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University of Alaska Fairbanks · Alaska

UAF Merit Aid

UAF's automatic Nanook Pledge merit scholarship scales by GPA and residency ($2,000-$4,000/yr resident, up to $12,000/yr non-resident), and Alaska's top-10% students stack a $15,000 UA Scholars Award on top — no application for either. DRAFT.

Verified Jun 20268 days ago· COWORK
Merit tiers76 automatic on stats
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst COWORK

Rules that bite at UAF

The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from UAF's own published policy, not generic advice.

  • renewalNanook Pledge Scholarship — Alaska Resident rate: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

    Up to four years of continuous enrollment; must be full-time (12 UAF credits) fall and spring and meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (GPA 2.0+ and complete 67% of attempted classes). Amount may be reduced for students living off campus and changes if residency status changes; cannot exceed cost to attend (no refund if gift aid exceeds the bill). A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

  • capHard $22,740 cost-of-attendance ceiling

    Institutional aid at UAF cannot push the package past $22,740. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.

Common merit-aid mistakes at UAF

  1. Scholarship amounts may be reduced for students not living in on-campus housing, and the award cannot exceed your cost to attend (no refund if your combined gift aid exceeds your bill).

  2. The award amount is based on the tuition rate you qualify for and may change if your residency status changes — resident, non-resident, and WUE grids each pay different amounts.

  3. Time spent on the WUE rate does not count toward establishing Alaska residency for tuition purposes; WUE-rate students also do not qualify for the Alaska Adventure Award.

  4. UAF states your award may be amended if you later receive aid from a Native corporation, the UA Foundation, a UAF department, a tuition waiver, military benefits, or any other scholarship/aid source.

  5. It requires no application (your HS designates you), it stacks with the Nanook Pledge and APS, but you must apply for admission to a UA university by August 15 after graduation to secure it.

  6. It is portfolio-based (not GPA), and the admission + transcripts + scholarship application are all due Nov. 15, with decisions by Jan. 15.

Who this school is for

Any admitted UAF freshman with a 3.0+ GPA (auto Nanook Pledge), top-10% Alaska high schoolers (UA Scholars), non-residents wanting WUE + Nanook Pledge stacking, and arts students with a portfolio. DRAFT.

Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $22,740 for 2026-2027. Source

Institutional merit aid tiers

Every tier below is sourced to the school’s own published financial aid pages. Renewal terms apply only if the student maintains the stated GPA.

$2,000-$4,000/year…$2,000-$4,000/year ($8,000-$16,000 over four years)

Nanook Pledge Scholarship — Alaska Resident rate

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
First-Year: 3.5+ → $4,000/yr; 3.2-3.49 → $3,000/yr; 3.0-3.19 → $2,000/yr. Transfer: prior college 3.8+ → $3,000/yr; 3.0-3.79 → $1,000/yr
Requirements & details
Eligibility

Admitted to a bachelor's program; no separate application (notified at admission). Admissions application and transcripts by June 15 (fall) / November 1 (spring).

Renewal terms

Up to four years of continuous enrollment; must be full-time (12 UAF credits) fall and spring and meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (GPA 2.0+ and complete 67% of attempted classes). Amount may be reduced for students living off campus and changes if residency status changes; cannot exceed cost to attend (no refund if gift aid exceeds the bill).

Notes

Automatic merit award; selection based on previous academic success and the tuition rate you qualify for. Resident grid is effective fall 2026.

Source

$5,000-$12,000/year first-year…$5,000-$12,000/year first-year ($20,000-$48,000 over four years)

Nanook Pledge Scholarship — Non-Resident rate

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
First-Year: 3.8+ → $12,000/yr; 3.5-3.79 → $8,000/yr; 3.2-3.49 → $5,000/yr. Transfer: 3.8+ → $5,000/yr; 3.5-3.79 → $3,000/yr; 3.0-3.49 → $1,000/yr
Requirements & details
Eligibility

Non-resident tuition rate; admitted to a bachelor's program; automatic (notified at admission). Admission/transcripts by June 15 (fall) / November 1 (spring).

Renewal terms

Up to four years; full-time (12 credits) + SAP (2.0 GPA, 67% completion); reduced if living off campus; cannot exceed cost to attend.

Notes

Higher amounts than the resident grid because they offset the higher non-resident tuition. The non-resident grid is labeled effective fall 2025/spring 2026 (one cycle behind the resident grid — see Section C).

Source

$1,000-$8,000/year first-year…$1,000-$8,000/year first-year ($4,000-$32,000 over four years)

Nanook Pledge Scholarship — WUE rate

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
First-Year (WUE rate): 3.8+ → $8,000/yr; 3.5-3.79 → $5,000/yr; 3.2-3.49 → $3,000/yr; 3.0-3.19 → $1,000/yr. Transfer: 3.8+ → $5,000/yr; 3.5-3.79 → $3,000/yr; 3.0-3.49 → $1,000/yr
Requirements & details
Eligibility

For students on the WUE tuition rate; automatic; admission/transcripts by June 15 (fall)/November 1 (spring).

Renewal terms

Up to four years; full-time + SAP; reduced if off campus; cannot exceed cost to attend.

Notes

For students using the Western Undergraduate Exchange tuition rate. Time on WUE does not count toward establishing Alaska residency.

Source

$15,000 (paid over eight semesters)

UA Scholars Award

AutomaticRenewable
View requirements
Eligibility

Alaska high school students in the top 10% of their class at the end of junior year, as determined/designated by their high school. No application — students are designated by their HS. To secure it, apply for admission to a UA university by August 15 after high school graduation.

