A big change could be coming for tuition rates for out-of-state students. 

A proposal would grant in-state tuition to students from several state near South Dakota. 

Zach Van Harris Jr. takes classes at the University Center. 

He pays in-state tuition at SDSU because he’s gained residency. 

But the Michigan native knows all about the extra expenses that can come along with being an out-of-state student. 

“Paying for school is not an easy task. You have to look under every rock and crevice to see where you can get some funding,” Student Zach Van Harris Jr. said. 

That’s why he’s in favor of a proposal that would give students from Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Colorado in-state tuition at public universities in South Dakota. 

Minnesota isn’t included because South Dakota already has a reciprocity agreement with it.

That’s not what’s on the table right now with this proposal. 

“There are isolated instances where that might work if both states were willing to do it, but there’s a competitive factor going on here where very honestly they’re after our students, we’re after their students,” SD Board of Regents President Kevin Schieffer said. 

Schieffer says some South Dakota students are already getting in-state rates in neighboring states. 

Schieffer says this proposal focuses on undergraduate rates. 

Kelli Volk: Is this sustainable? Are we going to lose money because of this?
Schieffer? No, we should make money because of this. The test that we’ve done in the last three or four years generated about a half million dollars of net new revenue coming into the state.

The Board of Regents will discuss the matter in Aberdeen next week.

Schieffer expects the board to vote on it, although modifications could be made. 

“Whatever we do in this proposal it’s going to be focused on job and workforce development and on the fundamental and economic strength of our system. That’s the twin drivers of this,” Schieffer said. 

You can read the proposal here.