
In the United States, a state college or state university is one of the public colleges or universities funded by or associated with the state government. In some cases, these institutions of higher learning are part of a state university system, while in other cases they are not. Several U.S. territories also administer public colleges and universities. Although most of these institutions are associated with state governments, a small number of public institutions are directly funded and governed by the U.S. federal government, including the service academies, the Community College of the Air Force, the Naval Postgraduate School, the Air Force Institute of Technology, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, military war colleges and staff colleges, and Haskell Indian Nations University. A few universities – George Washington University, Georgetown University, Gallaudet University, Howard University, and American University – are private universities in the District of Columbia that are federally chartered by the United States Government. Most state universities receive at least part of their funding from the state, although many have substantial income from tuition and fees, endowment proceeds, donations (such as from alumni or philanthropists), and revenue from royalties. State universities usually offer lower tuition costs to in-state residents. Substantial financial support is also provided by the federal government, particularly through federal financia