Constantly being in the same atmosphere can be stressful but most of all boring. After attending a community college like El Camino, students may want to transfer to a university that’s out of state.

“Transferring to a new school would be very exciting for students, even if it’s for the experience of living somewhere other than California,” Susan Oda-Omori, Honors Transfer Program and First Year Experience counselor, said.

Students who want to transfer out of state have an easier time since many out of state universities require less credits to transfer.

“Out of state universities require around 24 to 30 units. A program called Western University Exchange makes that easier for students who would like to transfer by helping them get resident fees,” Oda-Omori said.

Western Undergraduate Exchange is a program coordinated by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE).

Through WUE, students at El Camino and all other western states may participate in two-year and four-year public college programs at a reduced tuition level.

This is to help students who are transferring to out of state schools to afford tuition. In every case, WUE tuition is considerably less than nonresident tuition.

“I’ve thought of transferring out of state, but nonresident tuition had been a problem,” Clifford Felix, 28, nursing major, said.

Many instituions require evidence of academic performance, such as ACT/SAT test scores or high school GPA, or place other conditions on WUE enrollment. Students can check the WUE website for more information.

“All of the schools on the [WUE] list will give resident fees to California students,” Oda-Omori said.

States that offer WUE include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Students should check out the El Camino College Transfer Center in the counseling office if they are interested in learning more about Western Undergraduate Exchange.