Children Of Faculty And Staff Eligible To Study At Other U.S. Universities Using Tuition Waiver Benefit

By Lori Wright, Media Relations

Faculty and staff with children enrolled full-time at UNH can take advantage of a national exchange program that allows their dependents to study at more than 170 colleges and universities throughout the United States and its territories while taking advantage of UNH’s faculty/staff tuition benefits.

National Student Exchange allows students to continue to make progress toward their UNH degree while studying at another location. After a semester or year on exchange, students return to their home campus to complete their remaining degree requirements and graduate.

“If it is time for your child in college to expand his or her curriculum, develop more independence, explore new interests, study with new faculty, hear different ideas, make new friends, or create new opportunities, the National Student Exchange may be the ideal program,” said Paula DiNardo, coordinator of the UNH National Student Exchange Program.

To be eligible, students must have a 2.5 cumulative GPA at time of application; be a full-time bachelor's candidate in good academic, judicial and financial standing; have completed a minimum of 32 credits (16 of which must be from UNH); and have a declared major.

All courses are pre-approved prior to leaving UNH. The Transfer Credit Prior Approval form denotes how many credits will be accepted and the specific requirement each course satisfies. General education, major, minor, and elective courses may be taken. Exchange courses are listed on the UNH transcript with grades and the number of credits; however, they do not affect the UNH cumulative grade point average. Registration in EXCH 595 maintains UNH student status for financial aid, registration after exchange, and protects on-campus housing.

There is a $75 nonrefundable application fee, and a $100 per semester UNH exchange fee after acceptance. Tuition and mandatory fees are paid to UNH; however faculty and staff can use their tuition waiver benefit for their dependent children.

“The tuition waiver benefit allows faculty and staff a 50 percent discount on the cost of UNH tuition. This benefit also applies to the National Student Exchange program, effectively allowing the children of faculty and staff to experience learning environments at other colleges and universities in the nation at a dramatically reduced rate,” DiNardo said.

Room and board are paid to the host campus. Special course fees, such as those with labs, are paid to the host campus. Financial Aid continues to be applied for and received from UNH. Transportation costs are paid by the student. Some host institutions also assess a small fee for use in orientation, programming, or trips with other incoming students.

The UNH National Student Exchange Office is located at Hood House. The deadline to submit the exchange application is March 1, 2006. This is the deadline for fall 2006, spring 2007, or full academic year exchange.

Faculty and staff interested in getting more information about the program can attend one of several upcoming fall informational meetings. They are:

• Tuesday, Sept. 13, 12:45 p.m., MUB 330
• Thursday, Sept. 22, 12:45 p.m., MUB 302
• Thursday, Sept. 29, 12:45 p.m., MUB 330
• Tuesday, Oct. 4, 12:45 p.m., MUB 207
• Thursday, Oct. 27, 12:45 p.m., MUB 302