AIFS was founded in 1964 and since then, over 1.2 million students have participated in our educational and cultural exchange programs. Over 6,000 American college students study abroad each year with the AIFS College Division— approximately 2,000 of these are on customized, faculty-led programs organized through the Partnership Programs Division.
AIFS pioneered Partnership Programs, which are formal arrangements between educational institutions and AIFS in which AIFS provides logistical support, student services, classrooms, housing facilities and cultural activities at a location abroad, plus student medical and fee refund insurances and over $50 million of liability insurance for the U.S. college/university. This enables institutions to conduct their own academic programs abroad at minimal expense.
Faculty from the home institution teach their curriculum abroad (with optional use of local adjunct professors), and the institution maintains academic control over the program and retains tuition income. Students pay a non-academic program fee directly to AIFS.


"Studying abroad is an amazing opportunity. This program was a good balance between studying and absorbing the culture."
- Taylor Ramsey, NCSAC Florence 2009 Spring Semester
"I would go on any AIFS program if I had the chance. I liked all my classes, learned a lot about Italian life, culture and history and the entire staff was really helpful and nice."
- Lena Kendall, NCSAC Florence 2009 Spring Semester
"I have talked to other students who have studied abroad through their Universities and none of them have as much joy and happiness as I do at the mere sight of anything that reminds me of my semester abroad in Paris with AIFS, they were the happiest months of my life!"
- Zachary Harrison, Student, Paris 2006