Summary:
Do Host Families Get Paid?: Yes, host families get paid. Cambridge Network provides a monthly stipend to each approved host family who houses a Cambridge Network student. This payment is intended to cover the cost of having an additional person in the home.
How Much Do Host Families Get Paid?: Host families can expect a stipend in the range of $800-1500 per month, depending on location. Stipends may also vary based on the school the student is attending, and many hosts have students attending different schools in the same home resulting in multiple contracts.
How Are Host Families Paid? Stipends are paid via direct deposit on or around the 5th of each month. Deposits are made month-to-month, and that payment is made AFTER each month that the student is hosted. Cambridge Network provides host families with $500 of the first month’s stipend payment upfront to accommodate initial costs within five business days of the student’s arrival.This initial payment is provided to hosts for all new and returning students prior to the start of the Fall semester as well as new students for the Spring semester.
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Are you wondering about our stipend process? Cambridge Network provides a monthly stipend to each approved host family who houses a Cambridge Network student. This payment is intended to cover the cost of having an additional person in the home. Stipends are paid via direct deposit on or around the 5th of each month.
Specifically, the stipend includes funds to cover:
To receive the stipend, each host family must register with Paycor, our payment processing system. The onboarding must be completed within five business days before the end of the month to ensure the stipend processing in a timely manner. As stipend payments may be subject to delays, hosts should not rely on the stipend to the extent that household budgets would be adversely affected.
Stipends are paid month-to-month, and that payment is made AFTER each month that the student is hosted—just like an employee is paid after they have worked the hours. For example, a monthly stipend payment for October will be paid to the host family on or around November 5th. Cambridge Network issues payments through direct deposit, so these payments are both sent and received around the 5th of each month.
Because there are usually some initial costs associated with hosting an international student, Cambridge Network provides host families with $500 of the first month’s stipend payment upfront to accommodate these needs within five business days of the student’s arrival. It is essential to understand, however, that this payment is not in addition to the month’s stipend payment but is deducted from the first days of the student’s stay. For more information, please refer to your host contact and stipend fact sheet (available to hosts after the student matching process).
Recently, Cambridge has removed the stipend amount information from host contracts and instead communicated these details as hosts were matched with students. Our stipends vary based on the school the student is attending, and many hosts have students attending different schools in the same home resulting in multiple contracts. This year, to standardize our process, we opted to remove the stipend amount, thus making the process easier and more uniform for our host families across the country.
All approved host families are classified as contracted service providers for Cambridge Network, and stipend payments are subject to taxes. Each Cambridge Network host family must complete a W-9 to receive their monthly stipend payments and to receive their 1099-misc for tax filing purposes.
Cambridge Network is not able to advise hosts on tax matters. For additional information on filing, contact a financial advisor. The IRS also provides resources at http://www.irs.gov/uac/TaxLaw-Questions and can be reached on their tax assistance lines (800-829-1040 for individuals, or 800-829-4933 for businesses).
Spending money
Each Cambridge Network student will come with their own spending money for personal purchases and travel, snacks, and entertainment. Students and their natural parents are responsible for student uniforms, school supplies, and all school-related expenses.
Respite Care
If a host family needs to go out of town for a weekend, or on vacation and cannot bring their student, Cambridge Network can coordinate a respite care host family for the student for that time. The monthly stipend is adjusted to reflect the exact number of nights the student is in the “permanent” host home as opposed to the respite care home. For example, if the Smith family is hosting Student A, but needs to leave town for the weekend, and cannot provide care for Student A for two nights, Cambridge Network will arrange for Student A to stay with the Jones family for those two nights. Those two nights will be deducted from the monthly stipend payment to the Smith family, and the Jones family will be paid for those two nights only.
Please review section 6 (Student Relocation) of the Homestay Provider Contract for further details on the appropriate notice and procedure for student relocations. For all student relocations, the stipend is adjusted to pay the first family up until the student leaves their home, and to pay the new family for the time beginning from when the student arrives at their new home. The stipend payment process still follows the regular schedule as detailed in the “Payment Schedule” section.
Please Note: If actions by the host family prompt student relocation, the host may be subject to suspended payment until Cambridge Network has thoroughly reviewed the situation. In cases where the host family is found to be in violation of their Homestay Provider Contract, the host family is not guaranteed a full monthly stipend payment.
Learn more about how Cambridge Network supports host families, frequently asked questions, and more in our homestay blog section. Want to become a host or know someone that is interested, please fill out an inquiry form.
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