General TE Information

If I have questions about administering the TE Program on my campus, who can help?
If you have reviewed the TE training webinar and videos, as well as the TE Handbook and still have questions, contact TE Central at info@tuitionexchange.org.

Is there a TE Handbook or Guidebook for TELOs?
Yes, view the TE Handbook for details about administering the TE Program on your campus.

Is there a month-by-month calendar of tasks for TELOs?
Yes! Use our TELO Monthly Calendar as a guide to ensure you are completing tasks on time.

What requirements do TE member schools have to comply with to remain a TE member school?
There are very few requirements to remain a member school. Schools must pay their annual membership dues and participation fees, offer a minimum of three new Import scholarships per year and honor the terms of the scholarship offers they make to their Import schools. Additionally, they should designate a Primary and Secondary TELO and have a clear and accessible TE policy as part of their overall tuition benefit policy. Lastly, they need to make timely updates to their Exports and Imports in the TELO system.

Do TE member schools have to maintain a balance between their Export and Import students?
Tuition Exchange eliminated the balance sheet in 2020, so you can give all of your faculty and staff the chance to participate in the program. Consider extending the benefit to populations who might not have had access in the past, such as adjunct faculty and part-time staff.

Can Tuition Exchange be used for graduate/professional study?
Yes, it is up to the Export school as to whether they will certify TE eligibility at the graduate/professional level for their eligible employees/dependents. Similarly, it is up to the Import school if they will offer a TE Scholarship for graduate/professional study. Students can search these institutions via the TE Express Graduate School Search.

How many schools can students apply for TE Scholarships at?
Currently, students can have up to 20 active schools on their TE EZ-Application; however, they should only list a school if they plan to submit a completed admissions application to that institution.

Who defines what constitutes an eligible dependent for TE purposes?
The Export school determines what they consider to be an eligible dependent for Tuition Exchange purposes. For some institutions, this might be the employee, spouse and any dependent child under 24 years of age that is claimed on the federal tax return but, again, the institution has the ability to define this for TE purposes.

What is FACHEX?
The FACHEX (Faculty, Administrator and Staff Children Exchange Program) is an undergraduate tuition scholarship program which allows dependents eligible for tuition benefits at the “exporting” institution to apply for the same benefits at participating “importing” institutions. It was established by the Conference of the Academic Vice Presidents of the Association of Catholic, Jesuit Colleges (AJCU) in 1971 and continues to the present time. The benefit extended to FACHEX recipients should be consistent with the tuition remission benefits extended to dependents of the home institution’s employees. The value of FACHEX Scholarship is full tuition. Visit the AJCU FACHEX page for more information about the program and to view the list of FACHEX schools. All but two are also members of the Tuition Exchange Program.

Can I pay my invoice by phone?
Tuition Exchange cannot accept payments by phone any longer. We do accept credit card payments (the payer must be set up with a Billing User role by the Primary TELO) or by check, mailed to: 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 700, Bethesda, MD 20814.

Is there any information I can provide to eligible dependents of faculty/staff at my institution re: how to complete the TE EZ-Application?
Yes, provide this information.

I am also a FACHEX school. How can I tell if a student applied for TE or for FACHEX only?
When students that are Exports from a FACHEX school complete the TE EZ-Application and select a FACHEX school, they are being considered for both TE and FACHEX at that institution (with the exception of Boston College and Holy Cross which are the only FACHEX schools that are not also TE members). It is up to the Import school to designate if the student’s scholarship will be TE or FACHEX at the point they either Import Approve them or update their Import Status to Enrolled.

Who can I share information with regarding my TE Import and Export students?
Please see information on the Student Account/FERPA Release.

TE Process

How do students apply for TE?
Completing a TE EZ-Application is a two-step process:
1. The student (not the parent!) applying for consideration for a Tuition Exchange Scholarship must first create an account.
2. This will enable the student to log in and complete the TE EZ-Application.

Do Continuing TE Scholars (those students currently enrolled that are receiving a TE Scholarship) need to complete a new TE EZ-Application in subsequent years?
If the student receives a TE Scholarship and enrolls at the institution that offered the scholarship, no subsequent TE EZ-Application is required in future years; however, the Export school TELO should be contacted to ensure there is no internal form the employee needs to complete annually to maintain the benefit.

There are two instances in which a subsequent TE EZ-Application would be completed:
1. If the parent separates from their employer and obtains employment at another TE member school,
2. Or, the student opts to transfer to another TE member school. In each of these cases, a new TE EZ-Application is required but the student can log in under their existing TE EZ-Application account to complete a new application under the parent’s new employer in the first case or to click CREATE TRANSFER APP in the first instance.

What’s the TE process if a student receiving TE wants to transfer?
The student logs into their TE EZ-Application account and clicks “CREATE TRANSFER APP”.

