Tuition Exchange Programs
Basic Program Information
St. Catherine University participates in four tuition exchange programs: the Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities (ACTC) Exchange, Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) Tuition Exchange Program, Catholic Colleges Cooperative (CCC) Tuition Exchange Program, and The Tuition Exchange, Inc. (TTEI) .
This page is directed at employees of St. Catherine University interested in applying for a tuition exchange benefit for a dependent child. Exchange programs are generally limited to first undergraduate programs, but may be extended to other programs by the importing institution. Students of St. Catherine receiving a tuition exchange benefit will receive information about their eligibility and requirements annually from the Financial Aid Office.
These programs provide an opportunity, but not a guarantee, to receive full or partial tuition benefits at participating institutions. For all programs, regardless of how the application is submitted, employees must be approved for eligibility by the HR Office. If the application is submitted to the Liaison Officer, s/he will verify the employees eligibility with HR before processing the application. The Liaison Officer will handle all routing of application forms between institutions.
For all programs, once a dependent has been approved for export by St. Kate's, the decision of whether s/he will be accepted into or renewed through a tuition exchange program will be made by the importing institution. Each institution has their own guidelines for accepting students to participate in tuition exchange, and can revise or vary guidelines annually. St. Kate's has no way to determine the likelihood that a dependent will be accepted into an exchange program.
You must also apply and be accepted for admission at any importing institution in order to have your application reviewed for exchange. The admission application process is separate from the exchange application process, and questions should be directed to the admissions staff at the importing institution.
You should also plan to complete the financial aid application process specified by your importing institution. Your award amounts will be calculated once any requirements are completed. Any federal, state, and/or institutional grants and scholarships, whether need- or merit-based, are typically deducted from actual tuition prior to calculation of tuition exchange funding. Tuition exchange would then be based on remaining actual tuition. Contact your importing institution to find out more information about policies specific to that institution.
Most institutions make decisions on tuition exchange program applicants between February and May. Once your application is exported, you can check on the status of your application by contacting the importing institution (usually through your admission or financial aid contact at that school). Otherwise, the only thing to do is wait!
Each program has a website that provides information about program guidelines, participating institutions, and the application process. Please review program information on the program website, as well as the internal guidelines for application processes listed below.
ACTC Exchange
- 75% benefit
- participating institutions: University of St. Thomas, Hamline University, Augsburg College, Macalester College, and St. Catherine University
- application form available on Kateway in the HR Forms section, or, if needed, in paper from the HR Office
- return completed application to HR for certification and forwarding to appropriate institution
- ACTC application deadlines:
Augsburg College: April 15
Hamline University: No Deadline
Macalester College: March 15
St. Catherine University: Start of Term
St. Thomas University: No Deadline
- submit a new application each term or year, depending on the institutions deadlines
Employee Eligibility Requirements:
- Employees must be continuously employed as a .75 or above FTE employee for one year or more prior to beginning coursework.
- Employees must maintain this employment status for the duration of the benefit.
- Applications are accepted for dependent children of eligible employees.
- Bargaining Unit employees should check their contracts for eligibility of this benefit.
Additional Information:
- Employees should plan to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available on January 1 for the upcoming academic year (ex. January 1, 2013 for the 2013-14 academic year) at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
- After admission, the ACTC institution will notify you of the exact benefit amount.
Employee Eligibility Requirements:
- Employees must be continuously employed as a .75 or above FTE employee for one year or more prior to receiving funding from CIC. This would be counted back from the start of the academic term for which you are applying. If you are submitting an application for mid-year acceptance, it is best to verify with the importing institution that they will consider such applications and to still apply in the fall of the preceding year.
- Employees must maintain this employment status for the duration of the benefit.
- Applications are accepted for dependent children of eligible employees.
- www.cccte.org
- 75-100% tuition benefit, depending on importing institution
- find participating institutions>>
- download and print application>>
- submit one new application for each school your dependent will apply to for admission
- submit an annual renewal application each fall if your dependent is admitted into this program
- submit all applications to the campus liaison: Amanda Kopplin, Financial Aid Office, F-11 (ackopplin@stkate.edu)
- no institutional deadline or limit for applications. Importing institutions may set their own deadlines for priority consideration.
Employee Eligibility Requirements:
- Employees must be continuously employed as a .75 or above FTE employee for one year or more prior to receiving funding from CCCTE. This would be counted back from the start of the academic term for which you are applying. If you are submitting an application for mid-year acceptance, it is best to verify with the importing institution that they will consider such applications and to still apply in the fall of the preceding year.
- Employees must maintain this employment status for the duration of the benefit.
- Applications are accepted for dependent children of eligible employees.
- www.tuitionexchange.org
- 100% benefit (or tuition cap of $31,500 for 2013-14)
- generally 1 to 3 applicants exported each academic year
- find participating institutions>>
- download attached application form>>
(This form is an internal form used for new and renewal applicants, and maintained by the Human Resources (HR) Office. It will be made available each year when they approve it for employee use. Contact hr@stkate.edu with any questions about this form.)
- submit one form with multiple institutions
- submit new and renewal applications to HR on or before November 1, 2012, according to the internal deadline set by their office.
Employee Eligibility Requirements:
- Employees must be continuously employed as a .75 or above FTE employee for one year or more prior to applying for TTEI.
- Employees must maintain this employment status for the duration of the benefit.
- Applications are accepted for dependent children of eligible employees.
- The maximum number of eligible dependents per family for the TTEI program is one.
- Eligibility is limited to one initial year, with a possibility of renewal for one additional year.
Additional TTEI process information:
- A drawing will be conducted by HR on the first business day following November 1 to determine placement in a queue, along with consideration for number of successful years of service at the University.
- Applications received after November 1 will be added to the end of the queue.
- Human Resources will certify the employee’s eligibility.
- Human Resources will forward the list of names along with their forms to the Liaison Officer in the Financial Aid Office.
- Applications will be exported in early- or mid-November based on program space availability and ranking in the queue. The Liaison Officer will contact you if your application is going to be sent out for export to verify the list of institutions for export.
- It is rare but possible that additional applications may be sent out during the course of the year if additional program space becomes available. The Liaison Office will contact you if there is a possibility that your application will be sent for export to determine if you are still interested at that point in the year.