UA Board of Regents to Vote on Tuition Hike on Friday

Casey Kelly, KTOO – Juneau

Thursday, students, professors and parents asked the UA Board of Regents to keep higher education affordable in Alaska.

The Alaska university system has one of the lowest tuition rates in the United States. According to the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, resident undergraduate students in Alaska pay an average of $5,133 a year for tuition and fees. That’s more than just six other states, and $2,830 less than the national average.

The Regents are scheduled to vote Friday on a 5 percent increase to lower division undergraduate tuition beginning in fall 2011; then a 10 to 12 percent increase on top of that for all undergrad credits starting in the fall of 2012. As KTOO’s Casey Kelly reports, many fear the proposal will price students out of a college education.

Last night APRN incorrectly reported the tuition increase would mean a $3,000 hike by 2013. If regents chose the highest increase of 12 percent, the increase would be around $1,000 dollars per school year.

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