Guides / How to Pay Less
How to Pay Less for Optometry School
Where you go and whether you count as a resident there set most of what you'll pay. If your state has no optometry school, a state program may be the biggest discount available to you, and most applicants never hear about one.
Checked Oct 19, 2026.
State Tuition Programs
32 of the 50 states have no optometry school of their own, and several of them, along with a few states that do, pay part of their residents' tuition elsewhere. There are four programs:
- WICHE Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP). Your state pays a support fee to the school, which comes off your tuition. Support lasts up to four years. Funding is limited and competitive. Your state certifies you, and you still need to be admitted.
- SREB Regional Contract Program. Your state buys seats at out-of-state schools. You pay resident tuition at a public school, or reduced tuition at a private one. Seats are limited. You get certified by your state, then the school chooses which certified students get a contract seat.
- Kansas Optometry Service Scholarship. Kansas holds seats at three schools: resident tuition at UMSL, and reduced tuition at SCO and NSU. New seats each year: 3 at UMSL, 3 at SCO, 2 at NSU. Awards depend on funding.
- Kentucky Optometry Scholarship (KHEAA). A scholarship paid to the school each term for up to eight terms. It renews automatically while you stay enrolled. A committee picks recipients; the amount is set each year by available funding.
Apply to your state early. WICHE's deadline is October 15 of the year before you start, while you're still filling out OptomCAS. Several states attach a service requirement or treat the support as a loan, so read the terms before you count on it.
| Home state | Program | Schools | What you get | Strings attached | Apply by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | WICHE PSEP | Arizona (Midwestern), SCCO/Ketchum, Western U, Pacific | $23,408 off tuition in 2027–28, $24,461 in 2028–29 | Alaska's support is a loan: you repay 100% after graduating, and service doesn't count toward repayment. | Oct. 15, the year before you start |
| Arizona | WICHE PSEP | Arizona (Midwestern), SCCO/Ketchum, Western U, Pacific | $23,408 off tuition in 2027–28, $24,461 in 2028–29 | One year of practice in Arizona for each year of support (practice in an underserved area counts double); otherwise you repay 100% of the support plus interest. | Oct. 15, the year before you start |
| Arkansas | SREB contract | NSU Oklahoma, Southern (SCO) | Resident tuition at NSU Oklahoma; reduced tuition at Southern (SCO) (amount not published) | Arkansas funds this through the Arkansas Health Education Grant (ARHEG), with 2 new seats a year at NSU and 5 at SCO. | July 1 |
| Colorado | WICHE PSEP | Arizona (Midwestern), SCCO/Ketchum, Western U, Pacific | Colorado stopped accepting new PSEP optometry applications as of fall 2026. Students already funded keep their support if they meet renewal requirements. | ||
| Georgia | SREB contract | Southern (SCO), UAB | Reduced tuition at Southern (SCO) (amount not published); resident tuition at UAB | Request residency certification through Georgia's Academic Common Market portal, then the school awards a limited Georgia contract seat. | No fixed date; allow two to three months for state certification |
| Guam | WICHE PSEP | Arizona (Midwestern), SCCO/Ketchum, Western U, Pacific | $23,408 off tuition in 2027–28, $24,461 in 2028–29 | You must return to practice in Guam; see the application for details. | Oct. 15, the year before you start |
| Hawaiʻi | WICHE PSEP | Arizona (Midwestern), SCCO/Ketchum, Western U, Pacific | $23,408 off tuition in 2027–28, $24,461 in 2028–29 | You must return to practice in Hawaiʻi; see the application for details. | Oct. 15, the year before you start |
| Kansas | Kansas scholarship | UMSL, Southern (SCO), NSU Oklahoma | Resident tuition at UMSL; reduced tuition at Southern (SCO), NSU Oklahoma (amount not published) | One year of practice anywhere in Kansas for each year of scholarship, starting within six months of graduating. Otherwise it becomes a loan at 5% interest. | May 1 (May 1, 2026 for 2026–27) |
| Kentucky | Kentucky scholarship | Pikeville (KY), Indiana, Southern (SCO), UAB | $15,000 a year off tuition (2026–27; set each year by available funding) | No service requirement. You must be a U.S. citizen and Kentucky resident. | Dec. 1 before your first year (Dec. 1, 2026 for 2027–28) |
| Louisiana | SREB contract | NSU Oklahoma, Southern (SCO), UAB, Houston | Resident tuition at NSU Oklahoma, UAB, Houston; reduced tuition at Southern (SCO) (amount not published) | Louisiana's version is a loan: you must practice in Louisiana and stay enrolled as a Medicaid provider for 18 months per year of funding, or repay it. | No fixed date; allow two to three months for state certification |
