Missouri Reciprocal Tuition Agreement

A special message to students and parents

The College of Architecture, Planning, and Design at Kansas State University  offers nationally accredited professional degrees in architecture, interior architecture and product design, and landscape architecture. We are one of only a handful of colleges of architecture and design in America that has all of the major design and planning professions together “under one roof.” This structure allows our students and faculty to make connections and collaborate across disciplinary lines as professionals must in practice.

We possess a highly motivated, talented, and diverse faculty and student body, a strength in which our Missouri students play a role. The urban/suburban centers of St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, Springfield, and Jefferson City, as well as small rural towns, are represented. This varied mix of backgrounds and viewpoints offers our students a rich and broadening learning experience.

The Reciprocal Tuition Agreement

The reciprocal tuition agreement provides selected residents of Missouri with a waiver of out-of-state tuition to attend Kansas State University to study in one of the professionally accredited degree programs of architecture, interior architecture and product design, or landscape architecture. Frequent questions about the reciprocal tuition agreement include:

  1. How many waivers are there?
    A total of 491 out-of-state waivers are divided between Kansas State University and the University of Kansas.
  2. How do I apply for a waiver?
    A Missouri resident who is accepted by Kansas State University and the College of Architecture, Planning, and Design is automatically considered for a waiver.
  3. How will I be selected?
    You will be rank-ordered on the basis of academic performance (GPA, and SAT or ACT) and unmet financial need. Unmet financial need is based upon the information filed as part of the FAFSA www.ksu.edu/sfa. We use the academic and financial aid information that is available to us during the first week of classes to rank-order students. It is each family’s responsibility to make sure the information is accurate and filed in a timely manner. March 1 is the priority deadline for filing for financial aid, and we ask that you use this deadline for completing the financial aid application (FAFSA).
  4. When will I learn if I have a waiver?
    The waivers are awarded after classes start for the fall and spring semesters. This means that all first-time entering students will pay out-of-state tuition, and if they receive a waiver they will then receive a reimbursement for the semester the waiver is awarded
  5. Payment Options?
    You can pay the tuition in full which is due before classes begin and then be reimbursed if you receive the waiver, OR you can participate in the payment plan through the KSU Cashier’s Office (785) 532-6317. The plan breaks payments into four installments during the semester.
    www.k-state.edu/controller/cashiers
  6. How many new students are awarded waivers?
    The number of new students who receive a waiver varies each year. It is entirely possible that there will be many more eligible students than there are waivers. For fall 2007, approximately three-quarters of the new entering students received a waiver in the first semester. All continuing students from Missouri received a waiver. The pattern of waiver awards can vary from year to year.
  7. Do I re-apply each year?
    No, once you receive the reciprocal tuition, you will have it for the following years as long as you stay in good standing with the University and remain enrolled in the College of Architecture, Planning and Design.
  8. What happens if I don’t receive a waiver?
    You will continue to be considered for a waiver each semester you are enrolled in the College. Your academic performance and unmet financial need will be updated annually, and a new rank-ordered list of first-time entering students and continuing students will be prepared.
  9. Am I more likely to receive a waiver if I transfer to K-State?
    It depends on your academic performance in the college or university from which you are transferring. The formula used to calculate academic performance for transfer students acknowledges the greater degree of difficulty of college-level course work. You will be considered part of the pool of first-time entering students and will be rank-ordered within that group.
  10. If I attend the UMKC Department of Architecture, Urban Planning and Design, do I have a better chance of getting a waiver?
    The University of Missouri-Kansas City program allows students to complete the first two years of our curricula and then apply to transfer directly into the third year of architecture or interior architecture, or to complete one year and transfer directly to the second year of landscape architecture. This option eliminates the necessity of paying non-resident tuition for one or two years but does not guarantee receipt of a tuition waiver upon enrolling at K-State.

    The academic performance of UMKC students is ranked on a scale that acknowledges the level of difficulty of the UMKC program and the number of years engaged in study directly related to the design professions. You will be considered part of the pool of first-time entering students and will be rank-ordered within that group.

  11. If I am admitted to the graduate program will my coursework be covered?
    Yes, your graduate coursework will be covered at in-state graduate tuition rate.

  12. Whom do I call if I have questions?
    College of Architecture, Planning, and Design (785) 532-1994.

  13. Where can I find KSU tuition rates?
    http://www.ksu.edu/controller/cashiers/