ASSE was originally founded in Sweden, in 1938 by the Swedish national Ministry of Education. It sponsored exchange programs between Germany and Sweden. In the late 1940s, the program was expanded to include exchange programs with France, Great Britain and other countries in Europe. In March, of 1976, at the recommendation of the United States State Department, ASSE was incorporated as a not for profit organization in the US designated as a designated sponsor of secondary academic year programs with Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. In the 1980s ASSE (originally 'American Scandinavian Student Exchange') expanded its exchange program countries to include most of 'Western Europe', Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and other Latin American countries.