TUITION EXCHANGE
What is the Tuition Exchange organization?
The University of Pittsburgh is a member of The Tuition Exchange, a reciprocal scholarship program that allows dependent children of our faculty and staff to apply for competitive scholarships to other participating member institutions. The Tuition Exchange (TE) Scholarship organization encourages that participating institutions maintain a balance between the number of students enrolled at host institutions (exported) with a TE scholarship and the number of students from other member schools who are enrolled at the home institution (imported) and supported with a TE scholarship. As a member, the University of Pittsburgh agrees to abide by the national policies and practices of the organization.
- Students will apply for Tuition Exchange at the same time that they are applying for admission to college. Tuition Exchange Scholarship applications for the 2024-2025 academic year are now open.
- The priority Tuition Exchange application submission deadline for incoming Pitt Students is December 1, 2023. Additionally, students must be admitted to the University of Pittsburgh campus where they want to be considered for Tuition Exchange. It is recommended that students apply for admission prior to December 1, 2023 as well to provide time to be admitted prior to the review of Tuition Exchange applications.
- Students whose parents work for Pitt and are going to partner schools should check with that school regarding any applicable deadlines.
If your parent works at one of the participating colleges or universities, you may be eligible for a Tuition Exchange Scholarship at Pitt. For the 2024-2025 academic year, the Tuition Exchange Scholarship will cover tuition up to $42,000 at the University of Pittsburgh.
Eligibility
We award a limited number of Tuition Exchange Scholarships every year to incoming first-year students. In the 2023-2024 academic year, we received 500+ applications for these limited spaces, so please be aware that this is a very competitive process. We evaluate students based on their weighted grade point average, the rigor of curriculum (AP/IB/Honors courses), and class rank (if applicable). In addition, various non-numerical, holistic factors, as presented in the personal statement or Common Application essay, that describe the candidate’s background are also a part of the review process. These holistic factors allow for a diverse and multi-talented student body. Holistic criteria may include exceptional and unique talents; commitment to community service and leadership; significant family, job, or community responsibility; and contributions to cultural, economic, or racial diversity. Please note, SAT/ACT results are not used in the scholarship review process.
You must be admitted to the University of Pittsburgh in order to be reviewed for Tuition Exchange. Please note that the Tuition Exchange Scholarship will replace any merit scholarship the University of Pittsburgh previously awarded you.
Tuition Exchange Scholarships are awarded for four years/eight terms. Tuition Exchange Scholarships are also subject to Pitt’s scholarship renewal guidelines.
Application Process
Be sure to apply for admission to Pitt and complete the Tuition Exchange process through the school where your parent is employed. Priority consideration will be given to students who have their home institution approve their completed Tuition Exchange application by December 1, 2023, and have been admitted to the University of Pittsburgh. The Tuition Exchange review is conducted in late January through early February. Tuition Exchange applicants must be admitted to Pitt by the start of this review in order to be considered for an award. We strongly encourage all Tuition Exchange applicants to complete their application for admission by December 1, 2023, to allow time to be reviewed for admission prior to the start of the Tuition Exchange review. We will notify Tuition Exchange Scholarship recipients of their award by the end of February 2024.
If your parent is eligible to receive employee tuition benefits at Pitt and you would like to apply for a Tuition Exchange Scholarship at any of the partner colleges or universities, please follow the directions outlined here.
Eligibility
- Application for scholarship through the Tuition Exchange Program is open only to dependents of regular full-time employees who meet the requirements outlined in policy AC 69 Tuition Exchange Scholarship Program.
- Eligible dependent students are sponsored for a maximum of four years (eight semesters) of full-time undergraduate study.
- Eligibility does not guarantee an award. Each individual institution determines its admission criteria, the number of scholarships offered, and the timeline for its process. Please contact the Tuition Exchange Liaison Officer at your prospective college for additional information.
- The recommended deadline for submitting an application for Tuition Exchange is April 1, 2024, for the subsequent Fall Term. However, please keep in mind that many Tuition Exchange institutions have their own deadlines for when they must receive your application. You are encouraged to submit Tuition Exchange applications as soon as possible.
Please see AC 69 Tuition Exchange Scholarship Program (formerly 09-03-01) for additional information.
- Effective December 7, 2022 a Revised Version of this policy applies to the University community, except for Bargaining Unit Faculty Members, who are excluded pending collective bargaining negotiations with the Faculty Union, as noted below.
- Please note that Bargaining Unit Faculty Members are still eligible for Tuition Exchange, but will be administered under the Original Version of the policy pending collective bargaining negotiations with the Faculty Union.
Application Process
- Review the list of Tuition Exchange schools. Most students will complete this process between September and January of their senior year in high school, but it is recommended to review this list and apply to those schools as early as possible. If the school you are interested in is not on the list, you cannot apply for a TE scholarship for that school. Unfortunately, the Tuition Exchange organization does not allow us to ask that a school be added to the program.
- Complete the following applications when they become available:
- Tuition Exchange EZ Application
- HR Employee Certification of Eligibility Form
- Submit the following documents to apply:
Once the employee submits the online Tuition Exchange Scholarship Application, the application will be forwarded to the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid to certify that the employee is eligible for their application to be exported.
The Employee Certification of Eligibility Form and a copy of the employee’s most recent Federal U.S. Tax Return showing the eligible student is claimed as a dependent should be submitted via DocuSign.
Note: It is not secure to submit tax forms that contain social security numbers. Please redact the social security number on any tax forms submitted.
- Human Resources will forward the Employee Certification of Eligibility Form to the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid after confirming the student is dependent of the Pitt employee and the employee’s years of service at the University.
- If the student meets the eligibility requirements, the Tuition Exchange Application that was submitted online will be exported to the selected schools electronically.
- Be sure to also begin the admission application process for each school. Most schools will not review a student for Tuition Exchange unless the student has been accepted to the institution.
- The host school or schools will evaluate the student’s application. The procedure for reviewing and processing TE applications at host schools varies. If you have not heard from a specific school or want more information about their selection process, you can contact the school directly.
- If you are awarded a Tuition Exchange Scholarship, please notify our office if you plan to use the scholarship as soon as you have made your decision. If you have a scholarship offer that you do not plan to use, please notify our office as soon as possible so that other waitlisted students might be considered.
- If you are awarded a Tuition Exchange Scholarship, you will not need to re-apply for future years. This is done automatically by the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid after confirming with Human Resources that the parent remains employed full-time at the University of Pittsburgh.