Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of tuition and/or boarding at BFA?

Once a family submits the initial inquiry form, the admissions office will respond with cost information.

Is BFA a K-12 school?

BFA is a school for grades 5-12. If your child is entering Grades 1 to 4, please contact CSK (Christliche Schule Kandern) by email at sekretariat@csk-kandern.de or by phone at +49 7626 974 9980.

How old does a student need to be for boarding?

Boarding is for students in grades 9-12. Boarding students must be at least 14 years old at the start of the school year and under age 20 at time of graduation.

What level of English is required?

BFA is an English-speaking school and all school programs are conducted in English. BFA requires a B1 (CEFR) English proficiency level.

When should a student apply?

See Application Process – Dates and Requirements for information on specific dates.

Boarding students should apply as early as possible due to limitations on boarding space. If a boarding student will need a visa prior to entering Germany, it is also important that they apply early so the visa application process can begin.

Day Students are subject to fewer space limitations. Families are welcome to apply in the fall if they know they are considering BFA for the upcoming school year. Otherwise, we recommend applying anytime after 15 January. Note that course selection for high school students (Grades 9-12) starts in the late spring; it is beneficial to be through the acceptance process by that time if possible, but not required.

We do welcome applications on a rolling basis with the caveat that there may not be space available, particularly in the boarding program.

Does my child need a visa before arriving at BFA?

Boarding students who are citizens of Australia, Canada, the European Union, South Korea, Switzerland, the UK, the USA, and a few others can enter Germany on a tourist visa. This tourist visa is valid for 90 days. After they are here, BFA will apply for the student visa that will allow them to remain in Germany.

Boarding students from countries that do not allow for entry on a tourist visa must apply for a German student visa at the nearest German consulate or embassy in their current country of residence. Upon request, BFA will issue a “Confirmation of Acceptance” letter and other documentation required from the school to assist families in this process. Families should start the visa application process as early as possible.

For day students, BFA will issue a “Certificate of Attendance” letter upon request to help parents navigate their own visa application process. BFA does not apply for student visas for day students.

Students who arrive at BFA without the proper visa will be required to return to their country of residence. They will not be able to return to Germany until they have the required visa.

Can a student begin at BFA after the school year has started?

Middle school students (Grades 5-8) have more flexibility in terms of start date. High School students (Grades 9-12) cannot enroll part-way through a semester. A 2nd semester start (end of January) is sometimes possible. Please contact our admissions office for additional information.

Whenever possible, we encourage families to arrange for their child to begin at the start of the school year. This normally leads to a smoother adjustment, both academically and socially, for the student.

Can my child attend a European University after graduating from BFA?

BFA graduates receive a fully-accredited USA high school diploma and many of our graduates pursue higher education in the USA. It is also possible to go straight from BFA to a university outside of the USA and a number of our graduates have done this. This sometimes requires a student to take a certain number of AP (Advanced Placement) exams and achieve the needed scores. As part of its high school program, BFA offers a number of AP courses and is a testing site for AP exams.

We encourage families to consider what options they want to keep open for after their child completes high school, research what is required for those options, and take this into consideration when deciding whether or not BFA is a good “fit” for their child. If families have further questions, they are welcome to contact our admissions office.

For additional resources, our School Profile provides an overview of our high school academic program and our Academic Planning Guide offers more detailed information.