Student Access Programs: By the Numbers Annual Report

Key Insights from AY 2023-24

▶  More than 47,200 undergraduate students saved $559.1 million through WUE.

▶  More than 2,800 graduate students saved $39.2 million through WRGP.

▶  557 professional healthcare students saved a total of $14.5 million through PSEP.

The Importance of Student Access Programs

The benefits of a postsecondary credential are well-documented. Postsecondary education not only benefits the individual receiving an education but also the community in which they live. College graduates tend to have more job opportunities and be employed in industries and roles that are less-impacted when the economy slows. This means college graduates have more financial stability, and they also have higher levels of personal and professional satisfaction and civic engagement.

Yet the cost of postsecondary education may deter many from starting or finishing their education. And so, in 2023, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), with guidance from the WICHE Commission, reflected on its strategic priorities and set a vision that will inspire staff and stakeholders for many generations. Our top priority, just as it was in 1953 when WICHE was first founded, is to explore and create educational opportunities for residents of the West that are both affordable and valuable, ensuring that policy and practice at every level are aligned with the needs of the region. WICHE’s three Student Access Programs directly address this priority and prove to be a worthwhile solution to the cost concern while also addressing the region’s workforce needs.

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) operates three Student Access Programs that support undergraduate, graduate, and professional healthcare studies. The overarching goal of each program is to lower the cost of tuition for students.

THE WESTERN UNDERGRADUATE EXCHANGE (WUE) — the nation’s largest regional tuition savings program in terms of student enrollment and estimated savings — allows eligible students from a WICHE state or Pacific Island jurisdiction to enroll in participating two- or four-year public colleges or universities in the WICHE region and pay reduced nonresident tuition. Students can choose from hundreds of majors at 169 institutions and pay no more than 150% of that school’s resident tuition — almost always at a lower cost than the nonresident tuition rate they would pay.

THE WESTERN REGIONAL GRADUATE PROGRAM (WRGP) allows graduate certificate, master’s, and doctoral students who are residents of WICHE states and Pacific Island jurisdictions to affordably enroll in more than 2,000 graduate programs at 67 public institutions in the West. Participating students can enroll as nonresidents and pay no more than 150% of resident tuition (though the majority of WRGP institutions charge students resident tuition, which is a greater savings).

THE PROFESSIONAL STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAM (PSEP) benefits students from 12 Western states and territories pursuing careers in 10 health fields, ranging from optometry to dentistry to veterinary medicine. They may enroll in some 135 participating programs across the WICHE region and apply for substantial tuition support from their home state or Pacific Island jurisdiction. These high-demand professionals are critical to the health and wellness of their home communities, especially in underserved rural or remote areas of the West. Educating more health professionals is crucial. WICHE reduces the financial strain for students pursuing professional healthcare degrees, especially for those from less populated states and territories.

More Resources

LINK: WUE Enrollment by State and Institution

LINK: WRGP Enrollment by State and Institution

LINK: Knocking on the College Door