Tuition  -- The majority of states in the region now set nonresident tuition and fee rates at 100 percent or more of instructional costs. In Oregon, nonresident tuition increased over the last few years both to raise revenues and control nonresident enrollment. Average nonresident undergraduate tuition in Oregon approximated 137 percent of the cost of instruction in 1994-95.

     Several states set nonresident undergraduate tuition at a level at least double resident undergraduate tuition. Colorado requires that tuition increases for nonresidents paying less than 100 percent of cost be at least equal to increases for residents. Idaho's institutions were required to raise their nonresident tuition rates to the WICHE regional average by 1995-96. Two western states - New Mexico and Wyoming - have no uniform policies or practices concerning nonresident undergraduate tuition (Figure 3).

     Overall, however, nonresident undergraduate tuition in the WICHE region has not increased as rapidly as resident undergraduate tuition in the West. Resident undergraduate tuition increased more than 126 percent on average between 1985-86 and 1995-96 in the region, while nonresident undergraduate tuition increased only 117 percent.

Financial aid packaging -- Nationally, the use of scholarships, grants, waivers and other financial incentives to attract nonresidents to the state are common. Talented nonresident students such as musicians and athletes as well as academically exceptional students are routinely recruited.

Enrollment caps -- Colorado has a strict nonresident enrollment cap. The 1994 state legislature capped nonresident enrollment by requiring that at least two-thirds of the total student enrollment at each campus (except the Colorado School of Mines) be resident students. Arizona, Hawaii, Washington and other states nationally also have system policies or state laws limiting nonresident enrollment.

Recruitment practices -- States and institutions often establish policies or engage in practices that give preference to the best and brightest out-of-state students. South Dakota, for example, is currently considering active recruitment of nonresident undergraduates with exceptional academic records. Moreover, undergraduates hoping to attend a public institution in another state often find they must meet academic standards that are much higher than those required of residents.

Residency requirements -- Several states have changed their residency requirements to make it more difficult for nonresidents to establish state residency. The majority of states in the region grant resident status only after 12 months non-student residency with proof of financial independence and intent to make the state the student's legal domicile. Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming, however, grant residency status after 12 months' residency as a non-student or part-time student.

Specialized academic programs or limited institutional capacity -- Students who leave their home state for education frequently do so (1) to gain access to specialized academic programs that are not available in their home state; or (2) as an alternative when they are unable to gain admission to their first-choice in-state institution. Through planned migration, in the form of interstate reciprocity agreements, states can provide their residents affordable access to a wide variety of programs and institutional types.

Interstate agreements -- Every western state participates in one or more of the WICHE regional student exchange programs: Professional Student Exchange, Western Regional Graduate Program, and the Western Undergraduate Exchange. In addition, nearly all western states (14 out of 15) authorize or participate in reciprocity agreements independent of the regional arrangements provided through WICHE. These agreements usually involve adjacent states or localities along state boundaries. Several states (Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico) authorize resident tuition for members of specific tribal groups from reservations that overlap state boundaries. Exchanges of this sort provide affordable access to students while avoiding the unnecessary duplication of existing quality programs.

WICHE's publication Confronting the Tuition Spiral discusses factors affecting student costs, including * demographic changes * state-by-state current and historical data on student tuition and fees * state policies on tuition setting, tuition budgeting, and financial aid * descriptions of recent policy changes and those under discussion.