Julie Shields Rutyna: [00:00:00] Welcome everyone, and good evening. My name is Julie Shields and I am the senior director of college planning, education and training at mifa. And I’d like to welcome you to our webinar this evening, um, on tuition break. And we’re very lucky to have our presenter, uh, Kush Patel. Who is the program coordinator for tuition break and a number of other programs that I know he’ll tell you about from the New England Board of Higher Education.

So a few logistics this evening. If you’d like to ask questions, you can put them in the q and a and I may ask some. Out loud while the webinar’s going on, and if not, we’ll we’ll try to catch those at the end so that we are able to answer all of your questions. Uh, you should know that we are recording this evening, so, [00:01:00] um, I will send out a link to the recording and to the slides so you’ll have those.

Um, hopefully I’ll do that tomorrow. And if there’s anything, I don’t think there’s anything else. I think with that. I will turn it over to you. Push, and we will, we will hear all about this terrific program that, you know, really allows students and families to, um, to reduce costs of higher education, which is, which is something that really important that everyone’s always looking to do.

So

Kush Patel: thank you. Thank you Julie, and good evening everyone. Hope everyone is, uh, staying warm and will stay warm, uh, with this impending snowstorm that’s coming this weekend. Um, but I’ll share my screen and we can kind of get into it with the PowerPoint. Uh, so again, thank you everyone for joining us today.

Uh, I’ll be talking about, um, tuition break. It’s a program from our company, new England Board of Higher Education. Um. So first I’ll start off with [00:02:00] uh, who is nebi New England Board of Higher Education. We’re a regional education compact representing the six New England states, and we’re one of four education compacts across the country.

So you can see for the Western states, they have their education compact, Midwest and the southern region. So we work together. Um. And a number of different higher education programs. Uh, but uh, one program that’s kind of similar across these four education compacts is, uh, a tuition reciprocity agreement.

Uh, we have it only for the New England states, uh, but each of the other education compacts have their own version, uh, for their region. So let’s get into the main point of it. Uh, what is tuition break? So tuition break is a program that helps New England residents save on tuition by attending an out-of-state public college or university within New England.

So essentially, if I’m a Massachusetts resident and I want to attend a public institution, say in Maine or any of the five other. New England states, instead of [00:03:00] paying that outta state tuition fee, I’d be paying a reduced tuition break, uh, based on a few other criteria that we’ll go over. Um, but essentially students, they pay discounted tuition when they’re enrolled in an eligible major, either at a college or university outside of their home state.

And that’s inclusive of community colleges, the public universities, um, as well. So how are programs approved for Tu for reduced costs through tuition break? So the way that it’s set up is all of the public institutions within New England, they’re already in this agreement. There’s no surprise, there’s no changes that happen.

Uh, so all of the public institutions within New England, they’re aware about tuition break. But where the small differences lie is, uh, the types of programs that are offered for tuition break. And the way we gather it is through a yearly annual review. And so the two different categorizations we have are one specialized programs.

So these programs are, again, discounted tuition is made available to students, [00:04:00] uh, who reside in New England states, where a specific academic program is not available at a public university, um, in their home state. So there might be a very specific program that’s offered in Maine and it’s offered to the other residents of New England because in my home, new England state, it’s not offered there.

And then there’s the more, kind of, a little bit more common, but uh, in a way open type program, which is, uh, flexible programs. And so these are again, to the discounted tuition is still made available to these programs, but they’re available to all out of state residents of New England regardless of, you know, where the program is available in their home state.

So for example, if I. Wouldn’t like to major in a business program, a business major. Um, obviously a lot of our Massachusetts public institutions have a business, uh, major. And so if, but if I still wanted to attend, uh, UConn, for example, and, uh, go enroll in one of their business programs, and this flexible program would allow [00:05:00] that.

Now again, this is all dependent on each of the institutions and the programs they have available, but that’s the, the main gist of what the flexible program allows. How does one apply for tuition break? So by being a resident of any of the New England states, you’re automatically eligible to receive this tuition break.

Um, and the next best thing you can do to understand. Which of the eligible programs are available to you and at your college of interest is you can go to our website, uh, NE bhe.org/tuition break. And so on our website, we have a search function where you can search, uh, by all the institutions, by each of the states.

