Eastern recently announced a new program that will allow admitted students from anywhere in the country to receive the same tuition rate that Illinois residents receive, regardless of their home state, as long as they have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

The Distinguished Out-of-State Undergraduate Student Rate Program offers students from all 50 states the opportunity to come to Eastern for the same price that Illinois residents pay, as long as their GPA is up to par. The program is geared toward students who have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Eastern officials hope the new program brings in students from all over the country in an effort to keep the enrollment numbers increasing each year as they have for the past two years.

We at The Daily Eastern News believe this new program is not only a great way to bring new faces from all over the country to campus, but also a great incentive for the students who have been succeeding academically.

It could also give students who have not quite met the 3.0 GPA requirement to receive the in-state rate the drive to push themselves harder in school.

Providing these future students with the in-state tuition rate will ensure that Eastern is admitting the students who care about their education and want to do well, while also providing all students throughout the country the chance to attend a university at an affordable price.

Eastern is known for its affordability, especially by being one of the cheapest universities in Illinois. Opening that opportunity up to students all over the United States is a good way to motivate students to both do well in high school and attend college after.

The 2019-2020 cost of attendance at Eastern for Illinois residents, border state residents and the distinguished out-of-state students is $21,631.24, according to Eastern’s website, and for non-border state residents, the cost is $23,911.24.

These distinguished students can attend Eastern for $2,280 less each year than they could if they had a lower GPA.

Along with providing students throughout the country the opportunity to attend a university at a lower cost, this new program could help Eastern increase its enrollment and diversity.

Having students on campus from outside the state who come from different backgrounds that are not available in Illinois can help strengthen the diversity on campus and offer students who may have never left Illinois some insight on how others in the country live.