| Mississippi | SREB contract | Southern (SCO), UAB | Reduced tuition at Southern (SCO) (amount not published); resident tuition at UAB | Mississippi's version is a forgivable loan: one year of full-time practice in Mississippi forgives one year of support; otherwise you repay it with interest. 9 new seats a year (7 at SCO, 2 at UAB). | Oct. 1 to March 31 |
| Montana | WICHE PSEP | Arizona (Midwestern), SCCO/Ketchum, Western U, Pacific | $23,408 off tuition in 2027–28, $24,461 in 2028–29 | WICHE lists no special terms for Montana. | Oct. 15, the year before you start |
| New Mexico | WICHE PSEP | Arizona (Midwestern), SCCO/Ketchum, Western U, Pacific | $23,408 off tuition in 2027–28, $24,461 in 2028–29 | You must return to practice in New Mexico; see the application for details. | Oct. 15, the year before you start |
| North Dakota | WICHE PSEP | Arizona (Midwestern), SCCO/Ketchum, Western U, Pacific | $23,408 off tuition in 2027–28, $24,461 in 2028–29 | WICHE lists no special terms for North Dakota. | Oct. 15, the year before you start |
| South Carolina | SREB contract | Southern (SCO), UAB, Pikeville (KY) | Reduced tuition at Southern (SCO), Pikeville (KY) (amount not published); resident tuition at UAB | Requires 24 months of South Carolina residency and a notarized, mailed residency application. First-year students only. | SCO March 1; UAB and Pikeville April 1 (send state paperwork 60 days earlier) |
| Utah | WICHE PSEP | Arizona (Midwestern), SCCO/Ketchum, Western U, Pacific | $23,408 off tuition in 2027–28, $24,461 in 2028–29 | WICHE lists no special terms for Utah. | Oct. 15, the year before you start |
| Wyoming | WICHE PSEP | Arizona (Midwestern), SCCO/Ketchum, Western U, Pacific | $23,408 off tuition in 2027–28, $24,461 in 2028–29 | You must return to practice in Wyoming; see the application for details. | Oct. 15, the year before you start |
WICHE has published support amounts through 2028–29. Amounts for private SREB and Kansas seats aren't published, so ask the school's financial aid office.
Your Own State's Public School
If your state has a public optometry school, it's usually the cheapest place you can go. Here's what residency is worth at each public school, in tuition alone:
| School | State | Resident / yr | Out-of-state / yr | Difference / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | OH | $31,746 | $52,802 | $21,056 |
| UMSL | MO | $30,560* | $50,464 | $19,904 |
| Houston | TX | $28,504* | $48,204 | $19,700 |
| SUNY | NY | $32,200* | $51,740 | $19,540 |
| Indiana | IN | $38,643* | $51,176 | $12,533 |
| Berkeley | CA | $42,695* | $54,940 | $12,245 |
| UAB | AL | $31,645* | $41,012 | $9,367 |
* Approximate: derived from a published nonresident differential or per-credit rate. See each school's page for the year of each figure. Ohio State's out-of-state rate includes a first-year-only nonresident fee, and UAB's already counts the merit award most nonresidents receive. Ferris State charges one rate to everyone.
Merit Awards
Some schools discount tuition for most out-of-state students, so the sticker price can mislead. UAB's nonresident merit award, for example, goes to about 98% of out-of-state students. Before you rule a school out on cost, ask its financial aid office what share of students receive institutional aid and how much.
Service Scholarships
- Indian Health Service Scholarship. Optometry is an eligible program for members of federally recognized tribes. You owe at least two years of service at an approved site, and one year for each year of support.
- Army Health Professions Scholarship Program. Covers optometry: tuition plus a monthly stipend, in exchange for one year of active duty per year of scholarship (three years minimum for optometry). Confirm current terms with a recruiter.
Cost of Living
Living costs can matter as much as tuition. FutureOD's allowance runs from $21,000 a year in a low-cost area to $36,000 in a very high cost city, a difference of $60,000 over four years. Each school's page shows which tier it's in.
Run the numbers with your home state
Sources
- WICHE, PSEP application info by state
- WICHE, PSEP support fees
- WICHE, PSEP institutions and programs
- WICHE, memo on support fees for AY 2025–26 and 2026–27
- Arizona Board of Regents, WICHE PSEP brochure (2025)
- SREB, Regional Contract Program guideline manual, FY 2026–27
- SREB, Regional Contract Program FAQs
- Arkansas Division of Higher Education, ARHEG
- University System of Georgia, Georgia Regional Contract Program
- Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance, RCP
- Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid, SREB optometry
- South Carolina CHE, RCP application deadlines
- Kansas Board of Regents, Optometry Service Scholarship application 2026–27
- UMSL College of Optometry, financing your education
- KHEAA, scholarships and grants
- Kentucky regulation 11 KAR 23:010, Optometry Scholarship Program
- Indian Health Service, 2025–26 scholarship comparison chart
- U.S. Army Health Professions Scholarship Program (UC Merced pre-health handout)
This is general information, not financial advice. Programs change their amounts, seats and rules every year; confirm with your state's office and each school before you count on a discount.