NEBHE Tuition Break: A Plain-English Guide for New England Parents
Tuition Break lets a New England student attend a public university in another New England state at a reduced regional rate instead of the full nonresident price. NEBHE puts the average saving at $8,600 a year. It has run since 1957 and most families in the region still have not heard of it.
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What Tuition Break actually is
Run by the New England Board of Higher Education, Tuition Break was created in 1957 and is still sometimes called by its old name, the Regional Student Program or RSP. You will see both on college websites, and a few applications still ask you to tick a box marked “RSP.”
The rate is a percentage of the host campus’s in-state tuition, capped at a maximum of 175%. So you pay more than a resident but well under the nonresident rate.
Two ways to qualify, and most guides only mention one
1. The major your state doesn’t offer
The standard route. If no public college or university in your home state offers your intended program, you can pursue it at an approved New England campus at the regional rate.
This is the door nearly every guide describes.
2. The campus that is simply closer
At some institutions you also qualify if the out-of-state campus is nearer your home than the in-state one offering the same program. Many community colleges and some four-year campuses allow this.
Worth asking about even when your major is offered at home.
Neither door involves an essay, a committee or a competition. Meet the rule and the rate applies as a matter of policy.
What the discount is worth
Here is NEBHE’s own worked example rather than an invented one.
| What you pay | Tuition | Saved per year | Over four years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full out-of-state rate | $18,000 | – | – |
| Regional Tuition Break rate | $10,500 | $7,500 | $30,000 |
| What a resident pays | $6,000 | – | – |
Across all Tuition Break students the average saving is currently $8,600 a year. Your figure depends entirely on the host campus, since the rate is calculated from that campus’s own resident tuition. The University of Vermont, for instance, charges the full 175% for approved programs.
The six states
You must be a permanent legal resident of one of these, and you cannot use Tuition Break at a public college in your own state, because you already have the resident rate there.
Participating campuses
NEBHE’s programme spans the region’s public campuses and several hundred approved degree programs. Below are the 13 we have full scholarship guides for, so you can check Tuition Break and the campus’s own merit aid in one place.
Connecticut 5
- University of Connecticut (UConn)
- Central Connecticut State UniversityPublishes a separate reduced Domestic/NEBHE regional rate.
- Southern Connecticut State UniversityFrom Fall 2026, every incoming full-time out-of-state undergraduate is charged the reduced Tuition Break rate automatically, not just New Englanders.
- Eastern Connecticut State UniversityRuns three out-of-state discount paths, including in-state tuition for New York and New Jersey residents.
- Western Connecticut State UniversityAdds a dedicated Tri-State rate on top of Tuition Break.
Maine 1
Massachusetts 4
- University of Massachusetts Amherst
- University of Massachusetts Boston
- University of Massachusetts LowellIts Regional Tuition Program reaches beyond New England to New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
- University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
New Hampshire 1
Rhode Island 1
- University of Rhode IslandIn some majors the regional rate does not begin until junior year. Check before you enrol.
Vermont 1
- University of VermontCharges 175% of in-state tuition for approved programs, the published maximum.
Who qualifies
- Residency. Permanent legal residence in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island or Vermont, maintained while enrolled.
- An approved program. Either your major is not offered by any public college in your home state, or the campus allows the proximity route.
- Admission to that program. Not just to the university, but to the specific approved major.
- Out of state. A New Hampshire resident cannot claim it at UNH. The rate exists to cross a state line.
Tuition Break covers both undergraduate and graduate study, and applies at two-year and technical colleges as well as universities.
How to apply
- Check the approved program list on NEBHE’s Tuition Break site for your home state and intended major. Program names are literal.
- Apply to the college as normal. There is no separate NEBHE application form.
- Tick the box. Many applications include a “New England Regional” or “RSP” option. If yours does not, write that you are applying for Regional Student Program status.
- Watch the acceptance letter. Colleges usually confirm regional status at the point of admission. If yours is silent, ask before you deposit.
Four things that catch families out
1. Declaring the major after you get your aid letter
NEBHE warns that if you are admitted and given a financial aid award before declaring a Tuition Break major, the college may revise that award. The two numbers are connected, so establish regional status early rather than switching into it later.
2. The rate that starts in junior year
At the University of Rhode Island, some majors do not apply the regional rate until year three. That turns an expected four-year saving into a two-year one. Ask which year the rate begins, not just whether you qualify.
3. High-demand majors left out
Colleges can decline to offer popular programs through Tuition Break precisely because they are full. And a few fields are not offered by any New England public at all, so they cannot be part of the program in the first place.
4. Changing majors
Move into a non-approved program and the regional rate can disappear. Some campuses also restrict certain programs to non-freshmen. Confirm both before you enrol.
