet at once – great for extroverts with good listening skills, but may be too overwhelming for quiet APs.
there are a few other weekend college options. one is in chicago – http://www.weekendprogram.org/
I know that online isn’t an option for Interexchange, but University of Phoenix does offer weeknight/weekend courses on campus. http://www.phoenix.edu then put in your zipcode. Classes are likely one night a week, but there are team requirements so she may have to meet with classmates in person before some assignments.
Here is a program offered through BMCC in New York. There are 2 programs in Washington DC. My au pairs have taken these classes and it is a fun way to get some travelling in while taking the required classes.
http://bmcc.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassListing.ClassListingDisplay&int_category_id=12&int_sub_category_id=105
Hello, does anybody knows about weekend classes for au pairs but in the South. I live in Texas and the 2 colleges near my town are 40-50 minutes far away driving. I asked for a concession (take online classes) to my Program Director and they said that I can’t do that.
Thank you.
Online classes go against the spirit of the program, as well as against the program rules. This is not an agency rule.
The government rules specifically states that the au pair must “complete not less than six semester hours (or their equivalent) of academic credit in formal educational settings at accredited U.S. post-secondary institutions.”
Pay close attention to the “formal educational settings” part.
I know that many agencies do bend this rule and accept classes taken in environments other than a post-secondary institution, which I think it is not fair to the au pair.
To the OP: the weekend program mentioned earlier in this thread is also offered in Maryland and Florida, not only in Chicago. So, it would be worthwhile to check how much would be to get your au pair to one of those locations. Sometimes you can find real good deals online, I hope you do. Best of luck to you!
Hi!!! There is also a new weekend course being offered from the University at Buffalo! (Western New York, is about 20 minutes from the border of Niagara Falls and the border of Canada)
A NEW Au Pair Educational Weekend Program at the New York State University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY (20 minutes away from Niagara Falls, NY). Program begins at 12:00 PM, Friday, February 10, 2012 and concludes 3:00 PM, Sunday, February 12, 2012. Upon completion of the weekend program, you will receive 4 Continuing Education Units from the New York State University at Buffalo. Cost to participate is $350 (resident rate, which is all inclusive) or $280 (commuter rate, which does not include accommodations or breakfast). Visit the website at http://www.millardfillmorecollege.com/au_pair. Check back for updates, a full agenda of workshops and events, and new dates. This exclusive Au Pair weekend will only be offered 6 times a year, so don’t miss out and register today!
US – APs – do the math – 4 CEUs is NOT 4 credits, so if your HF ponies up for this course, you may have to pay a lot of money to meet your total State Department requirement. Yes, this sounds like a lovely way to earn credits – until you realize that a trip to Niagara Falls can be MUCH cheaper than $350 (yes, I know, the HF may for this trip, but then, so will you when you when you must find enough classes to meet your requirement).
I have had APs take lovely weekend trips that sounded wonderful on paper (notice this one says it does not pay for accommodations if you’re outside of NY State), but then ended up getting dumped having to pay their own touring expenses.
I would have no problem with these courses if someone who was actually knowledgeable led them (my AP taking a Manhattan trip course found out too late that she would have to book her own side trip to Liberty Island, by which time there was no opportunity to go to the top of the Statue of Liberty that weekend).
If the person running this course cannot answer the simple question – why is the NY side a State Park and the Canadian side full of hotels and entertainment, then they aren’t offering a course worth your money!
(Just my own personal pet peeve – that these courses cost a fortune for what they actually offer – and leave APs hanging to try to complete their credits.)
I actually think this course sounds great. 4 CEUs should translate to 40 contact hours. That’s 2/3 of what you need (at least by APC definitions). And it uses up roughly 2/3 of your money. If you are a NY resident (though, in my state, APs are never residents). My Au Pairs can take adult ed classes (intro to painting, etc — that is about all, because everything else requires residence to be even remotely affordable.) The cheapest adult ed courses are about $7-$10/hr. So I think this sounds great.
I don’t think that the course administrator needs to know why NY has a state park and Canada has a commercial park (I don’t know and I have enjoyed Niagara Falls several times.) You can complete a trip to Niagara Falls in 3 hours from the Buffalo airport for about $5 in round trip bus fare — and it should be the Au Pair’s job to sort that out.
I think it sounds great, too. I read the “resident” statement to mean that if you chose to reside = room on site your meals were included, otherwise commuters (those who could drive in daily = board elsewhere, would pay the other rate. Perhaps the OP can shed more light, or those truly interested will check into it and let everyone know the details.
My understanding is that CCAP and APIA count 12 contact hours as a “credit equivalent” if the course is offered by a post-secondary accredited institution (we have used these two agencies, so they are the only ones I know about).
In our area, that means that continuing education classes offered by community colleges are a good option for APs. Continuing Ed classes are are less expensive than for credit classes bc APs are not considered in-state residents at any of the colleges, community colleges or universities near us so they are charged the non-resident tuition for everything but ESL classes (special in state tuition rate applies for ESL classes).
So my math indicates that the above mentioned course would be worth 3 credits (similar to the weekend course offered by the College of St. Rose in upstate NY, which one of our APs did in years past).
My problem with these programs that are aimed at APs for a weekend (and several of my APs have done these) are that some sell themselves as promoting English language skills (yes, there is some oral communication and a little writing – but APs who have gone to our local community college have come out so far ahead that there is no comparison). I had one AP who got burned on a trip – no tickets were purchased, very little activity was organized – and so it ended up being a very expensive trip and then she had to shell out money from her own account to meet the 3.5 credits (which then became 4 credits because what course is 3.5 credits?)
For APs who aren’t particularly interested in improving their English and just want to have fun, these courses are fine – IF they’re not getting ripped off (meaning, that they have to pay to tour the city out of pocket).
And yes, if it’s “education” it should “teach” something – even if nominally.
If I were an AP, and I found this trip compelling – then I’d want to know is a trip on the Maid of the Mist included, how about Cave of the Winds? Does it go to the Canadian side? Will it go to the Canadian side and be there at night for the fireworks? Is there a hotel included, or are the “accommodations” a nighttime bus ride? (yup, some APs have experienced that).
As a HM I always ask my APs what their goals are before they sign up for a course. I basically know what they’re going to get at the local community college, but I feel like I’m getting ripped off when my APs take a trip course and they’re left in the lurch because it’s so disorganized that it’s too late to get tickets to do a local activity in the time allotted – when I think it should have been included!
It doesn’t appear to be up to the agencies to vet these organizations – and State Dept. approval waxes and wanes (so even if one AP may do it, the next may not be permitted).
Our current (leaving this week) au pair did the Borough of Manhattan Community College class that includes a trip to Niagara Falls that’s linked to somewhere above. It included maybe 3 Saturday classes near the Smithsonian, guided tours of the museums, then an educational (I think…) trip to see Niagara Falls and learn about how the Native Americans felt about it. It did go to the Canadian side and there were a few bumps at the border (not a big surprise when multiple busloads of teenagers, some requiring visas to get into Canada, cross the border).
I think only au pairs in the New York or DC area can participate because they have to do the classroom component too, but if your au pair really wants to go to Niagara Falls and you live in the right area, look into this one.