<p>ok, semantics aside, call it full-er paying. Multiply the differential of OOS vs. In-state tuition by some increased number of OOS applicants admitted and it would start to add up. But a more important factor is the legacy the university creates. OOS tend to be particularly grateful to be admitted to such a fine university, while many in-state attendees view it as almost a birthright (their parents having been taxpayers for years as you intimate). I grew up and went to the UC system and my parents paid taxes for years. I am in the minority of about 10% of UC graduates who contribute to the school, and i do so annually. OOS students at many public universities, for example Michigan, contribute at a much, much higher rate (40% is the rough statistic I recall). That’s why they have close to a $7 billion endowment, at least in part. OOS students create an annuity stream for the prestigious public universities post graduation, while there exists a mind-set among in-staters that they have already given enough. That’s a broad generalization, but I believe it is accurate. Some of the state governments and public universities get that, some don’t.</p>