Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)
The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is a program of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). Through WUE, students in western states may enroll at UH Hilo at a reduced tuition of 150 percent of the institution's regular resident tuition. WUE tuition is considerably less than nonresident tuition.
Terms & Conditions
- WUE is awarded only once at the time of admission and will remain in effect for the duration of their academic career at UH Hilo.
- Non-WUE students who enroll as non-residents will not qualify for WUE status in later terms.
- Hawaiʻi residency can not be established under the WUE program. Students changing their residency will be reclassified to non-resident.
- Students are only able to apply for Hawaiʻi residency 12 months after cessation of WUE. Further information on residency regulations can be found on the Residency Regulations page.
Eligibility
- Must be a resident of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, Washington state, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam or Republic of the Marshall Islands.
- Family domicile (home) must be maintained as permanent address throughout the duration of participation in the WUE program.
- Freshmen applicants must have a 3.0 cumulative grade-point-average over four years in high school. (Home school students, or students with written evaluations, must have a minimum 1270 combined SAT [EBRW/Math] or 27 composite ACT in lieu of the minimum GPA).
- Transfer applicants must have a 2.8 cumulative grade-point-average with a minimum 24 college transferable credits in order to qualify. GPA’s will be calculated using all colleges previously attended.
Restrictions
- Nursing majors do not qualify for the WUE program. Exploratory Health Sciences students do qualify but will relinquish WUE status once admitted into the BSN cohort.
- Only undergraduate students, and those who have not already earned a baccalaureate degree, qualify. The only exception is UH Hilo WUE students continuing through the teaching credential program.