About WICHE ICE

WICHE ICE, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education Internet Course Exchange, is a consortium of higher education institutions, other consortia, and system and state agencies providing their students increased access to high quality online courses and programs offered by other members while enrolled at their home campus. This makes  financial aid, registration and course transfer seamless for students.

As colleges and universities offer courses and programs to students at WICHE ICE member institutions, students benefit from richer, more specialized and relevant course and program options; faculty enjoy teaching more courses in their areas of specialization; advisors are able to advise students and articulate courses for quality and transferability before students enroll in them; and institutions make wiser uses of their limited resources.

In 2007, WICHE—in partnership with its Northwest Academic Forum (now known as the Western Academic Leadership Forum) — founded ICE as the next generation of the WICHE student exchange programs. The model for ICE was based on an outgrowth of the partners’ Northwest Education Outreach Network (NEON) project which was supported by the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) and piloted the exchange of internet-delivered courses in nursing and supply chain management.

Since 1953, WICHE student exchange programs have provided affordable education opportunities to students in the Western Region. Currently, more than 25,000 students benefit from these exchange programs to provide increased access to undergraduate, graduate and professional programs.