University of Alaska Regents eliminate non-resident tuition rate systemwide

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 4, 2026

The change, effective for the Fall 2027 semester, expands the "Alaska Unlocked" initiative piloted by the University of Alaska Southeast last year.

(FAIRBANKS) - The University of Alaska (UA) Board of Regents today voted to expand the "Alaska Unlocked" initiative, eliminating nonresident tuition (NRT) for undergraduate and graduate students the next academic year (Fall 2027 - Spring 2028). The change is expected to increase enrollment, provide tuition transparency, and improve retention of out-of-state students while reducing administrative load.

"UA empowers Alaska, and efforts to reduce barriers and improve accessibility to the quality education we provide will help our institutions continue to recruit, attract, and retain Alaska's workforce." UA Board of Regents Chair Scott Jepsen said. "This change will help bring in students who may not have otherwise considered UA and continue our trend of enrollment growth."

While each university will maintain its own tuition rates for graduate and undergraduate students, there will be no additional charge for out-of-state students. In practice, Non-Resident Tuition is heavily discounted and brings in less than 1.2% of net tuition revenue (less than $1.4 million in external funding).

"Over 75% of students who graduate from a UA institution stay and work in Alaska long term," UA President Matt Cooper, who began his tenure as UA's 18th president on Monday, said. "Eliminating out-of-state tuition is just one part of broader efforts to improve the student experience at UA, make us more competitive in the higher education marketplace, and grow and educate Alaska's future workforce."

UAS created the "Alaska Unlocked" initiative last year, which eliminated NRT for undergraduate students who attend UAS this Fall (Fall 2026). The results from UAS provided support to extend the program systemwide. As of July 2026, UAS has surpassed its baseline for new undergraduate, degree-seeking students from out-of-state, with applications up 18% year-over-year, admittances up 43%, and newly enrolled students up 33% over last year.

The move is a part of broader efforts to improve tuition transparency at UA, and simplify student bills. The Board of Regents will review proposed tuition rates for Fall 2027 - Spring 2028 at their September Board meeting, and will approve final rates in November.

See attached flier for additional information.

The University of Alaska Board of Regents is an 11-member volunteer board, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Alaska Legislature. Members serve an eight-year term, with the exception of the student regent, who serves a two-year term. The board was established through the Alaska Constitution and is responsible for University of Alaska policy and management through the university president.

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For more information, contact Jonathon Taylor, director of public affairs, at 907-350-0168 (cell), or via email at [email protected].