Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

This report addresses Arizona's participation as 1 of 13 compacting states that made up the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education and focused on the administration of the Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP). The PSEP enables students to attend out-of-state professional programs that are not currently available in Arizona's three public universities. While the Commission's objectives for the PSEP are to help member states meet both their workforce needs and their residents' educational needs, the Board of Regents (which is statutorily authorized to govern the State's participation in the Commission) can do more to ensure that the State's participation in the PSEP effectively meets these goals. Specifically, the Board should consider additional options for the PSEP to reduce costs and increase the number of students who might benefit from the Program. In addition, the Board should do more to incorporate Arizona's workforce needs into its administration of the PSEP.