How to Get In-State Tuition at Out-Of-State Colleges

HomeApplicationsHow to Get In-State Tuition at Out-Of-State CollegesThis page may contain affiliate links.Oct 25, 2019The items on the checklists of students looking at colleges and universities vary from student to student. Things like school size and location are very often at the top of the list and while many students choose to stay relatively close by, for others, going to college is an opportunity to spread their wings and exert their independence miles away from their home town. According toParenting Magazine, 17% of students attend out-of-state colleges. Along with that sense of adventure comes a hefty price tag, as any out-of-state student can tell you. The price an out-of-state student pays can be 50% higher than that charged to in-state residents. And if one hopes to become a resident in order to cut their costs, they will be sorely disappointed when they attempt it. So is it possible to get in-state tuition at out-of-state colleges? Becoming a bona fide resident of the state where your college is located is a very long and difficult process. Another method that is often more successful and can also bring down the cost of out-of-state tuition is through regional exchange or reciprocity programs. Can Out of State Students Get In State Tuition? These programs allow residents of one state to attend college in another state for close to the same tuition as other in-state students.The four major exchanges are: Western Undergraduate Exchange Southern Regional Education Board Academic Common Market (SREB) Midwest Student Exchange New England Regional Student Exchange There are some restrictions on these out-of-state reciprocity programs. And some states (New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, Iowa, and North Carolina) do not participate in any program. Not all public schools within each state participate in every program, especially the most popular state flagship universities. Some schools that do participate may not offer all of the majors and do not make certain programs available to the students in the exchanges. Some states cap the number of seats available to exchange students, and once that number is reached, all other students are out of luck. Two of the programs, The New England Regional Student Program and the Academic Common Market only allow exchange students whose approved majors are not offered by the public colleges and universities in their home states. Students who transfer or change majors risk losing their discounts. While it may seem like there is an excessive amount of rules governing these programs, once a student qualifies, they can be afforded a rather envious discount on tuition at a school that is very high on their list. So, the benefits definitely outweigh the cons. The following table lists the exchange programs for each state. Alabama Academic Common Market Alaska Western Undergraduate Exchange Arizona Western Undergraduate Exchange Arkansas Academic Common Market California Western Undergraduate Exchange Colorado Western Undergraduate Exchange Connecticut New England Student Exchange Delaware Academic Common Market Florida Academic Common Market Georgia Academic Common Market Hawaii Western Undergraduate Exchange Idaho Western Undergraduate Exchange Illinois Midwest Student Exchange Indiana Midwest Student Exchange Iowa None Kansas Midwest Student Exchange Kentucky Academic Common Market Louisiana Academic Common Market Maine New England Student Exchange Maryland Academic Common Market Massachusetts New England Student Exchange Mississippi Academic Common Market Montana Western Undergraduate Exchange Nebraska Midwest Student Exchange Nevada Western Undergraduate Exchange Oklahoma Academic Common Market New Hampshire New England Student Exchange New Mexico Western Undergraduate Exchange New Jersey None New York None North Carolina None North Dakota Midwest Student Exchange Ohio None Oregon Western Undergraduate Exchange Pennsylvania None Rhode Island New England Student Exchange South Dakota Western Undergraduate Exchange South Carolina Academic Common Market Tennessee Academic Common Market Texas Academic Common Market Utah Western Undergraduate Exchange Vermont New England Regional Student Program (RSP) Virginia Academic Common Market Washington Western Undergraduate Exchange West Virginia Academic Common Market Wisconsin Midwest Student Exchange Program Wyoming Western Undergraduate Exchange When it seems like tuition is rising every time the wind changes, its helpful to know that there can be some ways where students may be able to save some money. Investigating in these regional exchange programs is not only a good idea, it makes good financial sense. To cut down on the time and energy needed to gather all the important information families should be looking at when searching for colleges, look into our College Data Spreadsheet. The spreadsheet compiles data from multiple sources and includes information on which academic exchange a college participates in, in addition to valuable data on merit scholarships and early admissions results. Simplify your college search and improve your results by having more data at your fingertips. Get The College Data Spreadsheet