Opinion | Eligible Illinois students should be offered discounted tuition

The classic phrase “Iowa City: Chicago’s favorite suburb” is presented as an exaggerated joke about the number of Illinois students who choose to attend the University of Iowa, but there is much more truth to the matter than many realize.

In fall 2023, 6,087 of the 30,042 undergraduate, graduate and professional students attending the UI were originally from Illinois, according to an enrollment report to the Iowa Board of Regents.

With Illinois students making up approximately 20 percent of all enrollment, students from the “Land of Lincoln” are the largest out-of-state population at the UI.

Despite this statistic, many Illinois students do not receive the financial aid they believe they deserve.

Many choose to leave the comfort of their home state due to differences in cost of living, higher-level program offerings, and social opportunities.

That said, if the UI wants to maintain a large student population in Illinois and remain competitive with surrounding state universities, the Iowa Board of Regents should explore options for eligible Illinois students to receive in-state tuition.

Reciprocal tuition, as it is better known, is not a new concept. Several public and private universities in Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and other Midwestern states participate in the Midwest Student Exchange Program, or MSEP.

MSEP allows students who apply and qualify to receive a deeply discounted tuition rate that cannot exceed 150 percent of the current in-state tuition at participating public universities. Students attending private universities are eligible for a 10 percent discount.

According Forbes“Out-of-state tuition at four-year public colleges in the U.S. costs about 189% more on average than in-state tuition: $27,091 per year versus $9,375.”

There are currently seven tuition reciprocity agreements across the United States, all of which are intended to benefit students from bordering states who choose to attend participating universities. The goal is to reduce the financial burden of out-of-state tuition costs, ultimately leveling the playing field for students.

Under the MSEP, academic qualifications vary by university. To remain eligible, many universities require students to maintain continuous enrollment and good academic standing, as determined by university policies.

According to a spokesperson for the Illinois Board of Higher Education via the Chicago Tribune, no Illinois universities opted to participate in the Midwest Student Exchange Program in 2021, making former participating universities “inactive members.”

If Iowa and Illinois agreed to participate consistently in the MSEP, eligible Illinois students would pay amounts close to $17,000 a year at the UI, which is below the starting price to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

As the largest out-of-state student population at the UI, Illinois residents seem to be the most logical community to receive reciprocity tuition.

According to the UI website, the cost of tuition for out-of-state Iowans, not including room and board, is $33,371 per year. While the UI may seem like a cheaper option for many in comparison, paying upwards of $30,000 for an annual education can be extremely taxing. Additionally, if out-of-state students have to take out loans, they could be faced with mountains of debt and accrued interest.

According to CNN, Illinois residents have the fifth-highest average debt for graduate student loans, at $38,000. Regardless of scholarships and aid, the average tuition price can still be overwhelming for many.

As a result, many students find Iowa to be a financially viable option due to its stable tuition rates, something Illinois universities cannot offer.

According to Illinois Policy, the cost of in-state tuition for Illinois students has skyrocketed by an average of 49 percent between 2007 and 2022, and the national average has increased by more than 21 percent.

Rising college costs for Illinois students have caused a large number of Illinois students to choose to attend the UI. In 2023 alone, the UI saw a 4 percent increase in Illinois student attendance. As an institution, the UI should continue to encourage Illinois students to trade in their blue and orange for black and gold by offering a larger tuition reduction.

According to UI Director of Admissions Kirk Kulver, there are some programs to help out-of-state students.

He said all out-of-state students are automatically considered for the National Scholars Award, which can provide students with more than $15,000 each year toward tuition. However, this is the primary scholarship for all out-of-state students, meaning Illinois students are competing against 11,654 other out-of-state students for the same scholarship.

If Iowa and Illinois agreed to participate in the MSEP, they would not only reduce student debt, but would also strengthen Iowa’s academic reputation as a university with a diverse student body.

I believe that in the ever-changing world of student debt, academic pressure, and financial uncertainty, there should be some financial reward for students who choose to leave their home state of Illinois and venture west.