STUDENTS
AND
PARENTS

• What is WUE?

• •             
    If you are a resident of a WICHE state, you are eligible to request a reduced WUE tuition rate of 150% of the resident rate at one of the 145 participating schools in the West. Search our WUE database (see link at left) to see which institutions participate, and which programs they have available at the WUE rate.
  • 
    WICHE states include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

• WUE handout

  •             
    Summary of Participating WUE Institutions, by State. (PDF file) Please note: WICHE has discontinued the hard copy WUE Bulletin. Please use the WUE Database instead.

• Programs available and participating institutions

  •             
    Virtually all undergraduate fields are available to WUE students at participating colleges and universities. Some institutions have opened their entire curriculum on a space-available or first-come, first-serve basis; others offer only designated programs at the reduced WUE rate.
  • 
    Currently, some 145 public institutions participate in WUE; not all public institutions in every WICHE state participate in the program. To find out which ones do, and the programs that they have made available at the WUE rate, search the WUE database.

• Eligibility

  •             
  • To be eligible for WUE, students must be a resident of a WICHE state (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming).
  • Your residency alone is does not guarantee you the WUE rate. Some colleges and universities also have additional criteria such as ACT/SAT test scores or high school GPA. WICHE does not set qualification criteria for WUE applicants, nor do we process applications or participate in the student selection process.

  • The WUE reduced tuition rate is not automatically awarded to all eligible candidates. Many institutions limit the number of new WUE awards each academic year, so apply early! Consult each institution’s profile for admissions requirements and application deadlines.
    

• How do I apply to get the reduced tuition rate?

  •             
    

    Apply for admission directly to the WUE institution(s) of your choice. There is no general WUE application. If the institution that you are applying to uses a hard copy application, mark prominently on the form that you seek admission at the WUE rate. For online applications, check the WUE box and if there is not one provided, contact the school admissions office on how to apply for the WUE discounted rate.
    

  • Although some institutions automatically consider applicants from a WICHE state for the WUE rate, most require that you request the special WUE rate at the time of application for admission, or that you apply for the WUE rate through their scholarship or financial aid office. 
    

  • The WUE reduced tuition rate is not automatically awarded to all eligible candidates. Many institutions limit the number of new WUE awards each academic year, so apply early!
    

  • If you are admitted to a WUE institution at the reduced rate, keep all copies of correspondence confirming your WUE award.

• WUE Fiscal Savings

  •             
    To see how much students and their families saved by enrolling out-of-state through WUE, download our most recent WUE savings estimates (PDF file). To calculate the WUE rate, multiply the institution's resident tuition times 1.5; fees are additional. To find out exactly what your WUE tuition rate will be, consult directly with your enrolling institution.
    
    IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR WUE STUDENTS ATTENDING COLORADO INSTITUTIONS

• Contact Us

  •             
    For information about specific programs available through WUE, contact the admissions office of the school you want to apply to. For state-specific information regarding WUE, contact your state Certifying Office or state WUE liaison representative (see page 4 of the PDF file) .
                
    For general information, contact us at:
      info-sep@wiche.edu
      Tel: 303.541.0270
      Student Exchange Programs
      Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
      3035 Center Green Drive
      Boulder, CO 80301