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 2023-2024 academic year are now open.
- The submission deadline for incoming Pitt Students is December 1, 2022. Additionally, students must be admitted to the University of Pittsburgh by December 1, 2022.
- 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 2023-2024 academic year, the Tuition Exchange Scholarship will cover tuition up to $41,000 at the University of Pittsburgh.
Eligibility
We award a limited number of Tuition Exchange Scholarships every year to incoming first-year students. In the 2022-2023 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 accepted 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 admissions and complete the Tuition Exchange process through the school where your parent is employed. Consideration will be given to students who have their home institution approve their completed Tuition Exchange application and have been admitted to the University of Pittsburgh on or before December 1, 2022. We will notify Tuition Exchange Scholarship recipients of their award by the end of February 2023.
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 first-time, full-time freshmen dependents of regular full-time employees with at least one year of full-time service.
- Preference is given to first-time participants in the Tuition Exchange 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 deadline for submitting an application for Tuition Exchange is April 1, 2023 for the subsequent Fall Term.
Please see AC 69 Tuition Exchange Scholarship Program (formerly 09-03-01) for additional information.
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 listed as a dependent on the most recent copy of the Federal U.S. Tax Return 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. A confirmation email will also be sent indicating the schools where the application was submitted.
- Begin the 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 as a freshman, you will not need to re-apply for future years. This is done automatically by the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid after confirming the parent remains employed full-time at the University of Pittsburgh.