Greenville College and Lewis & Clark Community College have signed on to accept students from neighboring Midwest states through a reduced tuition program. The Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP), a program of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC), enables residents of Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wisconsin and now Illinois, beginning in fall 2011, to enroll in designated institutions and programs at reduced tuition levels.
"This is an excellent opportunity to draw more students to Illinois. We are pleased to have one of our community colleges enlisted first," said Suzanne Morris, vice chair of the Illinois Community College Board and a MHEC commissioner. "It is with the efforts of Judy Rake, a former MHEC commissioner and former member of the Illinois Community College Board that a college signed on to participate. Students have been asking for this for some time, and I'm pleased that we can offer additional postsecondary access choices for students and their families."
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"Lewis and Clark continues to earn national recognition for its programs and services, and working with MHEC will give potential students from throughout the country an enhanced opportunity to enroll at the College," explained Kent Scheffel, Lewis and Clark's vice president of enrollment services. "Lewis and Clark's work with the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center has already attracted students from several states. This agreement [MHEC's] will make it easier for students interested in river research and other fields to come to Lewis and Clark," he added.
"Participation in the Midwest Student Exchange Program reinforces Greenville College's commitment to affordable private education. It is exciting to be the first Illinois four-year institution included in the program, and I look forward to welcoming students from other participating states," said John Massena, director of undergraduate admissions.
Since 1994, students and families have saved over $125 million in tuition, thanks to the Midwest Student Exchange Program. MSEP students pay no more than 150 percent of the institution's regular resident tuition plus any required fees at participating public institutions. At participating private institutions, MSEP students receive a 10 percent tuition reduction. Savings average $4,274 annually per student but can vary by institution. In exchange, residents from the other participating MSEP states can pay reduced rates at participating schools. Over 140 campuses participate in the reduced tuition program.
"MSEP provides students with an opportunity to enroll in programs that are not available in their state or convenient for them," said MHEC President Larry Isaak. "The program provides the states and campuses with an additional enrollment management tool to fill programs with excess capacity and to generally increase participation in programs."
The Illinois Board of Higher Education formally endorsed MSEP in December 2006, but the program did not go into effect until individual Illinois institutions elected to participate. Current MSEP institutions will begin offering MSEP rates to all Illinois students admitted under MSEP after August 15, 2011. Campuses in all participating states are not required to "grandfather" in students admitted prior to this date.
As one of MHEC's core functions, student access and success, the compact's student exchange program provides more affordable opportunities for students to attend out-of state institutions. For more information about the program visit http://msep.mhec.org or contact Amber Cameron, MHEC research associate, at 612-625-4368 or amberc@mhec.org.
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