University of Alaska Regents approve budget requests, honor decades of service at November Board Meeting

November 15, 2024

Noting continued positive progress on enrollment, the University of Alaska Board of Regents approved budget requests for fiscal year 2026 during its Nov. 7–8 meeting on the Troth Yeddha' campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The budgets reflect key university needs and priorities while balancing rising fixed expenses with maintaining affordability for students. Regents also approved modest tuition increases, received updates from around the system, and honored Vice President Dr. Paul Layer and outgoing Regent Mary K. Hughes.

“The university continues to empower Alaska and Alaska’s workforce, and I’m proud of the work of staff and faculty as we continue progress on those goals,” said UA Board of Regents Chair Ralph Seekins. “As we look toward next year, I’m confident that our budget requests reflect our priorities, and I’m excited to see what the future has in store for the university system.”

Key budget priorities and tuition
The approved operating budget requests $365.6 million in state funds, $34.5 million more than last year. That includes:

• $24.1 million to cover compensation increases and other rising fixed costs, and
• $10.4 million to support efforts to bolster student recruitment, retention, and graduation, as well as athletics and economic growth in Alaska.

UA anticipates $9 million in new revenue from continued enrollment growth and a modest tuition increase. The operating budget request may change after consultant EAB completes work on behalf of the board to develop a statewide recruitment, retention, and graduation strategy.

The capital budget requests $60 million to address priority deferred maintenance projects, $24.6 million for facilities and major renewals, and $43 million to support research programs and priorities of Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

“I’m pleased that UA continues to see growing student enrollment and strong research growth,” said UA President Pat Pitney. “However, like other organizations, we are also managing increased operating costs from personnel, utilities, construction, and healthcare costs. While we are mindful of the need to keep our budgetary asks to the state restrained, these budget requests reflect our commitment to maintaining our programs and a few key strategic investments that empower Alaska.”

Regents approved modest tuition increases for in-state and out-of-state students of 3 percent and 5 percent, respectively. The increases come after changes to the UA Scholars Award and Alaska Performance Scholarship, which have made additional scholarship aid available for students. The changes in tuition costs for a full-time student (12 credit hours) taking undergraduate courses are noted below, keeping all three universities competitive with their respective peers:

	Resident		Nonresident
	AY25  (this year)	AY26  (begins next fall)	AY25  (this year)	AY26  (begins next fall)
University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA)	$2,808	$2,892	$9,600	$10,080
University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF)	$3,468	$3,576	$10,260	$10,776
University of Alaska Southeast (UAS)	$2,808	$2,892	$9,600	$10,080

 

The board also approved a structural change to the UAF Community and Technical College to better meet the needs of Interior and rural Alaska students.

Dr. Cathy Cahill, director of the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft System Integration (ACUASI), updated the board on important milestones in the drone program. ACUASI continues to garner national recognition as a vanguard in the unmanned aerial systems space, and its academic programs continue to exceed enrollment expectations. Next steps for ACUASI include expanding UA’s leadership in developing a drone economy and preparing a highly trained workforce for the emerging industry sector.

Honoring Vice President Layer and Regent Hughes
Regents recognized Regent Mary K. Hughes and Vice President for Academics, Students, and Research Dr. Paul Layer, thanking them for nearly 60 years of combined service to UA. Regent Hughes will leave the board in February 2025, concluding three consecutive eight-year terms. Vice President Layer will retire in January after nearly 36 years of service to the university system. President Pitney will announce her choice to fill Dr. Layer’s position in the coming weeks.

“Paul and Mary’s service to our university has been, to put it mildly, incredible,” Chair Seekins said. “On behalf of our entire university community, I thank them for their decades of commitment to UA, and wish them all the best as they move on to new endeavors.”

The Board also elected new officers for calendar year 2026:

• Ralph Seekins as Board Chair.
• Scott Jepsen as Board Vice Chair.
• Joey Crum as Board Secretary.
• Karen Perdue as Board Treasurer.