Accommodation
International students who study at Mount Aspiring College have a number of accommodation options they can choose from.
Live with a school-approved homestay family
Homestay accommodation allows students to have an authentic kiwi experience in an English-speaking home. We carefully select homestay hosts to ensure our students have their own room and are safe and comfortable in the home environment.
Stay with a designated caregiver
Students can stay with a family member or close family friend known to the student’s parents. This person is called a designated caregiver. A designated caregiver can be approved by Mount Aspiring College after the completion of safety checks.
Stay with a parent/s
A student’s mother or father can apply for a guardian visa to accompany their child to New Zealand. The guardian cannot work while in New Zealand on a guardian visa. Students may not live alone, or in accommodation shared with friends, even if they are over 18.
Become a host family
Hosting an international student in your home is an opportunity to learn about a different culture and create new connections and memories with a young person from a different country while they attend our school. The minimum stay is for six months and the college will provide support to all selected homestay families throughout the placement.
Homestay families will be paid $460/week, and we prefer families whose location is within reasonable proximity to the college so students can take the bus, ride or walk to school.
If you live in the Upper Clutha community and would like to submit an expression of interest to host an international student, please email Sally Hart, Deputy Principal – International: harts@mtaspiring.school.nz with your name, address and phone number.
Please note that the scope of the programme is currently limited. Our plan is to grow our international student base gradually so we can build capacity to give each international student a high-quality experience with all the necessary support.