What is tthe difference in tuition between in state and out of state fees for full time studies, each year?

Question

I am think about University of Arizona.

Answer 1

Kevin - I don't quite understand your question.

State universities are subsidized by the taxpayers of that state - so for example, the University of Arizona receives millions of dollars a year from the State of Arizona. That money is used by the university to offset the costs of operating the university - so - that's money that the college does not need to collect from the students.

Now, because the University of Arizona receives tax money from the residents of Arizona, they "thank" the residents by offering low cost tuition to any Arizona state resident. If you're not an Arizona resident, your taxes didn't help pay for the school, so you pay the estimated full cost of your education, without any "hometown discount".

This is true of any state university in the US - residents of that state pay a discounted fee - out of state residents pay the full cost of education. The difference in the two can be quite significant.

For the fall 2008, the average tuition at the University of Arizona for state residents is $5,274 - if you're a resident of another state, the average tuition at UA is $18,408.

I'm not sure if you want me to compare this rate to another state university, or what. I can tell you, for example, that an out-of state resident at the University of New Mexico would pay about $15,000 a year.

Even the out-of-state rates at state universities are usually cheaper than the rates at private schools. A "private" school is private because they don't receive tax dollars from the state - therefore, every student (even residents of the state in which the school is located) pay the same tuition.

I hope that helped, somewhat.