Eagle rate gives out-of-state students a break
An eagle adorns the face of a dollar bill. The NSCS Board of Trustees approved a new out-of-state tuition rate at one dollar above the in-state rate earlier this year. –Photo by David Siqueira
Starting in the fall, there will be no in-state tuition rate for Chadron State College students. Thanks to the New Eagle Rate, students from all over the country as well as the international students will pay pretty much the same tuition as Nebraska residents.
In the past, many students from the other states as well as international students have been paying more than double what students from Nebraska pay for tuition. However, the Nebraska non-Resident Scholars program has been allowing qualified Nebraska non-resident students to pay in-state tuition as long as they maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
Kevin Spears, International Education Program Coordinator, cheered the new change in tuition policy at CSC.
“They have what they call The New Eagle Rate tuition, which is awesome, and it is not only for international students, but also for all the students from the other states; they will all pay almost the same tuition; there will be only one symbolic dollar difference,” Spears said. “It is a new initiative that is approved for a three years trial, but I think it will absolutely continue.”
Administrators said they approved the tuition change in order to provide high quality, affordable education to all students.
“CSC is the college of opportunity; that is one of our missions, and it allows a larger population of student to afford quality education by making that change in the tuition structure.” Interim Admissions Director Lisa Stein said April 17.
Moreover, she confirmed that Nebraska non-Resident Scholars program will be cancelled starting in the fall.
“With the Eagle New Rate there will be no need for NRS Program, so the current students in the program will not lose their in-state rate if they did not maintain their GPA,” Stein said.
Furthermore, Stein clarified that the one dollar above the in-state tuition that Nebraska non-resident students will have to pay for each credit hour, is primarily symbolic and just to respect the state law that states out-state students have to pay more in the tuition than Nebraska resident students.
Some faculty members think the change will result in a more diverse student body.
“I really think it will result in more diversity, and that will make the quality go up because one of the things we consider with quality is the diversity we attract.” Kathy Bahr, professor of English and humanities, said.