Study Out-of-State at Instate Prices

Paying in-state tuition at a public university is a good deal. However, what if your state's public universities don't offer the major you want, or you've always dreamed of going to college out-of-state? Are you doomed to paying expensive tuition? Not necessarily. Many states have reciprocity agreements with other states that allow students to attend a public institutions across state borders and pay less than the published "out of state student" tuition. In some cases, students actually pay the same to study out of state as they would in their own state's public university.

For example, say you live in Connecticut, and would like to major in Japanese. There's just one problem: the University of Connecticut doesn't offer a Japanese major. Through the New England Board of Higher Education's Tuition Break reciprocity agreement, you can major in Japanese at the University of Vermont, paying less than the published out-of-state tuition. Or, say you live in Michigan, but would rather attend a smaller institution than mega-universities like the University of Michigan or Michigan State University. Though the Midwest Student Exchange Program you can attend much smaller, liberal arts-focused Truman State University in Missouri and receive at 10% less than the published out of state tuition.

For the most part, these programs are not highly publicized, so students and parents need to do their homework to find out what is available. Two caveats to bear in mind: there are often limitations on the majors covered under reciprocity agreements, and many flagship universities are not eligible for reciprocity agreements. However, if you're looking for a bargain, and want to increase your options beyond your state's public system, reciprocity agreements are worth investigating.

Below is a list of the major reciprocity agreement programs, and the states covered.

Southeastern States (Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia): Academic Common Market

Midwestern States (Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and North Dakota):
Midwestern Higher Education Compact

New England States (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont): New England Board of Higher Education

Western States (Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming) Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

In addition, several states participate in smaller state-to-state exchange programs. Among them: Wisconsin and Minnesota, California and Nevada, and Indiana and Illinois.