Robert Morris University near Pittsburgh is joining the growing number of private colleges offering to match tuition costs at public schools, writes Melissa Korn for The Wall Street Journal.

In the growing battle for students, Robert Morris is offering to match the average in-state tuition at the University of Pittsburgh and Penn State, two of its biggest competitors.

It will achieve this through its new Public Price Match Plus guarantee. And to ensure that its offer is really noticed, the school is also throwing in an additional $3,000 scholarship.

The program will be available next year for first-year students from Pennsylvania admitted to Robert Morris and the main campus of Penn State or Pitt.

Wendy Beckemeyer, vice president for enrollment management, said the goal of the program is to increase affordability, and make it easier to understand how much school will actually cost.

Robert Morris’s current $46,772 covers tuition, fees, room, and board. This is around $12,000 more than at the main campuses of the two state schools. Meanwhile, Education Department figures show that net prices for all three schools currently range between $23,500 and $25,100.

Read more about the battle for students in The Wall Street Journal by clicking here.