If I have an employee that is separating from my institution and their dependent is receiving a TE Scholarship, when does the TE eligibility end?
The Export school determines when they will update the student’s Export status to No Longer Eligible or Denied-Other. Most institutions will enter the end of the term if the semester has already started or, the employee’s separation date if it has not yet started.

Do students and parents receive email notifications when their Export or Import status is updated by a TELO?
In the new TELO system, just as the TELOs no longer receive individual emails when actions are taken on applications, students/parents do not either. The student can log into their TE EZ-Application account to review the current status of their applications.

It should be noted–the Primary and Secondary TELO will get notifications of updates made to their Import and Export applications via the Daily Digest email the following day.

What is the Student Classification on the TE EZ-Application?
The Student Classification field is the equivalent of a student’s grade level. Students should select what their grade level will be the first year they are receiving Tuition Exchange as this determines how many semesters of TE eligibility they are assigned in the system if offered a scholarship. The corresponding semesters of eligibility are listed below based on the grade level selected.

TELO System Questions

How do I access the TELO administrative system?
You can access the TELO administrative system at te.tuitionexchange.org. Please note that you must be set up as a User for your institution. Please contact your Primary TELO to do this. If your Primary TELO has left your institution, email info@tuitionexchange.org. There is mandatory system training that you must complete in order to access the system.

How can I learn more about the TELO administrative system?
There are a number of resources available to help you use the TELO administrative system on the TELO System Help page. Your first bet is to start with the Mandatory Training Webinar or TE New System Walk-Through. These will walk you through the new system and how to update your school-required information. You can also find a video to walk you through how to update your Export and Import records, manage your Enrollment Report and make other necessary changes in the system.

How do I add or modify the Primary or Secondary TELO (Tuition Exchange Liaison Officer), or update other Users in the new system?
Only the Primary TELO can add/modify Users. Visit te.tuitionexchange.org and follow these instructions. If you do not have access to the system yourself, because you were not the TELO or other user, please email info@tuitionexchange.org.

My institution cannot be selected by students on the TE School list on the TE EZ-Application (it is grayed out) OR my employees cannot select my institution as their Employer on the TE EZ-Application. Why?
If your institution is not showing or is not available for selection on the TE EZ-Application, it is because you either did not set up your Annual Aid Year School Information in the new system for that specific year the student is seeking TE for, or, the import (or export) application deadline you listed in your Annual Aid Year Information has passed. Please check your Annual Aid Year School Information and School Profile at te.tuitionexchange.org and make the appropriate updates, being sure to review your import and export applications deadlines carefully.

I don’t see my continuing students that I re-certified in the old system under 2024-2025 year in the new system, why?
First, please be sure when viewing Imports and Exports that you are selecting “All Aid Years” (not “All Active Aid Years”) from the top menu.

Secondly, keep in mind that continuing students that were re-certified by their Export school before the old system went down would have moved over to the new system provided they did not have an expiration date of 6/1/24 or prior; however, they will all have a cohort year (regardless of year they started) of 2023-2024.

They do not need to do a new application and will show with a status of Enrolled. The Import school only needs to update them if their status is no longer Enrolled. They will appear on the 2024-2025 Enrollment Report.

Why wouldn’t I see a new 2024-2025 student in the TELO system that was in the old system?
All NEW students that were approved or decision pending, provided they had been Export Approved by the Export school, moved with a cohort year of 2024-2025. If they were rejected or waitlisted in the old system, they would not have transitioned into the new TELO system.

Will I still need to recertify continuing TE Scholars each year in the new system?
No. Recertification of Continuing TE Scholars (as a system action) is a thing of the past. New students marked as “Enrolled” by their Import school are assumed to have eight semesters of eligibility and unless the Export school updates eligibility (perhaps b/c the employee is no longer employed, the student does not meet eligibility requirements) or the Import school denies the student, the student will roll to the next year automatically, remaining at the “Enrolled” status until their eligibility is exhausted. Once a student is marked as “Enrolled” by the Import School, they remain at Enrolled status and they will appear on the Enrollment Report for each school year after year until their Eligibility Remaining moves to zero, unless the Export school marks them ineligible because a parent separates form employment or or the Import school withdraws them or marks them on a leave of absence.

One of my institution’s new Export student applicants accidentally selected the wrong application year (or wrong student classification/grade level) when completing the TE EZ-Application. They cannot update it and asked me to. How do I do that?
Neither the TELO nor TE Central can update the application year. Instead, in the TELO system, if you did not already Export Approve the student, you can click the “Delete App” button at the bottom of the screen. If you already Export Approved the student, you should go to Exports, Applications, and click the pencil icon to update the Export status to Denied/Other and enter the reason to close out the application. Once the application is closed out, please advise the student to log into their existing TE EZ-Application and create a new application for the correct year.

