Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP)

WICHE, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, promotes the sharing of higher education resources among the participating western states. The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) allows master’s, graduate certificate, and Ph.D. students who are residents of the WICHE member states to enroll in more than 400 high-quality programs at 60 public institutions outside of their home state and pay resident tuition. Here at Mines, residents of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawai’i, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, as well as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, who are enrolled in qualifying graduate programs, may be eligible for in-state tuition classification.

Qualifying programs at Mines

• Applied Chemistry
• Environmental Engineering Science
• Geochemistry
• Geological Engineering
• Hydrology
• Mineral and Energy Economics
• Mining and Earth Systems Engineering
• Petroleum Engineering
• Underground Construction & Tunnel Engineering

Qualifying States

Eligibility Requirements

1. Reside in a WICHE state for at least nine consecutive months prior to the beginning of the first academic term of WRGP acceptance.
2. Proof of a permanent address in the WICHE state.
3. Payment of state income tax on wages earned in the WICHE state.
4. Proof of eligibility can be demonstrated by submitting three of the following items:
   • Vehicle registration
   • Driver’s license
   • W2
   • State income tax return
   • Utility bill dated nine months ago

Future students can upload the the above materials within the online application or email to grad-admissions@mines.edu.