User Agreement for Additional Placement Services (J-1 High School Program)
User Agreement for Additional Placement Services (Placement Requests)
Effective as of: AUGUST 1, 2026
Students and families who wish to request specific placement preferences (such as a top-rated school, a town with 30,000+ people, or a specific region) must review and agree to the terms below before submitting a request through WayUSA.
1. PARTIES TO THE AGREEMENT
This Agreement is entered into between the Client (the program participant or their legal guardian) and WayUSA Inc., the official Sending Organization under the J-1 High School Exchange Visitor Program. Placement and supervision in the United States are carried out by a Designated Sponsor under the U.S. Department of State's J-1 Exchange Visitor Program (hereafter, the "Sponsor"). WayUSA Inc. operates in coordination with the Sponsor under a formal partnership agreement.
2. SCOPE OF SERVICES
2.1. The Client may select one optional paid Placement Request to express preferences regarding the student's location in the J-1 High School program.
2.2. Available Placement Request types are generalized below and are subject to the specific inventory and definitions of the assigned Designated Sponsor:
Top School Request: Placement in a high-ranking U.S. high school
Urban/Suburban Request: Placement in a town, city, or metropolitan suburb with a population of 30,000+ or 100,000+ (population thresholds depend on the assigned Sponsor's regulations)
Placement in a specific state, region, or climate zone. Specific state availability is dynamic and confirmed solely at the time of application acceptance.
Metropolitan Area Request – placement in a designated U.S. metropolitan area (CBSA)
2.3. Only one Placement Request may be submitted per student. Requests may be changed only prior to payment confirmation.
2.4. Placement Requests must be submitted no later than December 31, which is at least 8 months before the program start date.
3. PLACEMENT TERMS
3.1. Upon payment confirmation, the Sponsor will make a good-faith effort to place the student according to the selected request within 60 calendar days or until approximately 4 months before the program start date, whichever comes first.
3.2. If no suitable placement is found within that period, the student's application will be moved to the general placement pool and may be placed anywhere in the United States without additional confirmation, in order to ensure timely participation in the program.
4. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY
To qualify for a valid Placement Request, the student must:
Have an ELTiS score of at least 4 (Level 5 required for Top School Request).
Be between 15 and 18.5 years of age on the official program start date.
Not have graduated from secondary school in their home country.
Not be medically conditional or require special behavioral/medical approval.
5. PAYMENT, UNFULFILLED REQUESTS, AND REFUND POLICY
5.1. Payment and Activation: All payments for Additional Placement Services are made directly to WayUSA Inc. The requested placement option becomes active only upon receipt of full payment and subsequent confirmation by the Designated Sponsor based on their current inventory and regulations.
5.2. Non-Mandatory Nature: The Client acknowledges that Additional Placement Services are strictly optional. The Designated Sponsor will make a good-faith effort to secure the selected placement; however, final placement is subject to host family availability and school acceptance.
5.3. Unfulfilled Requests: If the Designated Sponsor is unable to fulfill the selected Placement Request by the time of the student’s final placement, the student will be placed in the general pool to ensure program participation. In such an event, the Client shall be entitled to choose one of the following two remedial options:
(Option A) 100% Future Credit: The full amount paid for the unfulfilled Placement Request may be credited toward the student’s tuition or housing expenses for a subsequent academic year in the United States under any educational program offered by WayUSA Inc. (e.g., F-1 Private School Program).
(Option B) Monetary Refund: The Client may request a refund of the amount paid for the unfulfilled Placement Request. The refund will be issued minus any applicable bank or processing fees, and minus any verifiable out-of-pocket expenses directly incurred by the Designated Sponsor in attempting to fulfill the request.
5.4. Refund Processing Timeline: All approved refunds or credits for unfulfilled Placement Requests will be processed and finalized within three (3) months following the official start date of the student's current J-1 program.
5.5. Non-Refundable Circumstances: The Placement Request fee becomes strictly non-refundable once the Designated Sponsor successfully secures a placement that matches the Client’s requested parameters, regardless of whether the student subsequently withdraws, cancels participation, or is dismissed from the program.
6. OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES
WayUSA Inc. agrees to: Provide accurate information about placement options; process and confirm all payments; submit Placement Requests to the Sponsor through the official system; and maintain communication with the Client.
The Sponsor agrees to: Review Placement Requests within defined timeframes and conduct placement and supervision in accordance with the J-1 program regulations.
The Client confirms that they: Have read and understood this Agreement; voluntarily selected the Placement Request; understand that placement in a specific school or location is not guaranteed; and accept the possibility of general placement if the request cannot be fulfilled.
7. CONFIRMATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF AGREEMENT
The Client unequivocally accepts and agrees to be bound by the terms, limitations, and refund policies of this Agreement upon the occurrence of any of the following events:
This Agreement is entered into between the Client (the program participant or their legal guardian) and WayUSA Inc., the official Sending Organization under the J-1 High School Exchange Visitor Program. Placement and supervision in the United States are carried out by a Designated Sponsor under the U.S. Department of State's J-1 Exchange Visitor Program (hereafter, the "Sponsor"). WayUSA Inc. operates in coordination with the Sponsor under a formal partnership agreement.
2. SCOPE OF SERVICES
2.1. The Client may select one optional paid Placement Request to express preferences regarding the student's location in the J-1 High School program.
2.2. Available Placement Request types are generalized below and are subject to the specific inventory and definitions of the assigned Designated Sponsor:
Top School Request: Placement in a high-ranking U.S. high school
Urban/Suburban Request: Placement in a town, city, or metropolitan suburb with a population of 30,000+ or 100,000+ (population thresholds depend on the assigned Sponsor's regulations)
Placement in a specific state, region, or climate zone. Specific state availability is dynamic and confirmed solely at the time of application acceptance.
Metropolitan Area Request – placement in a designated U.S. metropolitan area (CBSA)
2.3. Only one Placement Request may be submitted per student. Requests may be changed only prior to payment confirmation.
2.4. Placement Requests must be submitted no later than December 31, which is at least 8 months before the program start date.
3. PLACEMENT TERMS
3.1. Upon payment confirmation, the Sponsor will make a good-faith effort to place the student according to the selected request within 60 calendar days or until approximately 4 months before the program start date, whichever comes first.
3.2. If no suitable placement is found within that period, the student's application will be moved to the general placement pool and may be placed anywhere in the United States without additional confirmation, in order to ensure timely participation in the program.
4. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY
To qualify for a valid Placement Request, the student must:
Have an ELTiS score of at least 4 (Level 5 required for Top School Request).
Be between 15 and 18.5 years of age on the official program start date.
Not have graduated from secondary school in their home country.
Not be medically conditional or require special behavioral/medical approval.
5. PAYMENT, UNFULFILLED REQUESTS, AND REFUND POLICY
5.1. Payment and Activation: All payments for Additional Placement Services are made directly to WayUSA Inc. The requested placement option becomes active only upon receipt of full payment and subsequent confirmation by the Designated Sponsor based on their current inventory and regulations.
5.2. Non-Mandatory Nature: The Client acknowledges that Additional Placement Services are strictly optional. The Designated Sponsor will make a good-faith effort to secure the selected placement; however, final placement is subject to host family availability and school acceptance.
5.3. Unfulfilled Requests: If the Designated Sponsor is unable to fulfill the selected Placement Request by the time of the student’s final placement, the student will be placed in the general pool to ensure program participation. In such an event, the Client shall be entitled to choose one of the following two remedial options:
(Option A) 100% Future Credit: The full amount paid for the unfulfilled Placement Request may be credited toward the student’s tuition or housing expenses for a subsequent academic year in the United States under any educational program offered by WayUSA Inc. (e.g., F-1 Private School Program).
(Option B) Monetary Refund: The Client may request a refund of the amount paid for the unfulfilled Placement Request. The refund will be issued minus any applicable bank or processing fees, and minus any verifiable out-of-pocket expenses directly incurred by the Designated Sponsor in attempting to fulfill the request.
5.4. Refund Processing Timeline: All approved refunds or credits for unfulfilled Placement Requests will be processed and finalized within three (3) months following the official start date of the student's current J-1 program.
5.5. Non-Refundable Circumstances: The Placement Request fee becomes strictly non-refundable once the Designated Sponsor successfully secures a placement that matches the Client’s requested parameters, regardless of whether the student subsequently withdraws, cancels participation, or is dismissed from the program.
6. OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES
WayUSA Inc. agrees to: Provide accurate information about placement options; process and confirm all payments; submit Placement Requests to the Sponsor through the official system; and maintain communication with the Client.
The Sponsor agrees to: Review Placement Requests within defined timeframes and conduct placement and supervision in accordance with the J-1 program regulations.
The Client confirms that they: Have read and understood this Agreement; voluntarily selected the Placement Request; understand that placement in a specific school or location is not guaranteed; and accept the possibility of general placement if the request cannot be fulfilled.
7. CONFIRMATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF AGREEMENT
The Client unequivocally accepts and agrees to be bound by the terms, limitations, and refund policies of this Agreement upon the occurrence of any of the following events:
- Clicking the "Submit", "Pay", or "I Agree" button on the WayUSA Inc. website or digital payment portal;
- Remitting full or partial payment for the Additional Placement Services via direct bank transfer, cash payment, or any other authorized payment method; or
- Explicitly selecting an Additional Placement option within the official participant application form and subsequently paying the applicable fee.
- Confirms they have fully read and understood this User Agreement.
- Authorizes WayUSA Inc. to submit the Placement Request to the Designated Sponsor.
- Accepts all terms, conditions, and the strictly defined Refund Policy as outlined herein.
