Alaska Legislature votes to increase fee transparency for University of Alaska

The sign at the entrance to the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus welcomes students on Sept. 20, 2023. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

By Corinne Smith

Alaska Beacon

The University of Alaska will be required to provide advanced notice before increasing student fees and an itemized list of fees charged to students and families under new legislation passed by the Alaska Legislature.

The legislation, House Bill 176, passed the Alaska House in February and the Senate over the weekend, across bipartisan lines. The bill now heads to Gov. Mike Dunleavy for consideration.

Rep. Ashley Carrick, D-Fairbanks, sponsored the bill and said it seeks to increase transparency.

“While the fee categories and the amount of the consolidated fee are required to be published online, it is often extremely difficult to find the amount allocated to each category,” she said in a statement introducing the bill. “Students can see the general categories their fees pay for, but they usually do not see the dollar amount paid for each service, such as student activities or recreation.”

If approved by the governor, the bill would also require the Board of Regents to provide 30 days of notice before increasing student fees or new fees are introduced. 

Sen. Rob Myers, R-North Pole, sponsored the companion bill in the Senate. 

“The bill is rooted in a simple principle: students deserve to know exactly what they’re paying for. Greater transparency leads to greater accountability, and accountability builds trust in our institutions. At a time when the cost of higher education continues to rise, students and families deserve clear and accessible information about how their money is being spent,” he said on the Senate floor on Sunday. 

If approved by the governor, the changes to university fee disclosures would be enacted in July 2027.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.