by A tuition reciprocity agreement between states allows students to attend out-of-state colleges at a discounted rate that is often comparable to the in-state tuition cost.
Until recently, Minnesota and South Dakota had one of these agreements, which must be renewed annually. This year, South Dakota and Minnesota decided to remove their reciprocity at the end of the current school year, which may take opportunities away from South Dakota high school students.
“I never really wanted to stay in-state,” University of Minnesota student Griffin McKinney said. “The opportunities in South Dakota aren’t necessarily as there as they are in a big city like Minneapolis.”
“I think I have more freedom with money because I have in-state prices,” University of Minnesota student Sydney Fredricks said. “I’m not paying like double what I could pay.”
But it turns out that Minnesotans attending colleges in South Dakota weren’t paying the in-state rate there to start with. Their costs will go down under the new plan.
The “reciprocity rate” Minnesotans have been paying was roughly $312 per credit hour at South Dakota State University, for example. Under the new plan, students will pay $259 per credit hour, equivalent to the in-state cost. That’s a 17 percent decrease in tuition.
The change allows Minnesotan students to continue moving farther away from home.
The 1,500 current South Dakota students receiving reciprocity rates at the U will continue to pay them for the remainder of their time as undergrads. They’ll still benefit from the previous agreement.
Although current University of Minnesota students aren’t affected by the change, adjusted tuition rates might impact the college decisions of future Gophers.
