New College prospects may qualify for out-of-state tuition reduction

August 07, 2009

The wild, wild West just got a bit easier to tame for qualified students seeking a bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences.<separator></separator>New College, the core school on the university’s West campus, is one of the newest members of the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), which provides an out-of-state tuition reduction for qualified first-time freshmen and community college transfers who possess an associate’s degree or 60 transferable hours. Students who are permanent residents of Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington or Wyoming may be eligible to enroll in any New College undergraduate degree program at a tuition rate of 150 percent of the current Arizona resident tuition, plus all applicable fees.<separator></separator>WUE will not displace any qualified in-state students and is a competitive program with enrollment of students on a space-available basis.<separator></separator>“This is a terrific opportunity for students seeking an ASU degree from the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences,” says Dean Elizabeth Langland. “WUE makes our outstanding programs and renowned faculty more accessible to students residing in other Western states who wish to pursue a first-class liberal arts education in the context of a major research university, and at a reasonable price.<separator></separator>“Particularly in these times, it is important we do everything possible to offer affordable options to students pursuing higher education and our innovative interdisciplinary and disciplinary undergraduate degrees; WUE and its benefits are an important part of the effort.”<separator></separator>WUE is coordinated by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). WICHE's student exchange programs – WUE, Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP), Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP) – offer a broad range of higher education options for more than 23,000 students each year at undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels. Residents of WICHE states can gain affordable access to programs, states avoid costly and unnecessary duplication of programs and facilities, and colleges and universities can devote their resources to improving the quality of their educational offerings.<separator></separator>The WUE program allows students who are residents of WICHE states to enroll at participating two- and four-year college programs outside of their home state at a reduced tuition rate – 150 percent of the in-state tuition. Currently, there are more than 140 WUE-participating schools in the West. WUE programs at ASU include New College and selected majors in the College of Technology and Innovation located on the Polytechnic campus.<separator></separator>“Every one of our innovative, hands-on, experiential undergraduate degree programs is available at a reduced out-of-state tuition fee to students who are residents of the WICHE states,” says Langland. “It’s exciting to a part of such a terrific opportunity.”<separator></separator>Eligibility criteria for students include:<separator></separator>• Admission to the WUE program is available on a space-available basis and is competitive;<separator></separator>• Program is available to first-time entering freshmen, new community college transfers holding an AA or 60 transferable hours;<separator></separator>• Students must be admitted to the ASU WUE program before their initial matriculation at ASU;<separator></separator>• Students must be a permanent resident of WICHE states;<separator></separator>• Students must apply to one of the ASU WUE-eligible majors/programs in New College at ASU’s West campus;<separator></separator>• First-time freshmen must have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, or have an SAT reasoning score of 1110 (24 ACT) or higher. Transfer students must have an overall GPA of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale in all transferable coursework;<separator></separator>• First-time freshmen in the WUE program are required to live in the ASU residence hall on the West campus, Las Casas, during the first year of matriculation.<separator></separator>For additional information and a full list of criteria, visit the New College Web site, <a href="http://newcollege.asu.edu/wue">http://newcollege.asu.edu/wue</a>. New College prospective student advisors Jenna Graham and Nikki Bonnet assist prospective freshmen and transfer students interested in majoring in the college’s degree programs and can be reached via email at <a href="mailto:asknewcollege@asu.edu" title="asknewcollege@asu.edu">asknewcollege@asu.edu</a>.<separator></separator>The New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at ASU prepares its students to take their place as independent thinkers and active participants in the shaping of society. The New College offers programs that emphasize experiential learning that spans academic disciplines, enhances appreciation of all forms of creative activity, and empowers student achievement in the humanities, the arts and the sciences.

New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences