It will cost less for students from several counties in west central Ohio to attend Ball State under a new tuition reciprocity agreement approved June 1 by the university.

The Executive Committee of the Ball State University Board of Trustees authorized the university's participation in the plan, which allows students from certain counties in Indiana and Ohio to pay in-state tuition rates when they cross the border to attend a college or university.

Initially approved May 14 by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, the plan is awaiting consideration by the Ohio Board of Regents, which meets this month.

Out-of-state tuition rates are often twice that of in-state costs, restricting college choices for many students, said Lawrence Waters, Ball State's dean of admissions and enrollment services. In addition to lower tuition and Ball State's outstanding academic programs, Waters said the university may be attractive to students from Ohio for another reason–geographic proximity.

"For many students in Ohio, we are the closest four-year university, and, in fact, we are close enough that some students could live at home in Ohio and commute to campus," he said. "We hope the agreement will allow more students to consider Ball State."

In addition to Ball State, participating colleges from Indiana are Indiana University East, Richmond; Ivy Tech State College, Muncie and Richmond; Purdue University Statewide Technology, Muncie and Richmond; Vincennes University as a Community College of Indiana partner with Ivy Tech in Muncie.

These campuses will be able to offer Indiana in-state tuition rates to Ohio residents in the counties of Butler, Darke, Mercer, Preble, Shelby and Van Wert.

Eight Ohio colleges and universities will be able to offer their in-state tuition rates to residents of 12 Indiana counties: Adams, Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Henry, Jay, Randolph, Rush, Union, Wayne and Wells.

Participating Ohio schools are Clark State Community College, Edison Community College, the Hamilton and Middletown campuses of Miami University, Rhodes State College, Sinclair Community College, and both the main campus and the Lake campus of Wright State University.