The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Regional Contract Program is a
cooperative tuition-savings program. It enables qualified students to pursue a
first-professional health degree at selected out-of-state institutions and pay
in-state tuition and fees at public institutions and reduced tuition at private
institutions. Students who live in South Carolina and want to earn a degree in
optometry or veterinary medicine are eligible to participate. Each institution
provides a specified number of seats for South Carolina residents in three
schools of veterinary medicine (Tuskegee University, University of Georgia, and
Mississippi State University), two schools of optometry (Southern College of
Optometry and University of Alabama at Birmingham).
Each professional school pledges to admit a specific number of qualified
students from other states. Students apply for admission and are responsible
for tuition at public institutions, but they are not asked to pay an
out-of-state fee. Students have their tuition reduced at private institutions.
A student must apply directly to the institution of his/her choice for
admission. However, prior to being admitted as a contract student, he/she must
be certified as a South Carolina resident. If you are certified as a South
Carolina resident we will notify you and the institution(s). Residency status
is made in accordance with South Carolina State Code of Regulations Chapter 62,
which can be found at www.scstatehouse.gov/coderegs.
South Carolina residents who
wish to participate in the Regional Contract Program sponsored by the Southern
Regional Education Board (SREB) must have continuously resided in the State for
other than educational purposes for at least two years immediately preceding
their submission of the residency status application and must meet all other
residency requirements during this two year period. Individuals who qualify for
in-state tuition and fees are not automatically classified as South Carolina
residents.
A determination of one’s
resident status made at the time of one’s initial application to be certified
as a South Carolina resident for purposes of participation in the Regional
Contract Program does not prevail for each subsequent academic year.
A South Carolina
resident student who has been certified as a State resident for the purpose of
participating in the Southern Regional Education Board Contract Program must be
recertified prior to the beginning of each fall semester for each academic year
for which benefits are requested.
NOTE: Certification as a
South Carolina resident does not guarantee a contract seat. The institution(s)
makes the final decision regarding admission.
SouthCarolina Residency Certification Application
Please do not hesitate to call if we can provide any additional information or assistance.
SC Commission on HigherEducation
SREB Contract Programs
1122 Lady St., Ste.300
Tanya Rogers (803) 737-2224