A tuition policy that allows students from states geographically adjacent (i.e., contiguous or bordering) to a college or university to pay reduced tuition rates—often equivalent to in-state or near in-state levels. These programs are designed to increase regional access to higher education, improve enrollment, and support cross-border collaboration. The specific eligibility criteria and tuition discounts vary by institution and state policy.

Examples of states and institutions offering neighboring state rates:

• Kansas — Many Kansas public institutions offer the Resident Tuition for Missouri Residents rate.
• For example, Pittsburg State University and Fort Hays State University extend in-state rates to students from bordering states like Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.
• West Virginia — The Metro Rate offered by institutions like Marshall University and West Virginia University provides discounted tuition to residents of neighboring states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Maryland.
• Arkansas — The Border State Waiver Program allows students from contiguous states (like Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and Oklahoma) to pay in-state tuition at several public colleges and universities.
• South Dakota — South Dakota State University and others offer in-state or discounted rates to students from neighboring states like North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota through Reciprocity Agreements and Reduced Tuition Programs.
• Nevada — The Good Neighbor Policy at some institutions, like College of Southern Nevada, provides in-state tuition to students from neighboring counties in California and Arizona.

Neighboring State Rates are often distinct from regional reciprocity programs like the Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP) or Academic Common Market, though institutions may participate in both.

See Topic Brief: Tuition Reciprocity & Regional Tuition Exchange Programs | Learn & Work Ecosystem Library