Why Enrollment For Out-Of-State Schools Are Rising At State Flagship Universities

In order to get higher budget cuts in education, public colleges and universities are increasing their out-of-state enrollees. This is especially happening in State Flagship universities.

Such has become the case according to US News, as a response to the 2008 financial crisis. The out-of-state students now pay in double the amount of the tuition fees that are supposed to be paid by the in-state students.

According to college advisers, a growing large number of applicants coupled with the increase of tuition fees increase in competition in some state schools in the US. Schools that enroll out of state students in order to increase their academic profile and reputation in the national level also generate their revenue. This is like hitting three birds with one stone. 

"This create a squeeze on strong but not outstanding in-state students," says Jefferson Backburn Smith. He is a former enrollment officer at Ohio University and now, the vice president of enrollment at Ottebein University.

Even with this word out, some state universities are facing some state laws where they have to put a cap for out-of-state enrollees. They do this in order for the in-state students to get slots for enrollment in their schools. One example is the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where they have to dent their out-of-state enrolees by 18 percent, and if they do exceed, their funding will be jeopardized.

Prospect students who are interested in attending a flagship school must take note of the following:

Private schools can be cheaper than attending a public school if you are an out-of-state student. Check out for those private schools, some of them might be offering big incentives or scholarships to students who cannot qualify for a student aid.

In-state students who are interested in enrolling in a state flagship school that are competitive must show the admissions office interest. One college coach said, "If you're reaching out to the admissions office, you're becoming more of a human being to them rather than a name on a piece of paper," says Tilton Evans, founder of Bethesda, a college consulting based in Maryland. "That can definitely help."