Western Interstate Commission For Higher Education (WICHE) Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP)

Health professionals are in high demand, especially in underserved rural areas of the West. Educating more students for careers in healthcare is crucial. But it doesn’t make fiscal sense for less populous states to create their own programs in every health care field.

With out-of-state tuition for some health care programs often exceeding resident tuition by over 300 percent, this can be daunting for tomorrow’s health professionals. It may saddle them in debt, force them to leave their community for more lucrative opportunities, or discourage them from pursuing a passion to heal.

WICHE collaborates with 11 Western states and territories to provide a solution. Through the Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP), students pursuing careers in 10 health fields – ranging from optometry to dentistry to veterinary medicine – may enroll in participating programs across state lines and receive substantial tuition support from their home state or territory.

Through PSEP, a student can save $34,100 to $133,600 on tuition over the duration of a health degree study. By participating in PSEP, Western states and territories benefit by inspiring and compelling graduates to return home to practice and bolster the professional health care workforce of their communities.