Renewal terms

Eight semesters of use (deferrable up to 2 years/4 semesters leave). Must be full-time (12+ credits) and maintain a 2.5 GPA each semester; continuing-eligibility credit checkpoints after every 2 terms (24/54/84 earned credits).

Notes

Explicitly stackable with the Nanook Pledge and Alaska Performance Scholarship; UAF says some UA Scholars assemble more than $50,000 in total funding. Usable at any of the three UA universities.

Source

$500-$3,000/year

Alaska Adventure Award (non-residents, lower-GPA)

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
First-Year: 3.0-3.19 → $3,000/yr; 0-2.99 → $1,000/yr. Transfer: prior college 2.6-2.99 → $500/yr
Requirements & details
Eligibility

Non-resident students only; students on the WUE tuition rate do NOT qualify. Automatic (notified at admission); admission/transcripts by June 15 (fall)/November 1 (spring).

Renewal terms

Up to four years of continuous enrollment; full-time (12 credits) + SAP (2.0 GPA, 67% completion); reduced if living off campus; cannot exceed cost to attend.

Notes

Fills the lower-GPA band for non-residents who fall below the Nanook Pledge non-resident grid. Not available to WUE-rate students.

Source

$1,000-$5,000/year…$1,000-$5,000/year (renewable, 4 years total)

Nanook Fine and Performing Arts Scholarship

ApplicationRenewable
GPA
Not based on incoming GPA — awarded on artistic talent/potential
Requirements & details
Eligibility

Incoming first-year students admitted to a bachelor's in Art, Music, or Theatre & Film. Portfolio-based application evaluated by Fine Arts faculty. Deadline Nov. 15 (admission, transcripts, and scholarship application); decisions announced by Jan. 15.

Renewal terms

Maintain eligibility by enrolling in 12+ UAF credits (full-time) fall and spring and meeting SAP.

Notes

Competitive, portfolio-based (not GPA). The page text references fall 2025 entry — confirm current cycle (see Section C).

Source

Up to $7,000/yr…Up to $7,000/yr (Level 1), $5,250/yr (Level 2), $3,500/yr (Level 3)

Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS) — state award via ACPE

AutomaticRenewable
GPA
Level 1: HS GPA 3.5 OR ACT 25/SAT 1210; Level 2: GPA 3.0 OR ACT 23/SAT 1130; Level 3: GPA 2.5 OR ACT 21/SAT 1060 (all require the specified HS curriculum)
SAT
1210 (L1) / 1130 (L2) / 1060 (L3)
ACT
25 (L1) / 23 (L2) / 21 (L3)
Requirements & details
Eligibility

Alaska high school students; state-funded, administered by the Alaska Commission for Postsecondary Education (ACPE). Submit the FAFSA each year by June 30. Initial eligibility determined by the Alaska school district.

Renewal terms

Up to 8 semesters or 8 years from HS graduation; full-time 12+ credits for full award (half for 6-11 credits); FAFSA by June 30 each year; continuing checkpoints (24/54/84 credits, 2.5 GPA).

Notes

State scholarship, not an institutional UAF award, but documented on UAF's official scholarship pages and stackable. UAF's estimate is unofficial; the HS counselor/ACPE sets the actual amount.

Source

Outside scholarship stacking policy

Merit awards can stack (UA Scholars explicitly combines with Nanook Pledge and APS), but the Nanook Pledge cannot exceed your cost to attend and is not refunded if gift aid exceeds your bill; receiving outside aid can trigger amendment of your award.

The UA Scholars page says the award can be used with the Nanook Pledge and APS. The Nanook Pledge terms cap the award at cost to attend with no refund. The Alaska-resident scholarship page warns your award may be amended if you later receive aid from a Native corporation, the UA Foundation, a UAF department, a tuition waiver, military benefits, or any other scholarship/aid source.

Source

Lesser-known scholarships at UAF

Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility rules.

Amount$500-$4,000/year (max $16,000 total)EligibilityNeed-based (state, ACPE); Alaska resident 365+ days, FAFSA required, half-time minimum, no prior bachelor's, SAP.

Need-based, not merit; FAFSA required.

Source

AmountAmount not publishedEligibility400+ donor scholarships matched via the AWARDED General Scholarship Application; deadline Feb 15 for most.

Single application matches all eligible foundation awards.

Source

UAF merit aid FAQ

  • What is the scholarship deadline?

    For the automatic Nanook Pledge and Alaska Adventure Award, submit your admission application and transcripts by the admission deadlines: June 15 (fall) / November 1 (spring). The Nanook Fine & Performing Arts Scholarship is due Nov. 15. Most Foundation scholarships (AWARDED) are due Feb. 15. UA Scholars must apply for admission by August 15 after graduation.

  • Do I have to apply for the Nanook Pledge?

    No. It is automatic — recipients are notified at the time of admission, based on previous high school or college GPA and your tuition rate.

  • Can scholarships be combined at UAF?

    Yes — the UA Scholars Award can be used with the Nanook Pledge and the Alaska Performance Scholarship; UAF notes some students assemble more than $50,000. However, the Nanook Pledge cannot exceed your cost to attend, and outside aid may cause your award to be amended.

  • How much does UAF cost?

    For 2026-27 (12-credit basis), the estimated tuition+fees+housing+food is $11,370/semester ($22,740/year) for Alaska residents, $18,858/semester ($37,716/year) for non-residents, and $13,230/semester ($26,460/year) at the WUE rate (plus ~$1,128 books, ~$2,500 personal, ~$1,000 transportation per year).

How UAF compares across our verified dataset

  • 160 of 751 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.

    UAF is in a recognizable cluster (160 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 669 of 751 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    UAF is one of them. The cohort minority (82 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.

Sources used on this page

Every claim is checked against UAF’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

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