Wisconsin students who want to leave the Dairy State but still attend college in the Midwest may soon be able to pay discounted tuition at over 125 schools in six states starting this fall.
The Wisconsin Board of Regents voted Friday to join the Midwestern Higher Education Compact, the Associated Press reported. The MHEC is an interstate group dedicated to improving access to higher education and expanding cooperation between states.
Out-of-state students would also see lower rates at UW System universities but not at Madison, the state's flagship school.
UW-Madison senior Hy Matz said he supports increased reciprocity, citing his own case as a Minnesota resident and UW-Madison student as an example of the benefits of reciprocity agreements.
\Reciprocity allows you to have the benefits of in-state tuition but still move outside of your environment,"" Matz said. ""It allows students in both states to not have to worry financially but still have the benefits of going to either school and really benefiting from the strengths of both.""
Schools in Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and North Dakota would offer Wisconsin residents tuition that was no more than 150 percent of their resident tuition under the terms of the compact.
Resident tuition at UW-Eau Claire is currently about $5,200 a year and non-resident tuition is about $15,000. Under the new program, an eligible student attending Eau Claire would pay only about $7,800 a year.
UW Regents disagreed on the possible ramifications of the plan, The Associated Press reported. Regent Gerard Randall Jr. voiced concerns that the proposal could drive minorities out of state, but Regent Eileen Connolly-Keesler said she didn't foresee a flight of talented students from in-state universities.
