It’s always more expensive to go to college out of state than in your own home state, right?
WRONG!
If you happen to live in the Western United States, you’re in luck – the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is an opportunity for you to pay less than the usual out of state tuition for many public universities in the West. In fact, the WUE tuition discount is sometimes such a good deal that you’ll end up paying LESS than your OWN in-state public university cost!
In the short video to the right, Magellan counselors Evelyn and Michelle speak with Jasmine Bryan from the University of Utah, a WUE participating school, about how the program works. If you live in any of these states, check out the WUE website and explore the options for tuition discounts in your neighboring states:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Oregon
- South Dakota
- Utah
- Washington
- Wyoming
There are some limitations on the WUE tuition exchange – not all public universities in these states participate. Some offer the discount only for limited majors; some have limited funds, so you’ll need to apply early in the cycle. Some have a minimum GPA requirement, and some don’t offer the tuition discount at all! You should do your own research, using both the WUE website as well as each college’s website to learn all the information you need before you decide whether to apply.
We’ve published other articles on the WUE program – you can read them here and here. Even where the cost isn’t quite as low as your in-state public university options, it could be very close. This discount program offers families a great value. If you live in the Western US, your college search isn’t finished until you’ve explored WUE!