By Nicolas Quitano
Graduates from College of Southern Nevada readying for next steps are looking for the best colleges they can afford.
Some consider in-state options at University of Nevada, Las Vegas and University of Nevada, Reno though others look to attend schools out-of-state.
To make it more affordable students can apply to Western Undergraduate Exchange to save thousands.
According to its website, WUE was founded in 1987 and is a regional tuition-discount agreement administered by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.
Students can choose from hundreds of majors at 160+ participating two- and four-year schools in 16 Western states and territories. WUE can save students an average of $9,610 on the cost of nonresident tuition, stated on the website.
WUE, an exchange running for over 30 years, is making education within the Western region more affordable. In 2019 to 2020 there were 42,500 students who saves approximately $408 million on out-of-state tuition, according to its website.
Alicia Curtin, member of WUE administration, says, “WUE is tremendously beneficial for both the students and our member states. In Nevada’s case, UNLV and UNR in addition to CSN and Truckee Meadows Community College are all members of WUE. You’ll have students coming from neighboring states arriving in Nevada to experience prestigious programs that may not exist or may not be as strong in their home states. The same goes vice versa for Nevada students leaving to other states. Our mission is simple: let students dream big and get the education they want, not the one that’s forced upon them by financial burdens.”
CSN graduate Bianca Tanaka is a WUE award recipient who has saved roughly $22,000 over the last two years. “Money has been a real big concern for me and my family. After talking to my academic adviser, she let me know about WUE and the large discounts it gives to non-residents. I gave it a shot, applied and was so overwhelmed with joy when I was accepted. The discount allowed me to consider schools in California, Hawaii and Washington, but eventually, I decided on the University of Guam because there isn’t a better place to study ocean life—being a marine biology major—than on an island.”
Jessica Taylor, a financial representative of Dixie State University in Utah, says, “Of our 10,000 students we’ve had approximately 1,000 of them come to Dixie from Nevada and roughly 300 of those students transferred from CSN, many of which were WUE recipients. We’re extremely excited to have Nevadans come to our school and recommend CSN students to apply and see how much they can save with WUE: typically it makes the price comparable to Nevada’s tuitions.”
Jere Mock, vice president of programs and services for WUE, says, “We realize that COVID-19 pandemic may dramatically affect students’ willingness to enroll in out-of-state campuses. Once campuses are able to reopen, we are hopeful that potential enrollment declines will be temporary and the program will continue to be a valuable asset to students and campuses in the west.”
For more information on how to apply for WUE click this link https://www.wiche.edu/.
Coyote Student News at the College of Southern Nevada 