How to Get In-State Tuition at Out-of-State Universities
Going to school out of state can be cheaper than staying near home
The hype about colleges' heightened admissions standards and skyrocketing tuition in crowded and financially troubled states such as California may be drowning out the surprising reality that many affordable public colleges in less populated areas are eager for students and are willing to cut good deals. Some schools are even willing to extend their generosity to less-than-stellar students.
U.S. News has identified several public universities that waive out-of-state surcharges for many or, in some cases, all qualified out-of-state students.
At some of these colleges, the in-state tuition is so low that the total annual cost of attendance, including extra travel expenses for out-of-staters, is below $15,000. That means it can be cheaper for some students to attend schools out of state. Many public universities in Pennsylvania, Illinois, and California, for example, have total sticker prices in excess of $20,000 for local residents. Many of the bargain schools also award extra scholarships to better-qualified students, bringing their costs down even further.
Of course, there are reasons these colleges are trying to attract out-of-staters. They are usually in states such as North Dakota, Kansas, and Louisiana that are seeing declines in the numbers of local teenagers. Often, they are in rural, remote areas such as northwest Oklahoma or eastern Oregon. And generally, these colleges rank poorly compared with more in-demand, and thus more expensive, colleges.
Many other schools waive out-of-state fees for students who meet minimal qualifications.
The University of Louisiana–Lafayette awards out-of-state tuition waivers to students with ACT scores of at least 23 (or SATs of 1,060) and GPAs of at least 2.5. That brings the total annual cost of attendance down to about $12,000 this year.
Northwestern Oklahoma State University awards in-state tuition to any student with an ACT score of at least 20 (or a two-test SAT score of at least 940) and a high school GPA of at least 2.7. Those who can't match that can still qualify for a waiver if they are recruited for a sports team or college activity such as band. Total cost of attendance, including books and travel: an estimated $12,000 this year.
The University of South Carolina–Upstate offers in-state tuition plus an extra $500 to new freshmen with at least 3.0 high school GPAs, 1,000 on the SATs, and a ranking in the top 20 percent of their high school classes. The total sticker price for in-staters attending the school: about $18,000.
Many state universities also offer in-state tuition (or, in many cases, a significant reduction in out-of-state charges) to students from neighboring states that participate in compacts such as the Midwest Student Exchange Program or Western Undergraduate Exchange.
Kate Clark
College Assistance for Home Schooled Students
Just because you are a home schooled student doesn’t mean that you can’t get into the college of your choice. The prejudice against home schooling is changing rapidly as more parents choose to home school their children for a variety of reasons. Advocates of home schooling say that it has several advantages to traditional classroom settings, such as the ability to individualize the learning curriculum and provide immediate, personalized schoolwork help. Colleges are quickly realizing that some of the brightest young minds today have been home schooled and are looking for ways to compare them against more traditionally educated students.
Because grading is very different for home schooled students, college administrators are looking for other tools to help compare applicants. An SAT diagnostic test is one way to help provide a form of comparison -- a standardized test such as this can help show admissions boards if a student has completed the rigorous academic training and possesses the critical thinking skills needed to excel at their university. Many tutoring franchises can help home schooled students prepare for such standardized tests. Although their parents or other home schooling experts can provide them with a quality education, experts in how standardized tests work are best suited to prepare students to succeed and get the highest scores possible.
College admissions officers are also looking at other, more subjective ways to compare home schooled students to their more traditionally schooled counterparts. In many cases, the college admission essay is a valuable tool in making admissions decisions. The admission essay helps college administrators go beyond grades and test scores and understand what makes a student tick. In many cases, college admissions advisors want to know more about a student’s potential to become a successful student and graduate than about past achievements.
Home schooled students sometimes shy away from talking about their educational background because they are concerned it will reflect poorly on them. However, it is a unique aspect of their lives, and exactly the type of thing they should be writing about in their essay. Unique, intriguing content is what will grab the attention of an admissions counselor and make their essay stand out from the pack. Many services can provide admission essay help to give home schooled students the guidance to best use their unique schooling experience to their advantage.
