FREDONIA, N.Y. -- SUNY Fredonia's recently proposed five-year pilot program would lower tuition for out-of-state students to help increase enrollment.

That's encouraging to Laurel Brennan of Erie, Pennsylvania, a freshman at SUNY Fredonia who is majoring in theater arts. She's one of only 18 students out of 5,200 on campus from Pennsylvania.

"Although it was more expensive out of state, it was more of what I wanted for my major," Brennan said. "I have some scholarships as well, but on top of that, that would just be an added benefit and it would decrease like overall loans I would have to pay out eventually after school, so that's a huge blessing."

The move is not to turn away students from New York, but to attract more from Pennsylvania and Ohio.

"Once they do come here, that's four years of living in this community, supporting retail activity, shops restaurants, hotels et cetera, family members, friends coming to visit and spending money as well," said Mike Barone, SUNY Fredonia Director of Marketing and Communication.

Students living in state pay more than $6,100 a year, while those out-of-state pay more than $15,000. Under the proposed tuition change, that number would drop to more than $9,000.  

College leaders said the move would allow Fredonia to stay competitive, create new jobs, and prevent students from going to out of state schools.

"Incredibly discouraging. They're getting their degree and their staying there, they're finding jobs there, they're starting their careers there, and their families and they're taking their taxpayer dollars with them," Barone said.

Barone said that Fredonia cannot set its own out of state tuition without legislative approval and is counting on state Sen. Cathy Young. She's introducing legislation she says she hopes will pass as part of the state budget in April.

"Doesn't hurt the taxpayers because the tuition of out-of-state students still would be 1 1/2 times what it would cost a New York state resident," said Sen. Young, R-Olean.

If Young's bill passes, the university hopes to offer the new rate this fall.