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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The South Dakota Board of Regents has approved a plan to offer in-state, undergraduate tuition to new Iowa students at four of its public universities.
The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports (http://icp-c.com/1qp8TEQ ) the plan to attract more Iowa students to South Dakota was approved Friday.
Iowa private colleges will be watching closely to see if South Dakota's action affects enrollment.
"It worries me," said Gary Steinke, president of the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. "This is a very competitive environment. . It's concerning when institutions in bordering states are trying to entice Iowa students away from Iowa."
At current rates, the tuition discount would reduce new Iowa students' bills by $2,170.50 per school year at the University of South Dakota. The plan also covers Dakota State University in Madison, Northern State University in Aberdeen and South Dakota State University in Brookings.
In 2010, Iowa students accounted for 15 percent of the freshmen class at the University of South Dakota. That had slipped to 11 percent by last year.
Most of the Iowa students who choose to attend South Dakota schools live in the northwest corner of Iowa.
South Dakota officials hope the cheaper tuition will attract more Iowa students from as far away as Mason City and Des Moines.
University of South Dakota spokesman Scott Pohlson said the university offers a variety of undergraduate programs with enrollment standards that are more relaxed than the ones Iowa universities use. And the main campus also houses a medical school and law college.
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Information from: Iowa City Press-Citizen, http://www.press-citizen.com/
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