By Emily Wood
 
November 13, 2009
 
ASHLAND, Ore. - Southern Oregon University is trying to attract more California students to its campus with a new incentive program.
 
This fall, SOU's California student enrollment jumped more than 20 percent. SOU says with California's budget problems and hiked college tuitions many students need a school to transfer to. Overall, California schools have increased tuition by an average of 30 percent. Last year SOU increased its tuition by less than five percent.
 
With the transfer scholarship program students already enrolled at a California community college can transfer to SOU and pay the same rate as an in-state student.
 
The scholarships savings is more than $4,500 a term and includes on-campus housing.
 
"California has low tuition but higher state contribution, and so when their budgets get cut they can't afford to take more students. In Oregon we have relatively low contribution from the state which means we need more enrollment in order to meet our budget," Vice President for Student Affairs Jonathan Eldridge said.
 
"Everything is cut in California right now. They're cutting all the school programs, lots of groups, any kind of groups or activities that aren't just directly related to the school," said SOU California Student Sheree Kerns said.
 
Many California students are already at SOU through the Western Undergraduate Exchange Program which also provides a tuition discount, but the transfer scholarship provides a housing discount because many California students need to live on-campus.
 
The university says it has modest goals in increasing enrollment, and hopes to attract 25 to 30 students.