Effective this fall, Missouri Western State University is now offering students from 51 counties in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska a new tuition rate equivalent to in-state tuition. The “Griffon Rate” applies to both undergraduate and graduate tuition, and to current students as well as new students.

“Missouri Western is committed to keeping higher education affordable, and the Griffon Rate reflects that commitment,” said Howard McCauley, dean of enrollment management. “We’re pleased to extend our low in-state tuition to thousands of other potential students.”

The Griffon Rate is available to students from the following counties:

ILLINOIS: Adams, Alexander, Calhoun, Hancock, Jackson, Jersey, Madison, Monroe, Pike, Randolph, St. Clair and Union

IOWA: Appanoose, Davis, Decatur, Fremont, Lee, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Taylor, Van Buren and Wayne

KANSAS: Atchison, Bourbon, Brown, Cherokee, Crawford, Doniphan, Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Linn, Miami, Nemaha, Shawnee and Wyandotte

NEBRASKA: Cass, Douglas, Gage, Johnson, Lancaster, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, Richardson and Sarpy

The Griffon Rate will save undergraduate students taking classes on the main campus about $200 per credit hour: tuition will drop from the out-of-state rate of $392.36 to the in-state rate of $192.65. For a student taking 15 credit hours per semester, that’s a savings of almost $6,000 per year.

In addition to the Griffon Rate, which is available to all students from the 51 specified counties, Missouri Western will continue to offer the Neighboring States, Frontier and Midwest Student Exchange scholarships for out-of-state students in other counties who meet the academic requirements of each scholarship. The Griffon Rate cannot be used in conjunction with those three scholarships; however, it is stackable with other forms of financial aid.

Freshman students receiving the Griffon Rate are subject to the normal freshman residency requirements. They have the option of living off-campus if they meet one of the criteria for exceptions, such as living with their parents, grandparents or legal guardians within 50 miles of St. Joseph.

Visit www.missouriwestern.edu/businessoffice/griffonrate.asp to learn more about the Griffon Rate.

Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.