Mississippi State University-Meridian received College Board tentative approval to waive nonresident charges for Alabama residents in six Alabama counties, including Marengo. Other Alabama counties include Sumter, Greene, Choctaw, Hale and Clarke.

A 2012 law allows universities to reduce tuition to in-state levels to attract students who wouldn’t otherwise attend and help increase revenue.

Mississippi universities, including MSU-Meridian, increasingly depend on tuition, as state appropriations have stagnated in recent years. The schools say competitors in other states are waiving charges for Mississippi students.

The University of West Alabama provides in-state tuition rates for eight adjacent counties in Mississippi including Clarke, Kemper, Lauderdale, Jasper, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, and Winston.

“MSU-Meridian has for many years provided tremendous service to the students and citizens of Eastern Mississippi,” noted Dr. Steven Brown, dean and associate vice president of MSU-Meridian. “Our location, our educational programs and our people are uniquely suited to provide the same level of service and assistance to students and citizens in Western Alabama. Recent legislative changes in Mississippi make it possible for us to offer our outstanding educational opportunities to those in western Alabama at the same tuition rate as that paid by Mississippi residents. We are eager and excited to begin working with friends and colleagues in that region.”

The waiver, effective for the 2013 fall semester, will represent a cost savings of approximately $4,700 based on spring 2013 fees and expenses per semester for full time enrollment.

MSU-Meridian offers programs in arts and science, business and education.

As a means of acquainting people of western Alabama with the educational programs and opportunities available through MSU-Meridian, a series of meetings will be held in various Alabama communities this spring, providing extensive details and answering questions regarding this exciting new endeavor. Dates, times, and locations for these meetings will be made public within the coming weeks.