Organizations that represent Minnesota and Wisconsin will be meeting Friday to discuss negotiations regarding possible changes to the tuition reciprocity agreement between the school systems.

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They may as well be called the University of Wisconsin-Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota-Madison, with all the students crossing state lines for college.

Organizations that represent Minnesota and Wisconsin will meet Friday to discuss negotiations regarding possible changes to the tuition reciprocity agreement between the school systems.

"(The agreement) provides almost two times the options for students to attend a public college or university," said Connie Hutchinson, executive secretary for the Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board.

HEAB is representing Wisconsin in negotiations, while Minnesota is represented by the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents and the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

"Students in either state can attend a public institution in either state for a comparable tuition in their home state," said Barb Schlaefer, director of communications for the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. "The student pays the higher of the two tuitions."

This year, Minnesota submitted a proposal to have Wisconsin students attending the University of Minnesota pay an additional $1,200 to $2,700 a year to close the gap in paid tuition between in-state students and those from Wisconsin.

"What is driving Minnesota to make this change is that tuition at the University of Minnesota is considerably higher than the University of Wisconsin-Madison," Schlaefer said.

Students from Wisconsin who currently attend the University of Minnesota pay less for tuition than in-state students.

"The fact that Wisconsin students pay less to go to my home school is unjust," Gavin Weir, a sophomore from Minnesota who attends UW-Madison, said in an e-mail. "I feel that students should pay the target school's in-state tuition."

At this point, Wisconsin is standing by the current agreement.

"(Minnesota) gave us a proposal and we have told them we like (the agreement) the way it is," Hutchinson said.

Many students, like Weir, rely heavily on the reciprocity agreement in order to attend Minnesota and Wisconsin's public institutions. Weir said he would not be able to attend the University of Wisconsin if the reciprocity agreement did not exist.

"Neither state can dictate what happens in the other state. This is an agreement based on negotiation," Schlaefer said.

While negotiations take place each year, Hutchinson said this is the first time they have ever become such a large issue.

"It's probably going to be more difficult than past years, but we hope to be done by the end of February so students can make plans," Hutchinson said. "I think we will come to terms."

According to Schlaefer, any changes to the reciprocity agreement would not affect current students benefitting from it. Schlaefer also said the University of Minnesota Board of Regents has stated it would still allow Wisconsin students to attend under resident tuition.

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