Question: My daughter has now been accepted by both an in-state and out-of-state college. She'd rather go to the out-of-state school because it is a name university, while our state school has a less impressive reputation. The problem is the cost. The name school is far more costly. Is there any way she could pay less tuition at the out-of-state school? -- Cheaper Tuition
Answer: The possibility exists that your child might be able to get a better financial aid package at the out-of-state school, reducing the cost of tuition. There is another possibility known as the "academic common market." Some states have joined together so that in-state tuition is available at out-of-state schools. The four common markets are: the New England Board of Higher Education, with the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; the Midwestern Higher Education Compact, with the states of Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and North Dakota; the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, with the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming; and the Southern Regional Education Board Academic Common Market, including Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. There is a big catch to all of this. In order to apply for in-state tuition in a common market, you must be studying in a major that is not offered by any public school in the home state.
There is also what is called the "friendly neighbor policy." At times, adjoining states will let students who live near the border attend an out-of-state school for in-state tuition.
While there are these possibilities, it is definitely not easy to get lower tuition.