You can search for individual institutions and you can do some filtering as well for the types of programs or the degree level you’re looking for. Um. And you know, a lot of questions we get asked is, oh, is there a separate application? Is there a limited number of availability for the program? There’s nothing of that sort.

All you have to do is just submit your application to the college as you normally [00:06:00] would. Um, so when your student goes to apply to any of the colleges, they can apply through that. And when they apply and it’s their application’s being reviewed, it’s already known that their. Program that they’re applying for is a potential tuition break program.

Uh, but one thing to do some research and double checking on is any additional eligibility requirements. Uh, a lot of these additional requirements are, uh, dependent on each, on each of the institution. And so they may have small requirements. Uh, one, one small piece I can. Um, recall is some institutions on their application require students to Mark A.

Little checkbox saying, I’m applying to this, uh, for the tuition break program. Uh, that’s only in a number of schools, uh, that require that. But again, it’s always best to, you know. Always check the application. Um, our website ha should have the most updated information that says, you know, if they require that.

Um, but also reaching up to the individual institution is your next best thing you can do in making sure that throughout the entire process, if you’re trying to [00:07:00] apply and get into a program that is eligible for tuition break that you end up receiving that. And obviously I think the most important thing as parents is asking questions and engaging in this process.

Um, you can always request more information from the admissions office about tuition savings. Uh, you know, if you go to any college visits or if you email or even call the institutions, uh, you can get the information about tuition break and they can have all that information. Uh, we have all of the programs and what the tuition costs are for each academic year, uh, for the current academic year.

On our website. And that updates each summer as we get the information from the institutions. But always reaching out to the institution is a safe bet as well. So what type of degrees qualify? That’s a lot of questions. Sometimes we get, um, and it’s all types of degrees. So from the associate level, bachelor’s, master’s, um, professional degrees, PhD, and even certificate degrees are all qualified to receive the tuition break discount.

But again, the institution, they may have their own. [00:08:00] Um. Limits on which of those programs are allowed for the tuition break program. So again, that’s why looking on our website is the best thing you can do because it tells you exactly all the programs that are available. But across the board, all these types of degrees are available for a tuition break discount.

Um, so some other questions that we, we get from students and families is, can I combine the tuition break program with other financial aid and cost savings opportunities? So, yes, th that, that’s pretty much a short answer there, but there’s some things to keep in mind. One is, obviously, the biggest thing is you should always complete the FAFSA every single year.

Um, that’s always an easy way to, uh, understand what type of federal, uh, aid you might be getting. And the one thing to also remember is tuition break is a discount. So it’s not a scholarship or a grant, so you’re not gonna necessarily see that on, um, when you get your merit aid package, you’re not gonna see, you know, tuition break as a, as a scholarship or a grant line item.

It’s a discount. So all it does is that it just, [00:09:00] uh, lessens your cost of attendance. And obviously financial aid is awarded based on need and or merit at the discretion of the college or university. Um, and one thing to also keep in mind is to read the fine print at each institution you apply to, uh, because there may be some institutions out there that do have some sort of caveat for.

How tuition break works and what other types of aid you may or may not be getting. So just, that’s always the best thing. Best thing to do is check the website, always ask questions, um, when you get your financial package and if you’re applying for the tuition break discount that you see that everything lines up and the, the admissions office, uh, up until you start, is always gonna be the best place to go.

Um, but you can always reach out to the bursar’s office or any of the other financial offices within that institution and they can direct you to the most accurate information. Um, so we’ll go through a couple scenarios, a little what if scenarios, and I imagine maybe some questions might arise from there.

So, um, if there are any other questions after that, Julie, we can maybe take some of those.

Julie Shields Rutyna: Sounds good.

Kush Patel: [00:10:00] So I live in blank state and want to go into blank college or university. How do I know if I qualify for tuition break? So the biggest thing, like I said earlier, is that your state of residence, which wherever you may live, is your automatic qualifier.

Um, you know, if you’re living in a New England state, then you’re automatically eligible to qualify for, uh, the tuition break program. And then the next thing you can do is check our list of participating schools and eligible programs. Again, that will be updated. Um, every single year, and if there are any updates that happen in the middle of the year, we, um, are always doing our best to make sure that gets reflected on our website.

And you can use the search function to search exactly all the schools by state all the programs and majors. Um, and again, the, then the last thing is just to confirm that the program offering with the college or university that you’re interested in, so that you know that that school actually has that.

