Many students at the University most likely spent an extensive amount of time in high school applying and deciding on a college to attend.

For students who can hardly afford to pay for their meal plan, schools such as Case Western Reserve, with tuition costing an estimated $58,228 yearly, were out of the question. But how was the college selection process different for out of state students?

The University’s out of state tuition is an additional $7,308 a semester.

For students traveling from out of state as opposed to commuting or living in Ohio, the decision to attend the University might have been daunting. For out of state students, their decision would be affected by many factors, including cost, distance from the student’s home town, academics the potential college provides and the college’s tuition fees. Each student’s decision is determined by that student’s lifestyle and the resources they have.

Freshman Austin White, a criminal justice major, traveled almost 600 miles to come to the University from Franklin, N.J.

“I wanted to leave my home state because living on the east coast is very fast paced. When I discovered BG I saw how calm and relaxing a small town is,” White said.

White said that compared to most colleges, the out of state fees for the University are a lot less expensive.

Other state schools such as Ohio State University and the University of Toledo have much higher out of state rates. OSU’s is $8,408 and Toledo’s is $10,892.

Though the University has a lower overall cost for out of state students than most other Ohio schools, students may wonder what the extra charge is for.

The charges are put into place because out of state students have a lack of state support, said Joseph Frizado, vice provost for academic operations and assessment.

“Funds from the state of Ohio are used to support the University. Therefore, the tax-payers of Ohio assist Ohio students in achieving degrees as a public good. Residents of other states are not directly supported by allocations of Ohio tax dollars,” he said.

The funds that come from the extra tuition out of state students are charged are put toward providing instruction for students. Whether it is contributing to salary for professors or helping to make residence life better for all students, these out of state fees are used in making the University a better school to attend and live in.

This lack of support is what causes colleges to charge out of state fees; to make up the difference in costs between in state and out of state students.

Trevor Thompson is a journalism major who came to the University from Washington, D.C. He says that he came to BG because it was recommended and also the best choice.

“The state fee didn’t affect my decision, but life is different because it is safer and quieter here,” he said.