Author
Sarah Michaels
How to Get In-State Tuition at an Out-of-State University
Going to school out-of-state can be cheaper than staying near home
The hype about colleges' heightened admissions standards and skyrocketing tuition in crowded and financially troubled states such as California may be drowning out the surprising reality that many affordable public colleges in less populated areas are eager for students and are willing to cut good deals. Some schools are even willing to extend their generosity to less-than-stellar students.
U.S. News has identified several public universities that waive out-of-state surcharges for many or, in some cases, all qualified out-of-state students.
At some of these colleges, the in-state tuition is so low that the total annual cost of attendance, including extra travel expenses for out-of-staters, is below $15,000. That means it can be cheaper for some students to attend schools out of state. Many public universities in Pennsylvania, Illinois, and California, for example, have total sticker prices in excess of $20,000 for local residents. Many of the bargain schools also award extra scholarships to better-qualified students, bringing their costs down even further.
Many of the top public universities, such as the University of Michigan (ranked 27th among national universities by U.S. News) and the University of Vermont (ranked 88th among national universities by U.S. News) are such hot tickets that there are lots of well-qualified out-of-staters willing to pay their total out-of-state costs of more than $40,000 a year. Well-ranked public universities typically offer scholarships or tuition discounts to out-of-state students only if they have top grades and test scores or special athletic, musical, or other skills. These schools usually have strict rules to prevent out-of-state students from establishing residence and qualifying for lower tuition. They generally grant in-state status only to students who have graduated from an in-state high school or whose parents live in the state, or to adult students who have worked and lived in the state for at least a year and prove their residency by doing such things as voting locally, getting a state driver's license, and paying state taxes. Finaid.org has a list of links to each state's rules.
College officials say that determined out-of-staters have in some cases been able to qualify for in-state tuition, even in strict states such as California, by moving to the state at least a year ahead of time and, for example, taking a job and paying state income taxes, or buying a house near the school to establish residency and reduce dorm costs.
But some states and colleges are so eager to attract out-of-staters that they are making it easy for students to qualify for in-state tuition.
Easiest of all is Eastern Oregon University, which doesn't charge out-of-state tuition at all. Total cost of attendance this year, including books and travel: less than $18,000.
The University of Alaska charges in-state tuition to any admitted student whose parent has invested in Alaska's 529 college savings plan. Parents in any state can buy shares of University of Alaska tuition at today's in-state rates. The total cost of attendance, including books and travel, is about $18,000 this year.
Southern Illinois University, Washburn University in Kansas, and Northern Michigan University, to name a few, allow students to apply for in-state tuition after living on campus for just six months (and taking other steps such as registering to vote and paying local taxes).
Many other schools waive out-of-state fees for students who meet minimal qualifications.
The University of Louisiana–Lafayette awards out-of-state tuition waivers to students with ACT scores of at least 23 (or SATs of 1,060) and GPAs of at least 2.5. That brings the total annual cost of attendance down to about $12,000 this year.
Northwestern Oklahoma State University awards in-state tuition to any student with an ACT score of at least 20 (or a two-test SAT score of at least 940) and a high school GPA of at least 2.7. Those who can't match that can still qualify for a waiver if they are recruited for a sports team or college activity such as band. Total cost of attendance, including books and travel: an estimated $12,000 this year.
The University of South Carolina–Upstate offers in-state tuition plus an extra $500 to new freshmen with at least 3.0 high school GPAs, 1,000 on the SATs, and a ranking in the top 20 percent of their high school classes. The total sticker price for in-staters attending the school: about $18,000.
Many state universities also offer in-state tuition (or, in many cases, a significant reduction in out-of-state charges) to students from neighboring states that participate in compacts such as the Midwest Student Exchange Program or Western Undergraduate Exchange.
By Kim Clark