And, um, you know, you can confirm that through our website and you can also confirm it with the institution just to make sure that everything is lining up. My chosen major isn’t offered in my state and isn’t listed [00:11:00] as a tuition break program at the school. I’m interested in, can I still access the tuition break discount?

So unfortunately the answer is no. Um, sometimes, you know, a, a college or university, uh, at their own discretion, they may decide not to offer certain majors through tuition break. Um, so again, that is up to their discretion. We always do our best to advocate. Um. For the institution to, um, provide, you know, as many programs as possible, but at the end of the day, it is their decision.

Um, and to the, to the bullet point there, some programs are not offered by any of the New England public colleges, um, that we’ve been kind of getting some questions about. And one, one example is a professional golf management, right? So. Again, whatever we have listed on our website are all the eligible programs.

Anything beyond that, um, it just might be the case that the institution, uh, doesn’t offer it as a a tuition break program. What happens if I change from a tuition break eligible major to a non tuition break major? Um, so with that, that is very, um, this [00:12:00] is something that to keep in mind of if your student is in this scenario or ends up in the scenario, uh, because you’ll be charged the standard out of state tuition rate from that point moving forward.

Um, so if that is a. A potential outcome that may happen, then it’s, you know, you should be, uh, talking with your student and, and looking and, uh, discussing with the institution themselves and how that change might reflect on your tuition bill. Um, and then a secondary kind of question from there is, but what if I’m already in a non tuition break major?

Can I change to a tuition? At that major, at that college. Um, usually, uh, but the, the best thing you should do is to contact the registrar or, um, on our website, we have a representative from each of the campuses, from each of the campuses that, um, is our tuition break representative. So you can always reach out to them and they’re listed on our website.

Uh, but for that, you should always reach out to the Red Sheriff’s Office, uh, to confirm that you can make that change, and then your tuition would be reflected as such.

Julie Shields Rutyna: So I do have a [00:13:00] question, and you may get to it later. Yeah. Uh, but I thought I’ll just ask it now because someone asked this question. I think it’s a good one.

Is the tuition break discount dependent on income in any way.

Kush Patel: That’s a really great question. And so, no, it’s not the tuition break, uh, program. The only thing that it, it relies on is that you are a New England resident. Uh, there is no, um, they don’t take into account anything about your, uh, income status, your.

Um, your student’s academic record, uh, nothing of that sort. As long as you are a resident of New England, you are eligible for the tuition break, um, program and forgive receiv the discount, but it’s always best to make sure with that institution there are no other eligibility requirements. Um, in most cases there aren’t, but, you know, things are always changing, um, based on the institution and how they’re reacting to just.

Things that are going on. So it’s always best to double check with the institution themselves. We will try to keep our website as updated as best as we can, um, [00:14:00] year round. But you know, should anything change, you should always also reach out to the institution. But nothing, um, the tuition break has nothing to do with income.

As long as you’re a resident New England, you’re automatically eligible.

Julie Shields Rutyna: Thank you. That’s great.

Kush Patel: No, thank you. That’s a, that’s a really good question.

Julie Shields Rutyna: Yeah.

Kush Patel: Um, all right, so how much of a discount is provided by tuition break? So it’s hard to say an exact number, but, uh, around $8,500 is the average annual tuition savings per student.

Um, and so this works by allowing an eligible student to pay a tuition rate that is significantly lower than out-of-state tuition. Um, you can kind of see on, uh, on the right hand side of what a. Just a, a generic sample of in-state tuition for any institution could be $6,000. Uh, the out-of-state tuition might be 10, $18,000.

And the tuition break tuition that’s offered is 10,500. So your saving is $7,500 there. But, um, on an. Average basis across all of the programs, $8,500 is the, uh, typical [00:15:00] annual, uh, tuition saving per student. Um, and, and the rate, uh, that the tuition is based off of the tuition break discount is based off, is on a percentage of the college’s in-state tuition rate, um, which is up to a maximum of 175% of that in-state rate.

And so again, just some fast facts here. $8,500 is our annual average savings. There are more than 3000 majors available at a reduced tuition rate. We have 68 participating institutions across New England, and just this past year, 20 24, 20 25, 9 thou, more than 9,000 students have paid reduced tuition. So we can see that this is a program that is having tremendous success and year over year we’re always.

