The Associated Colleges of the South Tuition Exchange Program (ACS-TEP) is a benefit for employees of 14 ACS member institutions (listed below) to allow their children or dependents to attend other ACS colleges or universities at a relatively low cost. Participation costs $4,000 per student per year, with most colleges electing to pay half that fee while the family pays the balance. This split is determined individually by each institution, so it is useful to confirm this on your home campus. For this participation fee, the student receives free tuition to attend the enrolling college.
Participating ACS Institutions:
Birmingham-Southern College | Centenary College | Centre College
Furman University | Hendrix College | Millsaps College | Morehouse College
Rhodes College | Rollins College | Sewanee: The University of the South
Southwestern University Spelman College | Trinity University | University of Richmond
Washington and Lee University
Student Eligibility:
Entering first year, currently enrolled, and transfer students are eligible to apply through ACS. However, individual schools may have their own guidelines for granting the award to incoming students. Parents/guardians should first contact their institution’s Tuition Exchange Program Coordinator to confirm the applicant’s eligibility. The student can then apply for participation in the ACS Tuition Exchange Program through their institution’s ACS-TEP Coordinator. The student must then apply to and be accepted for admission by the desired institution. As part of the financial aid award process, the enrolling institution decides whether to offer an ACS-TEP Grant to the student.
Restrictions:
The student must attend the institution full-time and must be pursuing a bachelor’s degree. The Tuition Exchange benefit is available for a maximum of four academic years. Should a student withdraw during a term, said term will still be counted as a term of ACS-TEP participation. Student eligibility must be recertified each academic year and is not guaranteed. Not all off-campus programs count towards the ACS-TEP Grant, so participants should check with the ACS-TEP Coordinator before signing up for a program. The yearly participation fee must be paid by August 1, preceding the Fall academic term. Once paid, the fee is not refundable, even if the student then decides not to attend the institution during that academic year.
Admission to the receiving college.:
Prospective first-year students seeking the ACS Tuition Exchange Program benefit must apply for admission at the desired institution, meeting all deadlines and paying all application fees set by the institution. Each ACS institution retains full autonomy over the admission and retention of its Tuition Exchange Program students. Participating institutions hold the right to limit the total number of participants they will accept or send to other ACS institutions.
Applying for the ACS Tuition Exchange Program Benefit:
Students and parents/guardians should contact the ACS Tuition Exchange Program Coordinator at their home institution to verify eligibility and provide the necessary information for TEP application. Once eligibility is confirmed, an application must be formally completed and submitted by the coordinator. The application will then be sent to the importing school for review. The point of contact for students and parents/guardians is their Tuition Exchange Coordinator.
Once a student has been formally admitted by their applied institution, they will then receive a separate notification regarding their Tuition Exchange Program status. Depending on the institution’s Tuition Exchange Program limitations, a student may be accepted, refused, or placed on a wait list.
Note: Each institution determines the eligibility of the applicants wishing to participate in ACS TEP. Eligibility does not guarantee acceptance to the institution or approval for tuition exchange.
Charges included in the ACS Tuition Exchange Program:
As it applies to ACS-TEP, “tuition” means all tuition and fees charged by the institution applicable to the academic program. Room, board, books and special program fees are NOT included in ACS-TEP. Institutions may require other fees not covered by the Tuition Exchange Program benefit, and it is the responsibility of the student and parent/guardian to inquire about them. Students with additional need are encouraged to discuss financial aid options with the institutions to which they are applying.
If you have any questions, please contact your Tuition Exchange Program Coordinator:
Birmingham-Southern College
Susan Kinney, Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Risk Management
(205) 226- 4645 | skinney@bsc.edu
Centenary College
Lynette Viskozki, Director of Financial Aid
(318) 869-5137 | lviskozki@centenary.edu
Centre College
Meredith Bruner, HR Operations Manager
(859) 238-5466 | meredith.bruner@centre.edu
Furman University
Nancy Griffeth, Enrollment Specialist
(864) 294-2426 | Nancy.griffeth@Furman.edu
Hendrix College
Kristina Noah, Associate Vice President for Enrollment and Director of Financial Aid
(501) 450 – 1368 | noah@hendrix.edu
Millsaps College
Isabelle E. Higbee, Director, Office of Financial Aid
(601) 974-1222 | isabelle.higbee@millsaps.edu
Morehouse College
Rhodes College
Kandra Kolehmainen, Assistant Director of Financial Aid
(800) 844-5969 | kandrak@rhodes.edu
Rollins College
Shawn A. Harrell, Executive Assistant to the VP of Enrollment
(407) 646-2317 | saharrell@rollins.edu
Sewanee: The University of the South
Heather Kleinfeld, Financial Aid Counselor
(931) 598 1312 | finaid@sewanee.edu
Southwestern University
James Gaeta, Associate Dean of Enrollment Services
(512) 863-1259 | gaetaj@southwestern.edu
Spelman College
Ingrid Hayes, Sr. Vice President for Enrollment Management
(404) 270- 5186 | ihayes1@spelman.edu
Trinity University
Toni Bryant, Assistant Director of Financial Aid
(210) 999-8898 | tbryant@trinity.edu
University of Richmond
Suzanne Bird, Benefits & Compensation Specialist
(804) 289-1760 | sbird@richmond.edu
Washington and Lee University
Martha Rowsey, Senior Financial Aid Coordinator
(540) 458- 8717 | merowsey@wlu.edu
For information about the ACS Tuition Exchange Program in general, contact ACS at acs-tep@acsouth.edu.