Learning curve
Little-known ways to pay in-state tuition rates at out-of-state colleges
Families looking to trim college costs often steer their students toward public colleges in their home state instead of public colleges in another state or private institutions. Public colleges and universities typically charge two different tuition rates: one for state residents and another, much higher one for students from outside the state. The difference in sticker price averages close to $15,000.
But attending a public college in another state may be more affordable than you think. The lower, in-state tuition at public colleges isn’t always reserved for students who reside in the state. A number of regional, state and college-specific programs allow some students to qualify for in-state or heavily discounted tuition at out-of-state public schools.
Regional discounts
Four regional compacts help students from nearly every state catch a break when it comes to paying for college across state lines. Qualifying students from 13 southern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia) can apply for in-state tuition at participating out-ofstate colleges through the Southern Regional Education Board’s Academic Common Market. And residents of six New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont) who enroll in an eligible program pay instate tuition at 82 public colleges and universities in the area’s Regional Student Program. For both of these regional programs, students must pursue a major that isn’t offered in their home state to qualify for the tuition discounts.
The Midwest Student Exchange program lets students from Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wisconsin receive tuition discounts at more than 100 participating colleges and universities. Public colleges in the program agree to charge eligible students no more than 150 percent of the school’s in-state tuition, and participating private colleges cut 10 percent off the cost of tuition for students from the region. Students typically save between $500 and $5,000 per year. The Western Undergraduate Exchange program offers eligible students from 15 states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming) 150 percent of the in-state tuition rate at participating public colleges across the region.
Neither the Midwestern nor the Western regional program requires that students pursue a major not available in their home state, but each program does allow colleges and universities to add their own restrictions.
Friendly neighbors
In addition to the regional agreements, some states have their own smaller reciprocity programs or offer flexibility when it comes to determining who qualifies for in-state tuition. Some of the arrangements apply to students from anywhere within a neighboring state; others extend only to students living in specific counties of the neighboring state or close to the state line. For example, Colorado and New Mexico have an agreement that allows qualifying students from either state to get in-state pricing in both states — a better deal than the regional Western Undergraduate Exchange program. Students from Minnesota and Wisconsin have a similar arrangement. And students from Washington, D.C., can receive up to $10,000 each year toward the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition at any eligible public, four-year college in the U.S.
Individual programs
To attract more out-of-state students, some public colleges offer out-of-state students a tuition discount through their own programs. At Texas A&M University, non-Texans who earn a competitive scholarship of at least $1,000 also qualify to pay in-state tuition and fees. For 2016-17, that’s a savings of more than $20,000 for out-ofstate students. Similarly, the University of Arkansas will waive 70 percent to 90 percent of the difference between instate and out-of-state tuition for students from Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas who earn at least a 3.2 GPA and score at least 1160 on the SAT.
Special circumstances
Even if your student doesn’t qualify for a regional or state reciprocity program or a program offered by a specific school, your family may qualify for a deal based on military or public service. For example, recent veterans of the U.S. military can receive in-state tuition rates at any public college or university in the country. And children of service members who are on active duty for more than 30 days qualify for in-state tuition where they currently live, regardless of how long their family has lived there or whether the family moves out of state while the students are still enrolled in school.