Colleges Eliminate Out-of-State Tuition

Schools across the country are reducing or eliminating out-of-state tuition to attract more students in the depressed economy. "It is about economics, in a sense, but it's also about having a mixture of students from all over the country, from all over the world," says Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard. With the economy in a deep slump, however, eliminating non-resident tuition could be a double-edged sword.

California, for example, has a budget deficit of more than $40 billion, and the state's colleges are facing unprecedented cuts. Students in this state are getting bumped not only from four-year schools, but also from overcrowded community colleges. "It's a really strange, perverse kind of policy when you have thousands and thousands of students in state who need the access and who, without the access, are really not going to help the state flourish," Lillian Taiz, president of the California Faculty Association says.