There is one less hurdle for students looking to transfer from Riverland Community College in Austin to Winona State University.

On Tuesday, the University announced it would be waiving the $20 admission fee for students transferring from Riverland, along with Minnesota State College Southeast.

Students from these schools applying to a Winona State University program should skip the payment section of the application process and the University will apply the waiver.

WSU’s Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Life Denise McDowell said the move is about making the transfer process smoother.

“WSU is committed to enhancing our existing relationships with 2-year colleges,” she said, “especially our close neighbors who we already have strong partnerships with. The majority of Winona State’s students come from within 150 miles, and we know for various reasons, the best option for some students is to start their college career at a 2-year institution. This latest announcement will allow us to better support transfer students and make their path easier to a 4-year degree at an institution close to home or work.”

James Douglass, Executive Director for Communications at Riverland Community College, said the move will make a difference for students applying to multiple schools. If each university charges the fee, the cost would add up.

Brian Jicinsky, Director of Admissions at WSU, said a similar program with Rochester Community and Technical College has worked well.

“We have seen through that agreement that anything we can do to remove barriers and streamline the transfer process makes it easier on students to move through,” he said. “Southeast and Riverland are already great partners for WSU; these new agreements are just one more step forward we can take together.”

This comes after other moves from the University, including offering scholarships to non-Minnesota residents who are looking to transfer to the University from a Minnesota State Community or Technical College.