South Dakota students to pay in-state tuition rates

Future Mavericks coming from the state of South Dakota should expect to pay higher tuition rates instead of the promised reciprocity. 

The South Dakota Board of Regents terminated reciprocity with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education set to go into effect in the 2024-25 academic year in an announcement on Jan. 30. However, incoming students in the fall of 2024 will not have to pay out-of-state tuition rates. 

In a press release sent out to Minnesota State, President Inch said the decision was to prevent South Dakota students from “suddenly be impacted by an unexpected” rate change. 

Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management Brian Jones said it’s “essentially the same” cost for Minnesota students and South Dakota students when it comes to overall tuition costs. 

Currently, South Dakota students pay $317.38 per credit with overall tuition rate for 12-18 credits at $4,177.72. Minnesota residents pay $326.70 per credit with their rate being $4,177.50 for 12-18 credits. 

Jones said Minnesota State wanted to honor the pricing students already here pay for.

“We have students from South Dakota who are seniors in high school who have already made deposits for housing and orientation. It was too late in the process to charge them non-resident tuition,” Jones said. “We felt compelled to extend the same benefit to incoming students.”

Jones said while MSU isn’t offering anything new to students, they want to support students considering to come here.

“It’s less about us trying to get students for this fall, but taking care of the students who have already planned to come here,” Jones said. 

All students from South Dakota currently attending MSU will receive the reciprocity rate until they graduate. There are currently no answers for the rates students will have to pay in the fall of 2024. Students from South Dakota who attend in the fall of 2025 will not have the matched tuition rates.

As of fall 2023, over 211 students were from South Dakota. 

Write to Emma Johnson at Emma.johnson.5@mnsu.edu