LifeAlaska · September 7, 2026
they charged everyone the alaska rate
UAS stopped charging out-of-state students the out-of-state price, and 80 of them showed up from 28 states.
Daily Alaska staff · September 7, 2026
The University of Alaska Southeast, which has campuses in Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka, ran a pilot this year called Alaska Unlocked, charging every undergraduate course at the in-state tuition rate no matter where a student actually lives.
Newly enrolled out-of-state students rose 36 percent, climbing from about 60 last year to more than 80 this year, arriving from 28 different states. Out-of-state applications rose 21 percent, with Washington, California and Colorado sending the most students.
Out-of-state tuition normally runs double to quadruple the resident rate, so the pilot represents a significant discount for students coming from outside Alaska.
Preliminary numbers show total enrollment held roughly flat at about 3,600 students across the three campuses, meaning the growth in out-of-state students filled empty seats rather than displacing Alaska students.
Chancellor Aparna Palmer said a high percentage of UAS graduates are still living and working in Alaska a year after they finish their degrees. The University of Alaska Board of Regents votes in November on whether to expand Alaska Unlocked across the entire University of Alaska system.
In this story
Questions people ask
What is Alaska Unlocked at the University of Alaska Southeast?
A pilot program that charges every undergraduate the in-state tuition rate, no matter where they're from.
How many out-of-state students enrolled under Alaska Unlocked?
Over 80 from 28 states, a 36% jump from about 60 students the year before.
Did Alaska Unlocked bump local students out of seats?
No, total enrollment stayed roughly flat at about 3,600 students across the three campuses, so the program filled empty seats.
Will Alaska Unlocked expand to other University of Alaska schools?
The UA Board of Regents votes in November on whether to run Alaska Unlocked system-wide.
Evidence
Sources
Claims and where they come from
- Newly enrolled out-of-state students at UAS rose 36 percent in a year, from about 60 to more than 80, arriving from 28 states. · ktoo.org
- Out-of-state applications to UAS rose 21 percent. · ktoo.org
- Total enrollment across UAS's three campuses held roughly flat at about 3,600 students. · ktoo.org
- The UA Board of Regents votes in November on whether to expand Alaska Unlocked system-wide. · ktoo.org
Produced with AI assistance, narrated with Slav Lund's voice clone with his consent, and reviewed by a person before publishing. How we use AI →