High school seniors may be limiting their college choices because of the perceived cost of a private college education.

But Bluffton University is offering a high-quality, private education at a cost no higher than at top state universities in Ohio.

Introduction of the new Bluffton Tuition Equalization Program (TEP) means that, for qualified prospective students, tuition and fees will be equal to or, in many cases, less than what they would pay at a state school.

“You don’t have to limit the schools you can go to,” said Ron Headings, the university’s vice president for enrollment management and marketing. “Now you can experience a quality private education at the cost of a state school.”

Using an average cost of tuition and fees at several state universities this academic year, every student who qualifies for TEP at Bluffton will save at least $18,000, Headings said.

To qualify for the Bluffton TEP, prospective first-year and transfer students must have a high school grade point average of 3.0 or higher and a score of at least 22 on the ACT or 1020 on the SAT. Interested students must also earn admission to Bluffton and enroll as full-time residential students.

The scholarships that will comprise the program for a given student are renewable for four years with satisfactory academic progress.