Beyond Tuition Break: New England discounts open to more states
Several New England publics run their own nonresident discounts that have nothing to do with NEBHE, and a few reach states covered by no regional programme at all.
Eastern Connecticut State University
New York and New Jersey residents pay Eastern’s in-state rate, with no compact and no major restriction. Two of the states covered by no regional programme at all.
Southern Connecticut State University
From Fall 2026 all incoming full-time out-of-state undergraduates get the reduced Tuition Break rate automatically, regardless of home state or major.
University of Massachusetts Lowell
The Regional Tuition Program cuts 2026-27 out-of-state tuition by roughly $8,500 for students from New England plus New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, in any undergraduate major.
Western Connecticut State University
Runs a Tri-State rate alongside Tuition Break for nearby out-of-state residents.
Charter Oak State College
Fully online and charges the Connecticut resident rate to everyone, so residency never enters the calculation.
Tuition Break vs. WUE, MSEP and ACM
| Program | Region | What it pays | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEBHE Tuition Break | New England | A percentage of in-state, capped at 175%, for approved programs | You’re on it |
| WUE | West | Up to 150% of in-state at participating publics | WUE guide |
| MSEP | Midwest | Up to 150% of in-state at publics; about 10% off at some privates | MSEP guide |
| ACM | South | Full in-state rate for approved majors; state certification required | ACM guide |
Tuition Break has the highest cap of the four, but it is also the only one where every public campus in the region takes part, so the list of places to look is far longer. Not sure which programme covers you? Start at the tuition reciprocity index.
Tuition Break FAQ
Do all public colleges in New England participate in Tuition Break?
Yes. NEBHE states that all of New England’s public colleges and universities take part, including two-year colleges and technical institutes. What varies is the list of approved programs at each campus. A college can decline to offer a high-demand major through Tuition Break, and a handful of fields are not offered by any New England public at all. So check the program rather than the campus.
How much does NEBHE Tuition Break save?
NEBHE reports an average annual saving of $8,600 per full-time Tuition Break student. The rate is calculated as a percentage of the host campus’s in-state tuition, capped at a maximum of 175%. NEBHE’s own worked example uses a college charging $6,000 in-state and $18,000 out of state, where the regional rate comes to $10,500 and saves $7,500 a year. Because it is a percentage of each campus’s resident rate, your figure depends on which college you attend.
How do I qualify for Tuition Break?
There are two routes. The main one is enrolling in an approved major that no public college or university in your home state offers. The second, which many guides miss, is proximity: at some campuses you qualify if the out-of-state college is closer to your home than the in-state college offering the same program. Many community colleges and some four-year campuses allow this. You must also be a permanent resident of one of the six New England states and be admitted to the specific approved program.
Is there a separate application for Tuition Break?
No. You apply to the college as normal. Many applications include a checkbox for New England Regional or RSP status, and if yours does not you should state that you are applying for Regional Student Program status. Colleges usually confirm regional status at the time of acceptance. If your letter does not mention it, ask before putting down a deposit.
Can Tuition Break be combined with merit scholarships?
Sometimes, and it is worth asking directly. Some campuses apply whichever benefit is larger rather than adding them together. NEBHE also warns that if you receive a financial aid award before declaring a Tuition Break major, the college may revise that award afterwards. Ask the aid office to show the package both with regional status and without it alongside the best merit offer, then compare net price.
Does Tuition Break last all four years?
Usually, provided you stay in the approved major, keep residency in your home state and remain in good academic standing. There are exceptions worth checking: at the University of Rhode Island some majors do not apply the regional rate until junior year, and certain programs are closed to first-year students. Confirm which year the rate begins before you enrol rather than assuming it starts immediately.
What if I live outside New England?
Tuition Break itself is limited to the six New England states, but several campuses run their own discounts that reach further. Eastern Connecticut State University charges New York and New Jersey residents its in-state rate. UMass Lowell’s Regional Tuition Program covers New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania in any undergraduate major. From Fall 2026 Southern Connecticut State charges every incoming full-time out-of-state undergraduate the reduced rate regardless of home state.
- All reciprocity programs
- State aid & grants
- College scholarships by state
- Automatic scholarship finder
- Search by GPA & test score
- FAFSA & financial aid 101
Bottom line
Tuition Break is the easiest of the four regional programmes to qualify for and the hardest to find out about. Every public campus in New England participates, there is no separate application, and the average family saves $8,600 a year. The work is entirely in the program list: check that your exact major is approved, ask which year the rate starts, and get regional status confirmed in writing before you deposit.
Last reviewed August 6, 2026 · 13 participating campuses from the CollegeReadyParent scholarship database, with programme rules verified against NEBHE · Approved programs and campus rates change annually, so confirm with NEBHE and the college before making financial decisions. See our data methodology.
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