Northwest Missouri State's board of regents agrees to expand in state tuition rates starting next fall to all incoming and current undergraduate students from Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas.
Click the LISTEN button to hear comments from the October 30, 2026 Northwest Missouri State board of regents meeting.
President Lance Tatum says he and other administrators have looked into replacing the more restrictive Bearcat Advantage program, which does not guarantee in-state tuition because qualifying students have to have a minimum grade point average.
Background information provided at the regents quarterly meeting last Friday (October 30) says "Northwest must strengthen its position within its core recruitment region by offering a clear, compelling, and easily understood tuition structure. Delaying action increases the risk of losing prospective students to institutions offering more accessible and transparent pricing."
The regents also directed administrators to study and report in December about the possibility of further expanding the in-state tuition rate to students from all states inside or bordering the MIAA conference, which is done at Central Missouri. That would make in-state tuition possible in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and those bordering states.
There was talk about making in-state tuition available to all U.S. students. Athletics director Andy Peterson said that would result in Northwest taking "a big hit" from the NCAA on the amount of scholarships that could be offered due to having only one tuition rate.
News release from Northwest Missouri State University:
Undergraduate students enrolling at Northwest Missouri State University from some of its surrounding states for the fall 2027 semester can now receive in-state tuition.
The University’s Board of Regents, during its regular session on Friday, approved a proposal to guarantee in-state tuition rates for all incoming and current undergraduate students from Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.
The In-State Guarantee enhances Northwest’s Bearcat Advantage program, which provides in-state tuition but had previously limited that offering to first-time freshmen or transfer students who came to Northwest with a 2.75 GPA or higher and requires them to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA on campus. The In-State Guarantee program, which is renewable throughout an undergraduate student’s enrollment at Northwest’s Maryville campus, also is stackable with other Northwest scholarships and financial awards.
Students who are currently enrolled from Iowa, Nebraska or Kansas and do not receive in-state tuition rates will become eligible next fall and receive consistent access to in-state rates, which Northwest expects to improve affordability, strengthen retention and protect future tuition revenue.
“Part of what we continue to review and attempt to evolve is the recruiting of students to the University,” Northwest President Dr. Lance Tatum said. “It remains our chief priority in terms of building a long-term sustainable model for the institution.”
Tatum added, “When you look at the location of our campus, the distance we are from Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas, it just makes sense to understand that those are major recruiting regions for us.”
In presenting the proposal to the Board, Dr. Rose Marie Ward, Northwest’s provost and vice president of academic affairs, explained the In-State Guarantee simplifies the University’s value proposition to prospective students and families, aligns with market expectations and positions Northwest more competitively in its primary recruitment territory.
Further, Ward said, Northwest’s first-time freshman enrollment remains heavily concentrated in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. Headcounts of the last four entering classes show between 94 and 96 percent of all first-time freshmen hail from the four-state region. By providing guaranteed in-state tuition rates, Northwest creates opportunities to grow its enrollment of students from the bordering states.
