International Student and Scholar Services

About the Program

The Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) invites you to participate in the Florida Tech International Friendship Program (FTIFP). FTIFP is designed to enable students from around the world to meet members of the Florida Tech community, by bringing international students together with "hosts" to share common interests and friendship during a student's early years in the United States.

The Florida Tech International Friendship Program (FTIFP) is administered by the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) office. The program pairs foreign students with members of the Florida Tech and Melbourne community (students, staff, faculty and families) and aims to help the students settle down and learn about American culture. At the same time, the hosts can experience different cultures from around the world resulting in a lifetime of experiences for all people involved.

Upon enrolling in the program, the new students, referred to as “guests,” are pared with “hosts” from the campus and local community. Very often, a
student who has started as a “guest” will become a host the following semester.

The Welcome Program

Members of the IFP, the Florida Tech Diplomats and the student organization on campus team up and organize several events to help new students with check-in procedures, provide campus tours and in general help calm the rush of settling in. Often the individual students are willing to help new students with trips to the local shopping center and airport pickups.

Holiday Program

Hosts invite their guests to celebrate an American holiday with them. Favorites are Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Conversation Program

Conversation is the best way to learn a new language. With that in mind, the Conversation Program aims to help students improve their English through conversation. Additionally, the setting is informal and non-threatening. Hosts and guests usually meet once or twice a week but schedules are entirely up to the host and guest.

We invite you to join

either as a host or as a current student who is eager to experience American hospitality first-hand. Please send an application to the Florida Tech International Students and Scholar Services office. Click here for forms and instructions.

E-mail our Friendship Coordinator, Cindy Dubey, at cdubey@fit.edu with any questions.