When Beth Allen was told the former reciprocity agreement between Indiana and Ohio was canceled, she knew the out-of-state tuition rate was too expensive for her to attend Ball State University with her older sister, Laura Allen, who currently receives in-state tuition.
"I came and visited, but without paying in-state tuition it was just too much money," Beth Allen said.
The former reciprocity agreement was canceled at the beginning of the Spring Semester because of an unequal amount of students leaving their home states.
However, starting this week, many incoming freshmen residing in Ohio have received letters or calls from Ball State offering the new agreement that will grant them in-state tuition.
The new agreement is called the Good Neighbor Award. The award allows incoming freshmen from Butler, Darke, Mercer, Preble, Shelby and Van Wert counties in Ohio to attend Ball State without paying out-of-state tuition.
Chris Munchel, Ball State's Director of Admissions and Orientation, said Ball State tried to keep the Good Neighbor Award as consistent as possible with the former reciprocity agreement.
The award applies to incoming freshmen residing in six Ohio counties specified in the former reciprocity agreement. According to the reward, the students must be in continuous enrollment at the university for four years. This award, along with the former reciprocity agreement, will be capped to students accepted into the College of Architecture and Planning for their first year.
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education and the Ohio Board of Regents is working on re-establishing the former reciprocity agreement. If Indiana and Ohio reach an agreement, the Good Neighbor Award will be superseded by the new reciprocity agreement, Munchel said. Munchel said he is not sure why the agreement is being put back in action, but it is most likely to give more students opportunities in higher education.
"Hopefully the new agreement will be reached in a month, but we do not have a date," Munchel said.
Allen said that the Good Neighbor Award is a good deal and she is glad Ball State implemented it at this time of the year when students are committing to colleges.
Although Allen already committed to another university, it may not be too late for other Ohio students to attend Ball State.
"Some of my friends got strayed away when they cancelled the former agreement, but now that they have the Good Neighbor Award I think it might change their viewpoints," Allen said.
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