Uh, hearing from students and families and how much they saved and, you know, they didn’t know about it to begin with. And, you know, many, many, um. Of you in our webinar. Maybe this is the first time you’re hearing about it and now this is gonna spark a conversation to have with your students. And I think [00:16:00] this is a great program where, uh, you can explore some of the options where, you know, students are able to get a little bit away from home, but at the same time save money.

Uh, obviously, you know, nowadays, uh, college tuition is. Extremely high. Even when I went to college, it was, it was a lot, but it, it is going to always increase. And so tuition break is a, um, is a way where it helps families save a little bit more on, on their education and they’re not too far away from home as well.

Um, that’s kinda the end of the, the presentation here, but, uh, just wanna say thank you for everyone for your attendance. Um, we’re here to help. Um, Lindsey Parks is, uh, the director of tuition break at Nebi and. Uh, I’m a coordinator for one of, for the tuition break program. Uh, if you have any questions, you can always email us at the email listed there and, um, or give us a phone call.

We’re always, um, happy to help and, you know, find any, uh, programs you might be looking at or, you know, if you’re having difficulties with, um, you know, certain institution trying to find the program, we’re more than happy to help. So you can always, uh, give us a phone call [00:17:00] or uh, email us. Thank you so

Julie Shields Rutyna: much.

Thank

Kush Patel: you. Um,

Julie Shields Rutyna: so we do have a question. Another good one, I think. Um, can tuition break be used while the student is undecided?

Kush Patel: That’s a great question. Um, unfortunately that’s not the case. Uh, you have to be enrolled in one of those eligible s um, now. Could you start as undecided and then, you know, if you do decide to enroll in a tuition break eligible major, uh, would you receive that discount?

Uh, potentially. I think one of the scenarios kind of covers that, but it’s always best to reach out to the institution and, um, ask them for what the guidance on that is. Again, some of the institutions may have some certain, uh, requirements. Uh, they may have certain different, um. Eligibility on it. Like, you know, you might have to start from the beginning, but again, uh, those are just a, that’s just a hypothetical scenario.

It’s always best to reach out to the institution themselves. Um, you know, if you’re under, [00:18:00] if you’re undecided, then going into a potential tuition break major. But yeah, if you’re undecided, you wouldn’t be able to receive that discounted tuition. Yeah, that makes sense.

Julie Shields Rutyna: Well, thank you. Let’s just wait another moment.

Are there any other questions before we go?

Well, that was terrific. We got a lot of information in a short period of time, and we can, um, go on and enjoy our evenings, but do stay in touch. Um, you, you, you saw contact information. You can, you can ask questions and Mifa is always here to answer your questions and you can email us. Call us at any point.

So, um, please take advantage of all of the resources you have. But I do have a few more questions.

Kush Patel: Yes,

Julie Shields Rutyna: yes. Um, I will be sharing the slides, so I will send you a link to those slides and this recording tomorrow. So thank you for that. And You’re [00:19:00] welcome. And one more question. How do you define residency in relation to citizenship?

Kush Patel: That’s a great question. Yeah. So for ne nebi purposes, for tuition break, as long as you reside within New England, that you’re living at an address in a New England state, that’s what we care about. But I can understand from that citizenship perspective, um, that’s a question to direct to the individual institution you might be looking at.

Uh, it’s uncertain exactly which institutions have, you know, more of that, uh. Uh, finer criteria on, you know, if you’re a citizen or not. Um, but for the nevy purposes, you’re eligible if you’re a resident. Um, and in most cases I’ve seen it. I, I personally haven’t seen, um, or run into many instances of institutions, uh, requiring certain citizenship for, uh, to even receive that, uh, tuition break discount.

But it’s always best to, uh, individually ask the institution, uh, because they may have some of those, uh, eligibility [00:20:00] requirements. Um, based on citizenship. So unfortunately I don’t have the exact answer, but from our NBE perspective, as long as you’re a resident, you’re automatically eligible. Uh, but it’s always best to reach out to the institution themselves and uh, confirm with that.

Julie Shields Rutyna: Oh, that’s great. That’s always good advice. Yeah. Alright, well thank you so much and thank you all for those great questions and have a good evening.

Kush Patel: Thank you.