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Alaska House approves university fee transparency act, sends it to state Senate
By James Brooks
Alaska Beacon
The University of Alaska may soon be legally required to provide itemized bills to students and give them more notice of fee increases.
The Alaska House of Representatives voted 36-3 on Friday to pass House Bill 176 and send it to the Senate for further consideration.
Rep. Ashley Carrick, D-Fairbanks, introduced the bill in the House and said it is “meant to provide greater transparency and accountability for all of my fellow Nanooks, Seawolves and Whales out there,” referring to the state’s universities by their mascots.
“With House Bill 176, it is our hope that we are able to provide more information to students and those that may be helping them to pay their bills about what it is that they are paying for and how those dollars will be spent,” she said.
The legislation received bipartisan support in the House.
“As a mom of two college students, it is important to see what is going on with their tuition because I’m paying for their tuition,” said Rep. Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River.
No one spoke against the bill on the floor, but afterward, Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna and one of three “no” votes, said he didn’t think the bill was necessary.
“I just think government does some things that could be solved with five or six conversations,” he said.
The University of Alaska said in a fiscal note that it believes it can implement the changes without any additional cost to its budget.
The bill has been referred to the Senate Education Committee, which has not yet scheduled it for a hearing.
• James Brooks is a longtime Alaska reporter, having previously worked at the Anchorage Daily News, Juneau Empire, Kodiak Mirror and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Alaska Beacon is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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