Couple of things. Is the template just a recommendation from the instructor, or is it a specific part of the course materials? Some templates have additional features, such as pinholes that allow you to mark seam intersections. Be sure and compare. If they finish different sizes, any square up instructions or border dimensions provided by the instructor will be different. Personally, I would contact the instructor before hand to make sure your substitution will be OK. It takes hours of time to develop a course and if folks bring unexpected tools it can throw a wrench into the schedule.