By Courtney Tanner | The Salt Lake Tribune | Photo by Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune

A tiny college on the northern border of Wyoming wants Utah’s students.

And to entice them away, it’s advertising a special offer: Utahns can enroll at Sheridan College at in-state tuition rates, paying thousands less for their degrees.

“State lines and high costs shouldn’t limit your educational opportunities,” the school says.

Some might call it good marketing. Utah’s higher education leaders see it as student poaching, the latest advance in a competition over enrollment that’s playing out nationwide.

“I think we’re going to see more and more of this,” said Geoff Landward, the commissioner over the Utah System of Higher Education. “I think we’ll see more out-of-state institutions offering steep discounts to try to get our students.”

The rivalry comes as most schools across the country are experiencing an enrollment dive. The college-age population in the United States is declining, meaning there are fewer students who would traditionally go on to higher education after high school. And that means less money for schools that rely heavily on tuition dollars to operate.

Read more at SLTrib.com.

This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.