Gorilla Advantage expands to include 31 states
Thursday, June 17, 2021 10:30 AM
News, Academics, Milestones
Pittsburg, KS
Pittsburg State University gained approval this week to significantly expand the Gorilla Advantage program, which enables non-Kansas undergraduate students to pay the equivalent of in-state tuition. This bold new plan, approved by Kansas Board of Regents on Wednesday, targets undergraduate students in 31 states.
It’s especially great news for those who come here for a number of truly nationally unique programs from several states away, noted Howard Smith, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.
“Pitt State is one of the only places in the nation you can earn a four-year automotive technology degree, a four-year plastics engineering technology degree in coordination with our polymer chemistry program, and a four-year architectural manufacturing management degree, among others,” he said.
In its early years, the Gorilla Advantage program applied to undergraduate students from strategically selected counties in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, before growing to include all undergraduate students in those states and adding Texas and Tennessee.
Now, the program will grow once again to attract students from states heavily populated by alumni and industries supportive of the unique programs offered through Pittsburg State’s College of Technology.
A majority of states are now included:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
“Pitt State draws more students from out of state than most regional public universities,” Smith said. “We chose to add these states for many factors, including our current student draw, geographic distance, alumni concentrations, and the presence of key industries who want our graduates.”
The only states not on the list are in the extreme northwest and northeast portion of the U.S.
The Gorilla Advantage is open to any undergraduate student from those states and is not limited to certain majors.
Graduate programs are not impacted and will remain under the current tuition programs, including their current Gorilla Advantage and Gorilla Edge rates. Tuition rates for residents of Kansas also will not change.
Tuition will not increase in the coming academic year, and Pitt State’s flat rate tuition program — the ability to take as many credit hours as desired at the same flat rate — remains in effect.
To enroll or for admission information: https://admission.pittstate.edu