Reciprocity taken into consideration by college-bound students

According to the LaCrosse Tribune, the “University of Minnesota’s main Twin Cities campus is the biggest recipient of Wisconsin residents.

University of Wisconsin campuses in River Falls and Superior are directly affected by this due to the fact they are so close to the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. The LaCrosse Tribune states both campuses “try to offset the competition by attracting Minnesotans.”

Minnesota has reciprocity with Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, an institution in Iowa, and the Canadian Province of Manitoba. The longtime reciprocity agreement between Wisconsin and Minnesota has become a heated rivalry competing for a decreasing number of top-student prospects. According to the LaCrosse Tribune, the “University of Minnesota’s main Twin Cities campus is the biggest recipient of Wisconsin residents.

Reciprocity has benefits because it allows those students to get out of state for their education while keeping the tuition as affordable as possible. The agreement between the two states began in 1965. Minnesota has always had the upper hand with sending more students to Wisconsin than receiving. According to CNN, in the 2011-2012 school year, around 10,500 Wisconsin natives attended school in Minnesota, while about 14,500 Minnesota students enrolled in Wisconsin schools under the reciprocity contract.

For the decades that this has been going on, the state of Wisconsin has paid the difference for sending their students across the border to the more expensive institution. The ongoing debate continues to raise tension between the two states, with little hope for settlement in the near future.

Anna Anderson is the News Editor for The Spartan Speaks