Foreign Exchange Waiver
FES waivers must be submitted through the portal.
The DEC will review the student's application, considering factors such as prior participation of foreign exchange students in the same varsity sport at the school, prior advanced training in their home country, national rankings or participation on a national team and any influence of athletic abilities on placement with a host or school. Upon approval of the form, the student may then apply for a Foreign Exchange Waiver, enabling them to participate in varsity sports: UIL Constitution and Contest Rules: Waiver of Eligibility Rules
Questions may be submitted to Kevin Jones, Ed.D., Policy Director, at kjones@uiltexas.org.
PAPF / FEPF:
PAPF Page 1: Initiate a PAPF through the portal.
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Answer "No" to the first question about previous participation (Question #1).
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Mark that the student is a Foreign Exchange Student (Question #14) and the waiver will generate.
*The host parent can fill out the PAPF / Waiver as the Guardian.
*If the PAPF ask for a State for the previous school, you can pick any State to keep the PAPF progressing.
The DEC may approve the FEPF if it finds that the student: Did not change schools for athletic purposes, and has not received advanced training (defined as training which is above and beyond that which is normally provided in Texas public schools) in the germane activity prior to arriving in Texas, such as pre-Olympic training, being nationally ranked or having similar status in a sport, or participation on a national team; has not been placed with a host or a school based on athletic interests or abilities, whether initiated or caused by a student, a natural or host parent, a school, a program or any other interested party.
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The DEC may request all documentation used to place the student.
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Foreign exchange students may be denied eligibility for one activity but approved for others.
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A school, host family, or foreign exchange student may appeal the DEC's decision to deny varsity eligibility due to a school transfer for athletic reasons.
A DEC Chair may use the following form to communicate their decision to UIL: DEC Foreign Exchange Decision Form
Decision by the Waiver Officer:
Foreign Exchange Students. The waiver of the residence requirement of a foreign exchange student may be granted under the following conditions:
A foreign exchange student may submit an FEPF if the school has not established a pattern, using previous years, of foreign exchange participation in a specific sport in which the student participated in their home country.
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Foreign exchange participaton form: Foreign exchange students must have a foreign exchange participation form (FEPF) approved by the district executive committee before applying for a foreign exchange waiver.
(B) FOREIGN EXCHANGE WAIVER: The waiver of the residence requirement of a foreign exchange student may be granted under the following conditions:
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A chronological history of schooling provided by the placement agency verifies that the exchange student has not completed four years of high school attendance and/or graduated from high school; and
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The exchange student meets all other University Interscholastic League eligibility rules (Schools must verify that the student meets age, four-year, and graduation requirements. An approved waiver applies only to the parent residence rule. A foreign exchange student who does not meet other eligibility requirements may cause the school’s team to forfeit their games.).
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A foreign exchange student must apply for and receive an approved waiver before the district certification deadline.
Waiver Application: Missing Documentation will result in a waiver denial. If the waiver is "denied incomplete," the required information may be emailed to kjones@uiltexas.org for reconsideration.
- How do I pay the FES waiver fee?
- FES waiver fees are waived for this school year.
- Required Document: J-1 Visa
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- Required Document: DS-2019
- Required Document: Chronological History of Schooling (from the placement agency)
