Arbor View High School Counseling

WUE (pronounced “woo-wee”) is a regional tuition-reciprocity agreement offered through the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) that enables students to attend school at a participating college outside of their home state at a reduced tuition rate. Approximately 36,000 students each year receive discounted tuition through WICHE programs.

 

If you are a resident of one of the 15 WICHE states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming), you are eligible to request a reduced tuition rate of 150% of the resident tuition at participating two and four year college programs outside of your home state. This can be a significant reduction in tuition compared to the non-resident tuition rate.

 

WUE is not a “short term” exchange program – it is meant to be used for a full degree. Most participating colleges extend the reduced rate to a student for two years to earn an associate’s degree at a community college or for four years to earn a bachelor’s degree at a university. www.wiche.edu/wue

 

Participating institutions and programs

Currently, 150 public institutions participate in WUE; not all public institutions in every WICHE state participate in the program. Virtually all undergraduate fields are available to WUE students at participating institutions. Some institutions have opened their entire curriculum on a space-available or first-come, first-serve basis. However, institutions have the option of excluding certain high-demand majors from the WUE program. If you enroll through WUE under a specific major and then later change your major, you may lose your WUE discount if you change your major to a WUE-ineligible major.

 

Search the WUE database to see which institutions participate, and which programs they have available at the WUE rate.

 

Eligibility

To be eligible for WUE, students must be a resident of a WICHE state (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming).

 

Your residency alone does not automatically guarantee you the discounted WUE rate. Some colleges and universities also have additional criteria such as ACT/SAT test scores or high school GPA. Many institutions limit the number of new WUE awards each academic year, so apply early! Consult each institution’s profile for admissions requirements and application deadlines.

 

Most institutions don’t make you reapply each year, but some do; check directly with your enrolling institution to find out what the rules are. In all cases though, WUE students must maintain good academic standing to keep their discounted tuition rate.

 

Note: Some institutions will offer the discounted WUE rate to transfer students; others only offer the discounted WUE rate to incoming freshmen. Also, if you are trying to build time toward establishing residency, you must pay the full nonresident tuition.

 

How do I apply to get the reduced tuition rate?

Apply for admission directly to the WUE institution(s) of your choice. There is no general WUE application. If the institution that you are applying to uses a hard copy application, mark prominently on the form that you seek admission at the WUE rate. For online applications, check the WUE box and if there is not one provided, contact the school admissions office on how to apply for the WUE discounted rate.

 

Although some institutions automatically consider applicants from a WICHE state for the WUE rate, most require that you request the special WUE rate at the time of application for admission, or that you apply for the WUE rate through their scholarship or financial aid office.

 

The WUE reduced tuition rate is not automatically awarded to all eligible candidates. Many institutions limit the number of new WUE awards each academic year, so apply early!

If you are admitted to a WUE institution at the reduced rate, keep all copies of correspondence confirming your WUE award.