Host Family Program

 

Student Application
Host Family Application

The Student Services Host Family program is a nonresidential friendship program with the goal of assisting students in becoming acquainted with West Plains, support their experience at Missouri State-West Plains, and enjoy the opportunities in the area.

Host families provide a “home away from home” for students whose families are often very far away. The host family plays an important role in helping students adjust to college and to the community.

An application process is utilized to identify both students and host families. Pairing will be decided by Student Services Host Family Coordinator and the program oversight is through Student Services.

Expectations of host families involved in the program would include:

  • Attendance at a Kickoff event
  • Regular communication with student
  • Providing support for student concerns
  • Introducing student to activities available in the area

Host families have the freedom, but not the responsibility, to invite students to events, provide transportation, or to provide meals. Some may offer students a place to stay when the residence halls are closed, or the student is about to travel but it is not an expectation of the host family program to do so.

Host families are not financially responsible for the student and are not expected to provide support beyond the comfort level of their personal/family circumstances.

Employees of the university can serve as host families. Athletic personnel cannot be paired with athletes but can serve as host family for a non-athlete student.

NJCAA has additional restrictions for student-athletes which include:

  • No financial, fiduciary, or monetary transactions between athlete and host family, to include loans, co-signing loans or leases, phones, tickets, etc.
  • No trips involving excessive mileage and/or expense
  • No tickets or gifts of any kind (to include holiday or birthday)

Expectations of students involved in the program include:

  • Attendance at a Kickoff event
  • Regular communication and response to host family
  • Accept invitations of host family as availability allows
  • Open to share family and cultural background
  • Show appreciation to the host family for volunteering