Residency and Its Impact on Your Tuition Price Mobile AL

Residency and Its Impact on Your Tuition Price

Let's say you live in Wisconsin but you want to go to school in Hawaii so you can work on your surfing skills. You went online to check out tuition and just about choked on your chicken nuggets when you saw the price tag. But you also noticed that all the island boys and girls could go to college in Hawaii for a significantly lower cost. No matter where you look, if you check out public institutions that aren't in Wisconsin, the price tag for you seems to always be way higher than it is for the natives. We're not talking pennies here, either — we're talking thousands and thousands of dollars.

Ever wonder why that is?

It isn't because it costs more to provide an education to someone from Wisconsin, but there are legitimate reasons why public universities charge higher tuition to students from out of state. 

Native sons and daughters catch a break
It's pretty simple logic, actually. Public universities are just that — public universities. A large chunk of the money they get each year for operating costs is paid by the taxpayers in the state where the college is located. Subsequently, students who are residents in that state get a cost break and students from out-of-state pay more since they are essentially subsidizing the in-state students.

The lower price tag for in-state students is attractive, which is exactly what the school wants it to be.

Author: Amy Ambler

2009 Peterson's, A Nelnet Company. All Rights Reserved

Click here to read more from Petersons