Tuition Exchange-Incoming

Tuition exchange scholarship programs enable university faculty and staff to send their dependents to study at other participating universities for a significantly reduced tuition fee or even completely tuition-free. Tuition exchange is a university member-based scholarship opportunity meant for university faculty and staff – it is NOT an employee benefit. Each member institution has its own import guidelines. American University of Sharjah (AUS) welcomes import tuition exchange applications from faculty and staff working for universities that are participating network members of either:  The Tuition Exchange Inc. (TE) or the CIC-Tuition Exchange Program (CIC-TEP).  AUS accepts both incoming bachelor’s degree-seeking and study-abroad students through these two different tuition exchange programs.

You can look up whether your university is a participating member, and find contact details for the Liaison Officer for each member university, here:

1. The Tuition Exchange Inc. (TE): This exchange network contains approximately 675 universities in five different countries, although most participating members are located in the USA.   https://telo.tuitionexchange.org/schools.cfm.
2. CIC-Tuition Exchange Program (CIC-TEP): This exchange network contains approximately 450 universities in five different countries, although most participating members are located in the USA.  https://www.cic.edu/member-services/tuition-exchange-program/print-participating-institutions

You can look up whether your university is a participating member, and find contact details for the Tuition Exchange Liaison Officer for each member university, here:

1. The Tuition Exchange Inc. (TE)
2. CIC-Tuition Exchange Program (CIC-TEP)

Dependents of faculty and staff who work for member universities of TE and/or CIC-TEP are eligible to apply for a scholarship provided the employee meets the eligibility guidelines set forth by each member university. Employees can ask their Tuition Exchange Liaison Officer for the details, as the export school determines eligibility. Eligibility is typically based on considerations such as type and length of employment.  Some member schools allow the employee, the employee’s spouse/partner, or dependent children to apply for scholarships; you will need to ask your Tuition Exchange Liaison Officer about this. Generally, once a dependent student completes an undergraduate degree, the student is no longer eligible for scholarship consideration. 

The host university, where the student is hoping to attend, is the university granting the tuition exchange scholarships. In this case, the host university is American University of Sharjah. The export university (i.e. university employing the faculty/staff) only nominates the student to the host university. The export university has no control at all over whether the host university actually grants the scholarship.

Tuition exchange scholarship applications are initiated by your participating university’s Liaison Officer (see Q3 above). You should always start the process with the employing university’s Liaison Officer. If you qualify to apply for a scholarship, your Liaison Officer will guide you through the application process. Please note, in every case you will also need to apply for admission directly to AUS – the university admission process is a completely separate process that will take place in parallel with (or sometimes before) the tuition exchange scholarship application process. For more information about applying for admission to AUS, please refer to our website here:  https://www.aus.edu/admissions.

Yes. Both your participating (employing) university and AUS have deadlines for the tuition exchange scholarship applications.  Contact your Liaison Officer for more information about the deadline to apply for a scholarship through your participating (employing) university. The deadline by which AUS must receive a tuition exchange scholarship application is May 15  May each year, for enrollment in the Fall of that same calendar year.  AUS can also accept incoming scholarship applications for students wanting to enroll in the Spring semester. Please contact the AUS Tuition Exchange Liaison Officer for further information.

Admission decisions are made before tuition exchange decisions are announced on a rolling basis throughout the year. If you receive an offer for admission to AUS and you do not hear back about your scholarship application within a week of receiving your admission notification, please contact the AUS Tuition Exchange Liaison Officer to request an update on the status of your scholarship application.  

Tuition exchange scholarship awards are based on class levels with an eight-semester maximum for entering freshmen. Sophomores would typically receive six semesters and juniors would receive four semesters to complete their degrees. No additional funding is available upon graduation, even when a student graduates early.  Students can also attend AUS as a 1- or 2-semester study abroad student with a tuition exchange scholarship.  However, students may not apply a tuition exchange scholarship to summer study or to graduate programs at AUS.

Both TE and CIC-TEP scholarships cover 100 percent of AUS tuition fees. In addition, the Tuition Exchange Inc. (TE) scholarship also covers the fee for a shared dorm room (i.e. a shared bedroom, kitchenette and bathroom). Students can elect to pay extra to upgrade their dorm room, assuming availability. Utilities Services Fees are not included in either scholarship.

Yes.

Yes.

No. The scholarship program only assists students attending the traditional semesters/terms.

No. 

It is always good to ask this question at your participating employer university. There should not be any additional paperwork required at AUS for the purposes of receiving the scholarship.

Yes, incoming students must maintain a full-time status, which means 12 to 16 credits per semester (i.e. every Fall semester and every Spring semester). Audited classes do not count in the full-time computation. In addition, the student must remain in good academic standing throughout the scholarship period.

Yes, students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 (out of 4.0) in order to remain in good academic standing.

No. There is an annual recertification process to verify your eligibility, and this recertification will be completed by your participating employer university. The award is typically renewable through graduation or a set maximum number of semesters, provided the participating employer university recertifies the student, and the student remains in good academic standing. Parents should stay in contact with their own Tuition Exchange Liaison Officer regarding the annual recertification process.

The tuition exchange scholarship may be cancelled in the current semester depending on the date of the employee’s departure or termination, and any future funding is cancelled. However, if the employee transfers to work at another participating network member university, there is a chance that the student may be eligible to apply for a scholarship through that new employer university. The student and/or employee should contact the new Tuition Exchange Liaison Officer ASAP to determine eligibility and other details about the tuition exchange program at the new employer university.

Tuition Exchange scholarships do not credit unless the student is enrolled full time, at least 12 credit hours or the equivalent. Once your registration is complete, your scholarship award should credit to your student account. Contact the AUS Tuition Exchange Liaison Officer if you have any problems with this at all. 

Please contact the AUS Tuition Exchange Liaison Officer with any other questions.