What is a “public in-state university”?

Here’s my super-complex formula for discovering public in-state schools:

1. Think of the name of the state you live in.

2. Now think of a university that shares that name or has the word “State” in its title. This is likely to be a college of this type.

3. There is no 3. But you can do 1 and 2 again.

Be aware that there are exceptions. For example, University of Southern California and New York University are actually private colleges. However, the above is a good general rule. 

If you're unsure if a college is public or private, a simple Google search should let you figure it out pretty fast.

Why they’re awesome

As we covered in the last section, public institutions are funded by tax dollars from the state they operate in and, as a result, they prioritize serving that state’s citizens by offering them a lower tuition rate/sticker price than they offer to students from out-of-state.

This makes public in-state universities ideal starting points for
students in all four of the Financial Fit Quadrants.

What we didn’t talk about in the last section was that many states sweeten the deal even more by offering either need-based (grant) or merit-based (scholarship) programs to make their colleges even more affordable. This aspect can make this college type even more affordable to students in either Quadrants #1 & #3 or Quadrants #1 and #2.

Sorry Quadrant #4. The low sticker price is likely going to be about the best you can expect from this college type, unless you’ve got an extraordinary talent for dunking basketballs or singing opera (or both).

Before we get to these wonderful aid programs (and spend most of our time there), there are a couple of things you should know about when it comes to qualifying for in-state tuition.

Making sure you count as “in-state”

For the majority of students, qualifying for in-state tuition or out-of-state tuition at a particular college involves just one simple question: 

Do you live in the same state as the college?

If so, then 99 times out of a 100, you qualify for in-state tuition and benefits.

If not, then 96 times out of 100, you don’t.

Wait… 96?

Yeah. There are actually some really interesting exceptions that could make a public university in another state equally affordable as your in-state options. 

Don’t worry. We’re going to dive into these in the next section when we talk about out-of-state public universities.

In the meantime, it’s important to know that there are often restrictions around “residency” or “how a state decides if you qualify for in-state tuition.” The most important thing to find out—which your high school counselor is likely to know—is if there is anything you need to do during your senior year to qualify for in-state tuition.

In many states, all you need to do is put your in-state address or answer some basic residency questions on your college admissions application.

Other states require an additional form or process. In my home state of North Carolina, students must complete something called “Residency Determination Service” through CFNC, otherwise they will not receive in-state tuition, even if their family has lived in the state for generations. I’m emphasizing this because of how huge a bummer it would be to miss out on paying in-state tuition. Huge.

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Action Item: Either use Google or email your counselor to find out your state’s residency requirements. (And I definitely wouldn’t stop you from doing both.)

If using Google, type “[name of your state] in-state tuition residency application” for best results. The websites that pop up can go into a ton of detail about who qualifies and residency rules. You’re just looking to see if there’s a form or application you need to fill out. Spending 1-2 minutes on this should be sufficient to yield a “yes” or “no” answer.

If emailing your counselor, simply ask if there’s anything extra you need to do or be aware of to qualify for in-state tuition.

If you feel really confident that you know that you will/won’t qualify for in-state tuition, then skip ahead to “Getting to Know Your State’s Aid Programs” below.

Need more clarification? Here are the four most common residency issues that I encounter when talking with students and their families.

Getting to Know Your State’s Aid Programs

Almost every state tries to entice its high school graduates to stay in-state for college. Why? Because if you go to college there, odds are you’ll stay and work in that state.

Some states incentivize students who have great grades and test scores through merit-based/scholarship programs. This is awesome for those of you in Quadrants #1 and #2.

Other states have need-based/grant programs to provide aid to students based on their family’s ability to afford college. This is fantastic for those in Quadrants #1 and #3.

Some states do both, which is great for pretty much everyone.

The quickest way to know the policies for your state is through a conversation with your high school counselor. If they are busy (which they likely are), the next best option is to use the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators website as a starting point to investigate scholarship/grant programs in your state.

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Action Item: Open the NASFAA website. Click your state on the map. From there, take 15 minutes to get to know which state-sponsored financial aid options you do/don’t qualify for.

This can be confusing. To help you keep focused, here are the main questions you’re trying to answer:

1. What are the names of the financial aid programs in my state?

• Write these down, as you can Google them separately for clearer information or reference them when you talk to your counselor.

• Here are just a couple examples from the southeast:

  • Hope Scholarship (GA)

  • Bright Futures Scholarship (FL)

  • Palmetto Scholars (SC)

  • UNC Need-based Scholarship (NC)

2. Is the program based on merit or need?

• If it’s merit-based, find out what grades or test scores or other metrics you need in order to qualify. Sometimes there are multiple levels of funding depending on your level of achievement.

  If you see something about “credit hours” or “part/full-time enrollment” just skip to the maximum amounts listed as you’ll likely be enrolled as a full-time student.

• If it’s need-based, find out what form(s) you need to complete in order to be considered. For most states, all you need to do is submit the FAFSA (the federal grant form we’ll cover in Section 3) and include the name of an in-state institution on the list of colleges you put on the FAFSA.

For other states (Texas comes to mind), there’s a whole separate state aid application form you’ll need to complete.

3. How much is the maximum award?

• Some programs state clearly how much you’ll receive (usually merit-based awards). Others simply tell you a maximum that’s possible (usually need-based aid). Either way, you can subtract the amounts from the sticker price of your in-state institutions to get an idea of how much more aid you need to come up with.

• Note: Oftentimes state aid can be applied to private colleges in that state as well as to the public universities. Some of the differences in award amounts may have to do with this.

This can seem like a lot of work, but think of these as guaranteed scholarships: ones that you know you’ll win if you just apply/make sure you qualify

Very worth it.

So…If you know you qualify for in-state tuition AND your state has an aid program that rewards those in your Financial Fit Quadrant, then it will be a really good idea to have at least a couple public in-state institutions on your college list.

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Action Item: Set a timer for up to 20 minutes. Identify and then add two to four public in-state universities to your college list as financial safety schools.

When you have more time later, I’d encourage you to get to know the schools to make sure they are a social/academic fit as well as a financial one.

Which college type would you like to explore next?

• Public Out-of-State Universities

• Private Colleges/Universities

• Public Two-year Colleges

• International Universities

Or perhaps now you’ve got a solid list of 6-8 colleges you’re confident can be affordable and are ready to move on to the next of our four steps: the FAFSA.

Or maybe you need a break. Take it. Leave this tab open. It’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready. (Thanks, internet.)