Every figure is for a student starting in fall 2027. We work each one out again whenever we update the site.
Paying for college in Alaska
What the state and its colleges give families, who gets it, and how to apply.
From the state
- Alaska Performance Scholarship: Alaska high school graduates, by GPA or test score
- Alaska Education Grant: Alaska residents with financial need
- UA Scholars Award: Alaska students in the top 10% of their high school class
From the colleges
Merit scholarships set by grades. At this college, a student who meets the terms is sure to get one.
| College | Alaska students | From other states |
|---|---|---|
| University of Alaska Fairbanks | $2,000 to $4,000 a year, from a 3.0 GPA | See below |
The other college awards scholarships on other terms. It is in the table below.
Across state lines
Students from the other western states pay no more than 150% of resident tuition at Anchorage and Fairbanks. An Alaska student can do the same in those states. The Western Undergraduate Exchange ↓
What would each college cost your family?
See all 2 Alaska colleges priced for your income, and the aid your student could get.
See costs at your income →Already have a list? Put your schools side by side →
Get reminders for the dates that matter
We'll email you on the dates that matter: when the FAFSA opens, when award letters arrive, and before you choose a college and pay the first bill. If college is two or more years away, we'll also email you when the tax year that counts begins and when it has a month left.
From the state
Alaska's programs. Most come through the FAFSA or the state's own aid application; a few have their own.
Alaska Performance Scholarship
For students who graduate from an Alaska high school and take the required courses. Three levels, up to $7,000, $5,250 or $3,500 a year, set by high school GPA or by a test score. It can be used at participating colleges in Alaska, after other grants and scholarships.
Source: Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education, Alaska Performance Scholarship FAQ (rev. 4/16/2026)
“There are three maximum award levels: $7,000 a year, $5,250 a year, and $3,500 a year.”
“For the Class of 2024 and beyond, APS levels are based on either a student’s high school GPA or their score on a college-entrance or career-readiness examination.”
“The APS can be used at participating institutions in Alaska.”
“In every case, award recipients must apply for and use any other non-loan aid they receive, such as state or federal grants or other scholarships, before the Alaska Performance Scholarship is applied toward payment of their remaining education costs.”
Alaska Education Grant
A state grant for Alaska residents with financial need, set by the FAFSA. Awards typically range from $500 to $4,000 a year, and a student can get no more than $16,000 in all. The students with the most need are served first, until the money runs out.
Source: University of Alaska Fairbanks, Financial Aid Office
“The Alaska Education Grant is state-funded, and administered by the Alaska Commission for Postsecondary Education (ACPE).”
“Grant awards typically range from $500 to $4,000 per academic year.”
“Students with the highest financial need will be awarded in order of need until funds are exhausted.”
“A student may not receive more than a total of $16,000 in AEG award money over the course of their undergraduate education.”
UA Scholars Award (University of Alaska)
The University of Alaska's $15,000 award for Alaska high school students in the top 10% of their class at the end of junior year. The high school picks the students, and there is no application. It is used over eight semesters.
Source: University of Alaska Fairbanks, Financial Aid Office
“The UA Scholars Award is a $15,000 scholarship awarded to Alaska high school students who are in the top 10% of their class at the end of their junior year as determined by their school.”
“No application is necessary.”
“Students remain eligible for 8 semesters of use”
From the colleges
What each college gives for grades, what it promises on aid, and its full price.
| College | Merit scholarships | Promise on aid | Full price a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alaska Anchorage public |
| — | $25,685 |
| University of Alaska Fairbanks public |
| — | $24,733 |
* The finder and our college comparison show this scholarship when you enter your student's GPA.
Each college's page has a promise's conditions, in the college's own words. “Worth asking about” marks a program the college describes in words that stop short of a promise.
Full price: tuition and fees, housing and food, and books; in state at a public university. What your family would pay after grants depends on your income: the finder shows it.
1 more Alaska college has no page here. The federal data has no cost or no price by income for it. Show it
- Alaska Bible College
Across state lines
The Western Undergraduate Exchange, run by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.
Coming to Alaska from another western state
Students from the other western states pay no more than 150% of resident tuition at the public colleges that take part. Each college sets its own rules: a minimum GPA, majors it leaves out, early deadlines, or a limit on how many students get the rate.
In Alaska, Anchorage and Fairbanks take part, and the table shows what each gives. The University of Alaska Southeast is on the list too. It mainly awards certificates, and this page covers four-year colleges.
Going from Alaska to another western state
An Alaska student can use it the other way, at public colleges in the other western states. The group that runs the exchange has a savings finder that lists each college and what the exchange saves there.
Source: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)
“pay no more than 150% of the institution’s resident tuition rate”
“Residents of the following states and territories are eligible to apply for WUE: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawai’i, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, as well as American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam.”
“Each school administers WUE differently: Institutions may require a minimum GPA, exclude selected majors, have early application deadlines, and/or limit the number of students awarded the WUE rate.”
Paying the rest
Our $99 plan works out which money pays each bill, semester by semester: your savings, your 529 and your loans, in the order that costs least.
Build your plan →Best once your award letter arrives. No letter yet? Get a reminder when it does.
How we worked these out
Costs: each college's own published price where it has one, otherwise the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, carried forward to fall 2027. Grants: each program’s own page. Scholarships: each college's own page, read by us and checked against it. SmartTuition.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any institution named here.