Contributed by UA System News
The change, effective Fall 2027, expands the “Alaska Unlocked” initiative piloted by the University of Alaska Southeast last year.
The University of Alaska (UA) Board of Regents voted to expand the “Alaska Unlocked” initiative, eliminating nonresident tuition (NRT) for undergraduate and graduate students beginning in the 2027-28 academic year. The change is expected to increase enrollment, improve tuition transparency and retention of out-of-state students, and reduce administrative workload.
“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.”
Each university will maintain its own tuition rates for graduate and undergraduate students, but 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, or 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,” said UA President Matt Cooper, who began his tenure as UA’s 18th president on Monday. “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, eliminating NRT for undergraduate students attending UAS in Fall 2026. Results helped support extending the program systemwide. As of July 2026, UAS had surpassed its baseline for new undergraduate, degree-seeking out-of-state students, with applications up 18% year-over-year, admittances up 43%, and newly enrolled students up 33%.
The move is part of broader efforts to improve tuition transparency and simplify student bills. The Board of Regents will review proposed tuition rates for Fall 2027-Spring 2028 at its September meeting and approve final rates in November.
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 eight-year terms, except 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
