Clark Howard Explains How You Can Pay In-State Tuition At An Out-Of-State School

The economy is putting a strain on parents trying to save for college. The HOPE scholarship can help, but what if your child wants a degree that isn’t offered in Georgia? Channel 2 Consumer Advisor Clark Howard found a little known way to get in-state tuition even when you go out of state.

Jordan Clanagan is not your typical college kid.

“I know what I want to do. I know where I want to go and this is where I want to go to get there,” said Jordan.

You could say Jordan has high hopes.

“I’ve always known that I’ve wanted to be a commercial airline pilot since…pretty much since high school,” said Jordan.

A run of the mill degree wouldn’t do it for Jordan.

VIDEO: Clark Howard Explains How You Can Pay In-State Tuition At An Out-Of-State School

“My degree is in aeronautical and industrial technology with a concentration of aviation flight,” said Jordan.

“Try finding that degree at any college,” said Clark Howard. “It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. Jordan searched and searched online and every program was a budget buster.”

“It’s like an upper and a downer,” said Jordan. “It’s like, ‘Oh, this is great, they have my degree,’ but then it gets down to the tuition portion and it’s like, ‘Uhhh….’”

Then the family found a website that saved them thousands – SREB.org. It stands for Southern Regional Education Board and it’s a group of 16 states from Texas to Delaware. One of its projects is the Academic Common Market. It allows students like Jordan to degrees out of state but pay in-state tuition rates.

Jordan found his degree at Tennessee State University. If he had to pay out of state, his tuition would be $16,000. Because he's paying in-state tuition, it's only costing him $3,000.

But why would schools want to do that?

“Georgia schools benefit because it brings students to fill seats in programs that may not necessarily be filled by Georgia residents,” said Trudy Blackmon with the Southern Regional Education Board. “And it’s the same principle for other states. So it’s a real balance and the schools really do benefit from it because they receive tuition dollars that they may not receive otherwise.”

"Jordan said without the Academic Common Market, he would have had to put college plans on hold," said Howard. "Instead, he’s getting ready for his career to take off."

You can find a list of degrees available for in-state prices in the upper left corner of this story.

LINK: Academic Common Market Program