Financial Assistance Available through WICHE Professional Student Exchange Program

Financial assistance is available to Arizona residents wishing to pursue careers in Dentistry, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Osteopathic Medicine, Physician Assistant, and Veterinary Medicine through the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) Professional Student Exchange Program.

The Arizona Board of Regents WICHE Professional Student Exchange Program enables Arizona students to enroll in certain professional programs in other states, or at instate private institutions, since these educational opportunities are not available at Arizona’s public universities.  The State pays a support fee to the school receiving the student to help cover the cost of education.  The student pays the resident tuition fee at a public institution or the difference between the WICHE support fee and the standard tuition at a private school.

The deadline to apply for WICHE certification for training to commence in the Fall of 2012 is October 15, 2011.  Applicants must be residents of the State of Arizona for at least five years prior to the commencement of training.  Notices to students who obtain funding through this program are distributed during late Spring.  Recipients are obligated to return to Arizona to practice one-year for each year of support, or repay one-half of their support plus interest.

WICHE’s Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) makes many high-quality graduate programs available to master’s, graduate certificate, and Ph.D. students, who are residents of the 15 participating states, to enroll in some 220 high-quality programs at 45 participating institutions.  Additionally, if the desired healthcare program is not offered through PSEP, students may check the Western Regional Graduate Program.  WRGP currently offers access to more than 50 high-quality healthcare-related degrees offered by some 40 public institutions.  Students who enroll in a cooperating program outside of Arizona through WRGP pay resident tuition.  Additional information is available at:  www.wiche.edu/wrgp

Additionally, Arizona participates in the WICHE Western Undergraduate Exchange Program (WUE.)  The Western Undergraduate Exchange provides opportunities for students to attend a public college at the undergraduate level, outside their home state, at a reduced level of tuition (150% of resident tuition.)  Arizona residents may attend undergraduate programs in all WICHE states.  The WICHE member states are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.


For further information or to request an application, please contact Louise Lynch, WICHE Certifying Officer, Arizona Board of Regents, 2020 North Central Avenue, Suite 230, Phoenix, Arizona 85004 or phone (602) 229-2500, or visit the website at:  www.azregents.edu.  Click on Special Programs and Initiatives, click on WICHE, and click on Professional Student Exchange Program.

Students may access an Application for WICHE Certification at:  www.azregents.edu