# Importing and exporting students

> Academium SMS Help › Students
> For: School Owner, School Admin
> Web page: https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-importing-and-exporting-students
> Last updated: 2026-10-06

## Importing students

Importing adds many students at once from a spreadsheet. It is the quickest way to bring an existing school into Academium. Importing needs a paid plan.

1. Open **Students → Student Import**.
2. Choose the **class and section** the students are joining. Each import goes into one class and section.
3. Download the template, fill it in, and save it as **CSV** or **Excel**.
4. Upload the file.

Academium checks the columns before it imports anything. If the file is not in the expected shape, the **whole file is refused** and nothing is imported, so you can fix it and try again.

### Tips

- Import one class and section at a time.
- Keep the column headings exactly as they are in the template.
- After importing, check a few students' profiles to make sure brothers and sisters are linked to the same parent.

## Exporting students

Open **Students → Export** to download your students as **CSV** or **Excel**, for example to share a class list or keep an offline copy.

## Common issues

**"The file was refused."** A column is missing, renamed or in the wrong place. Start again from a fresh copy of the template.

**Import is not available.** Importing needs a paid plan. See [What free mode includes](https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-free-mode.md).

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