I have an Import student that graduated but is still listed as Enrolled. What status do I update them to to get them off my Enrollment Report?
You can go to Imports, Applications, and update their Import Status to “withdrawn”.

Why am I not getting a Daily Digest notification when a new Import application is submitted yet I see it in the system under my Import Applications?
Import schools are only notified about student applications after the Export school approves the application. This was done purposefully because there is nothing for the Import school to do until the Export school has done their part. It seemed like an unnecessary notification for the Import school since they are unable to take any action. The Import school does receive a notification in the Daily Digest once the Export school approves the application which is when the Import school can begin their work on the application.

Why do students that previously I saw in my Import applications list no longer appear?
Go to Change Logs, Import in the system and find that student–it is likely the student removed your institution from their TE EZ-Application.

Why am I not getting Daily Digest emails when changes are made to my institution’s Export and Import applications?
Only the Primary and Secondary TELO get Daily Digest emails. They should forward those emails to any other Users that need the information contained within.

I set up the Invoice Billing contact for my school in the School Profile. Can that individual pay the invoice in the TE Portal?
While that individual will get invoice notifications via email, currently, for that individual to be able to pay the invoice, the Primary TELO would need to add that individual as a User, with a Billing role.

How do I update a student’s Eligibility Remaining field in the new system?
While they can extend eligibility for a student, TELOs cannot edit the Eligibility Remaining field. It is driven by the Import school marking the student as Enrolled. The number of semesters is determined by the grade level Student Classification students select when they first apply. Students that indicate a Student Classification (aka-grade level) of first-year, never attended on the TE EZ-Application start off with eight semesters of eligibility, the number adjusts after the semester ends, if the student was marked as Enrolled by the Import school. A student that indicates they are a second year student has six semesters of eligibility, a student who indicates they are a third year student has four semesters of eligibility, a student who indicates they are a fourth/fifth year student has two semesters of eligibility.

If you need to extend eligibility for a student beyond the typical eight semesters (or beyond what they currently have), as the Import School, you can go to Imports/Applications, select the specific student, right click (bottom left corner) on View Application and click “Extend Eligibility” button at the bottom left side of your screen. If the student only needs one semester of eligibility, versus the standard two semesters/one year extension, after the first term of extended eligibility ends, update their Import Status to “Denied-Other” and indicate in the comment that they graduated.

I need to reduce Eligibility Remaining for a student who used a semester of TE eligibility during the summer. How do I do that?
Go to Imports/Applications, select the specific student, right click (bottom left corner) on View Application and click “Add Summer Term” to reduce Eligibility Remaining by one semester.

I need to change my school name, my school address or my school’s website url in the TELO system. How do I do that?
Email info@tuitionexchange.org as we must make updates to those data elements for you.

How do I add my school logo in the new system?
Follow these instructions.

Can you provide what I had as my School Overview in the old system?
Unfortunately, we do not have what you wrote in your previous School Overview as it was in the old system. A good place to start might be your institution’s website, and clicking “About” from your main menu as it often contains an institutional description.

How do I complete the School Profile and what are the custom fields for?
Follow the instructions in the “School Profile-Specific Questions” guide. Custom fields, which are optional, are what you would like to know about students that might not be on the TE EZ-Application. Examples: Are you a first-generation college student? Do you have other siblings in college? Do you plan to apply early decision?

How will I learn about new TE EZ-Applications that are submitted to my institution (imports), as well as status updates made by other institutions for my export students?
You will receive a Daily Digest email that shows your school activity from the prior day. Find an example of the Daily Digest email in the “Daily Digest” Slide Deck PDF.

How do I pay my TE invoice in the TELO system?
Follow the instructions in the “Pay My Invoice” Slide Deck PDF.

How do I access my Enrollment Report?
In the TELO system, go to Reports, Enrollment. Leave the Application Year drop-down at its default of All Years.

What does it mean to Enroll a Student and when/how do I Enroll my Imports?
If you have confirmed an Import is Enrolled at your institution for the current term (usually confirmed once the term has begun), go to Imports, Import Status and select Enrolled from the drop-down list. Click the disk icon to save the change.

How do I close an application or update an application for an Export who is no longer eligible for TE due to a parent employee separating from my institution?
Go to Exports, Applications and update the Export Status to No Longer Eligible or Denied-Other, depending on what the Export status was to begin with.

When can I enroll my Import students for the fall?
The Enrolled option will become available in the Import Status drop-down on August 15 for the fall term.You typically do not want to mark an Import Enrolled until classes have begun and you confirm they actually did start.

When does the TE system update a student’s number of semesters of eligibility remaining, and perform other actions?
For semester schools, eligibility increments run on 12/31 and 5/31. For Quarter schools, it runs on 3/15 and for summer only, it runs on 8/15.

What does the TE EZ-Application look like?
See attached! You can also review the TE EZ-Application video.