The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) has approved the UAA Early Childhood Special Education graduate program for admission into the WICHE network and the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP), according to Professor Susan Ryan, the project director for UAA’s College of Education who received confirmation of the affiliation on April 3.

The WRGP makes high-quality, distinctive graduate programs available to eligible students at a reasonable cost.  As part of the Student Exchange Program (SEP) of the WICHE, WRGP helps place students in a wide range of graduate programs, all designed around the educational, social, and economic needs of students residing in western states.

Through WRGP, residents of Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming are eligible to enroll in available programs outside of their home state at resident tuition rates. Students need not meet financial aid criteria.

To be included in WRGP, programs must meet the criteria of distinctiveness and quality. Programs are nominated by their institutions, peer reviewed by other graduate institutions in the West, and approved biannually by the Student Exchange Program Advisory Council, a policy body that represents all participating states. Nine new programs were added this past year.

To receive WRGP tuition status, students simply apply directly to the institutions of their choice and identify themselves as WICHE WRGP applicants.

For information about enrolling in UAA’s Early Childhood Special Education graduate program, contact Professor Ryan at afsmr@uaa.alaska.edu or go to http://wiche.edu/sep/ as a general resource.

Students should call or write the contact person listed with each program entry for information and to apply for admission. WGRP students must fulfill all the usual requirements of the institution concerned and meet all admission deadlines.

For a list of participating programs and contact persons, email WICHE at info-sep@wiche.edu or contact any graduate school in a western state.

Published in the Green and Gold Daily on April 4, 2005 at
http://aynews.uaa.alaska.edu/gandgdaily/2006/0404full.html