By Phil West @ The Commercial Appeal

JACKSON, Miss. — A key state Senate committee approved legislation Wednesday that would let university presidents waive some tuition costs to attract more out-of-state students.

The measure is aimed at attracting more out-of-state students and keeping many of them here once they finish their education, said state Sen. Doug Davis, R-Hernando and chairman of the Senate’s Universities and Colleges Committee.

“Statistics have shown that if you come to Mississippi and get an education at one of our eight universities, there’s a 25 percent retention rate, which means that 25 percent of the students who come into Mississippi stay here,” Davis said.

“And I think that’s beneficial. So we want to do all we can to put our universities on a level playing field.”

Davis noted that Alabama recruits Mississippi students along its border, which potentially keeps students from attending four schools — the University of Mississippi, University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi State and the Mississippi University for Women — in the state.

A map presented by Dr. Hank Bounds, commissioner of higher education, showed some Mississippi students who normally would attend those universities are winding up at the University of Alabama, University of North Alabama, University of West Alabama and the University of South Alabama.

The University of Memphis waives out-of-state tuition for some North Mississippi students, including those in DeSoto, if they meet certain qualifications.

The legislation would not require university administrators to waive the tuition, but school presidents support the notion.

“Mississippi’s population is not growing,” Bounds told committee members. “This would give schools the power to attract the best Mississippi students.”

Enrollment at the state’s universities increased last fall by 3.5 percent to 73,699 over fall 2008, according to preliminary figures released by the state Institutions of Higher Learning.

But enrollment dropped by 3.8 percent, from 2,929 to 2,918 at Mississippi Valley State University.

Enrollment dipped 0.8 percent at Delta State University, which borders Arkansas and competes for students with in-state tuition at Arkansas State, from 4,064 to 4,031.

“The University of Alabama treats Mississippi residents along the border as in-state,” Bounds said. “We’re asking you to give us authority to treat those counties the same way.”

Tuition for in-state students at the University of Mississippi is $2,533 for undergraduates taking 15 semester hours, according to the school’s Web site.

Tuition for out-of-state students enrolled for the same courses is $6,522.

The IHL’s board of trustees voted Monday to raise tuition an average 6.8 percent starting this fall.

The tuition increases range from a low of 4.5 percent at Mississippi Valley State to a high of 9 percent at Delta State and Jackson State.

Tuition is due to rise 6.5 percent at the University of Mississippi and 6 percent at Mississippi State, the state’s two largest universities.

IHL board members also approved an average 6.9 percent tuition increase for 2011-12 school year.