Your Semi-annual Academic Common Market Thread (IN STATE TUITION)

chuy · 11-29-2007, 08:07 PM

Alright everybody, it's time for me to tell you about a program that FAR too many people do not know about. If you are in a participating state (mostly southern states, check the site that I link you to to be sure) and your major is not offered in your state, you can go to a school in another participating state for in-state tuition prices.

For example, I live in West Virginia. There are no Materials Science programs in West Virginia. I can go to a school in another state for MSE (in my case Virginia, but Georgia and I think Tennessee had schools with MSE) for in-state rates. This means HUGE savings. One warning, for many schools you will not get the rates the first year for engineering; the only way to know for sure is to email a representative and ask about that specific school. That isn't to say it is only for engineering programs; just about ANY major not offered in your state will be covered. You can search for possible majors and schools on the site.

So here's the link. This'll probably get about 2 posts and sink off the front page in two days again, but if one person sees it and it opens a door for them to afford going to school for the major of their choice it's worth it.

Academic Common Market/Regional Contract Program

arabrab · 11-30-2007, 12:50 PM

Great Post -- there's also a similar arrangement through WICHE for students in western states (Colorado and points south and west + the Dakotas) where you pay 150% of the instate tuition, which is still quite a savings.

WICHE - Student Exchange Programs

AskMe02 · 11-30-2007, 03:46 PM

Thanks for posting this, I wasn't aware. I will go through it deeply, I am interested in eastern part of the country. A quick question - when we check major offered in state or not do we include private colleges also? For instance if a major x in my state is not offered by any state university but is offered by a privide university, then?

chuy · 12-01-2007, 12:04 AM

Private Uni's don't have instate tuition, do they?

cptofthehouse · 12-01-2007, 01:05 AM

There is also the Midwest Student Exchange for Kansas, Missouri, Michigan, and Nebraska, the New England Regional Student Program, and Washington DC residents have some special in state tuition privileges at state unis as well as some private collleges. Not all colleges participate in the exchanges. For example UMichigan does not.

Northstarmom · 12-01-2007, 01:06 AM

No, private uni's don't have instate tuition.

AskMe02 · 12-01-2007, 01:45 AM

right Pvt Univ don't have in-state or for that matter out-of-state. They have only one fee for everyone.

But my question was slightly different. Let me try to re-state:

When one has to 'prove' that my chosen major is not offered in any college of my state, do I have to include private colleges as well in any college or I have verify if State college offers that major.

Hope this time my question is clearer?

cptofthehouse · 12-01-2007, 02:02 AM

You will have to go to the relevant sites for your states. If you are in New England, for example, you need to google the New England Regional Student Program and read what they have to say. But, my understanding on some of these programs is that it involves state schools, not private ones. If your chosen program is not offered in any public college in your state, you can get instate tuition or reduced tuition at a public college/uni in a participating state. But there was a time that the DC program did include some private schools or at least funds toward them.

So to answer your question directly, you have to declare a major not offered in any Public college in your state in order to get reduced rates at a participating state's public college for the most part. I have not seen where you have to stay instate if only private colleges in your state offer the field of study. There can be exceptions to this, however, so you HAVE to read the exact rules carefully.

AskMe02 · 12-01-2007, 02:11 AM

Thank you Captain. I am in East, and I tried searching for Eastern Regional Board but couldn't find any. I wonder if such entity exists for NY, CT and NJ or such states!

cptofthehouse · 12-01-2007, 02:12 AM

It's not a matter of proof, Askme. If you go on those sites that are referenced, you will see that it is more limiting than it sound. You have to fit the parameters of the program. In other words, you have to use their built in "meter" to answer your question. Because in some situations, if your in state public unis do not provide your chosen program, there may be private schools in state or even out of state in the chosen progam that are participating in the exchange that will give you a tuition break. Only the schools that are participating give you these breaks. It's not as though you can pick any public school. That's why I can't give you a clear answer. Go to the site and plug in your major, and you can then see your options.

Though this can be of benefit, the amount truly varies. Many of the schools listed are not top schools. It takes a specialty program, for the most part, not to be covered by any state school.

AskMe02 · 12-01-2007, 02:18 AM

I understand your point. While I will certainly want to take advantage of the program if opportunity exisits, I am also otherwise interested to know the system / program just as a curiosity and research.

Thanks Capt.

cptofthehouse · 12-01-2007, 02:21 AM

Connecticut may be in the New England Regional Student Program. New York is not in any of the programs, that I am aware of. I don't know about New Jersey. You have to check. Again, don't think that you are finding a true windfall here. The purpose is to provide those students who cannot find an in state public program that they want to be able to study that field elsewhere without paying a huge amount more. You do have to get into the schools also. It is possible to fool around with obscure fields of study and try to get a deal, but you will have to do the trial and error. They make it a bit easier with their "fill in the space". But most state colleges do cover most of the majors. It isn't that easy. Go to the OP's opening post and that covers some of the eastern states such as MD, Va, Delaware.

Flippy · 12-01-2007, 05:40 AM

Hmmm...

I live in Cal and I'm majoring in Psych..

No chance for me haha.

cnp55 · 12-01-2007, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Tuition Break Print E-mail
Greater opportunity. Lower cost.

Every year, NEBHE’s Tuition Break program, also called the New England Regional Student Program (RSP), enables thousands of New England residents to enroll at out-of-state New England public colleges and universities at a discount. Students benefit from the RSP when they enroll in an approved major that is not offered by the public colleges in their own state.

All 78 public colleges and universities in New England participate in the RSP Tuition Break program, which is available to students at all degree levels: associate, bachelor’s, master’s, certificate of advanced graduate study, master’s, doctoral, and first-professional. Eligible programs are approved each year by the participating institutions and listed in our annual RSP Tuition Break catalog.

If you go to the New England site it's quite interesting to see what obscure and not so obscure majors are offered at different schools. For example, if I am a Connecticut resident and want to study Russian -- I'm not going to UConn but it's offered by at least two New England flagships.

Muffy333 · 12-01-2007, 07:23 AM

New York State students get a substantial discount at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, a state college in North Adams, MA. I'm not sure why. Some of New York's SUNY schools are on the campuses of private colleges so NYS residents pay less if they are enrolled in the SUNY schools at privates Cornell, Syracuse and Alfred.