Attention education reporters
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007

Up to five current or future students of the University of Alaska have the chance to win a free year's worth of tuition through a video contest sponsored by UA.

The deadline for entering is Jan. 30, 2008. The contest is open to anyone age 16 or older. Entrants must complete a short video that depicts the numerous choices UA offers, from their own perspective and through their own creative use of video and words. A panel of judges will review the video contest entries and announce the winners in mid-February. Complete contest rules can be found at www.UAmyway.net. University of Alaska employees or their dependants are not allowed to enter.

The contest is being held in conjunction with the UA system's annual statewide advertising campaign. A series of four television ads ran this fall and will run again in spring 2008. They feature the numerous choices the University of Alaska offers through its 16 campuses, including distance-delivered education, foreign exchange programs, undergraduate research and community and rural campuses. Print and radio advertising featured the choices theme as well, along with the web site and cinema slides at movie theaters.

The goal of the advertising campaign, and ultimately the video contest, is to increase awareness about the  University of Alaska amongst parents, elected leaders, business and industry officials, and, of course, potential students.

"UA President Mark Hamilton enthusiastically agreed to offer the one-year tuition scholarships because he wants to inspire as many people as possible to seriously consider the University of Alaska for education and training beyond high school," said Kate Ripley, public affairs director for the university's statewide system. Ripley oversees the annual advertising campaign, which won a series of national awards last year, and the video contest.

All that's needed to enter is a video camera and ability to download the entry via the Internet. More information can be found at www.UAmyway.net. The tuition scholarships are good at any of UA's campuses, from Ketchikan to Kotzebue, and are based on 30 undergraduate, in-state credits.

The university's annual statewide advertising campaign receives generous support from the non-profit University of Alaska Foundation, the charity that raises and invests private funds for the benefit of the UA system. Nerland Agency of Anchorage produces the annual advertising campaign.

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For more information, call Kate Ripley at 907/450-8102 or 907/388-3506. Or
go to www.UAmyway.net.
NR20-07