'Come Home to Alaska' with UA tuition waivers

With over 45,000 UAA alumni out there in the world, #SeawolfNation has truly expanded across the map. Thankfully, there are a few University of Alaska initiatives to keep you connected to your Alaska roots no matter where you ended up after graduation. Whether you're an Alaska-grown expat now living Outside, or whether your kids are born-and-raised in Maryland, Minnesota or Mozambique, you can all come home to Alaska and receive in-state tuition at University of Alaska schools.

Have you been out of the state, but itching to return for your education? Thanks to the recently launched 'Come Home to Alaska' initiative, any student with parents or grandparents living in the state can enroll at UA schools-and pay in-state tuition-from the day they arrive.

What if you no longer have any ties to Alaska other than your UAA degree? Well, you can always pay it forward. Dependent children of UA alumni-regardless of the campus attended or degree obtained-can attend UA schools for in-state tuition as well.

Read on for details on both noteworthy incentives aimed at UAA alumni.

Come Home to Alaska

In spring 2014, the University of Alaska welcomed back children and grandchildren of current Alaskans through the aptly named Come Home to Alaska exemption. So far, about 200 students have taken advantage of the program.

"We give an opportunity to students who have been here before-or who have strong established roots here-the opportunity to come back to Alaska," explained Michael Smith, the director of student information in UAA's Enrollment Services division. "A lot of people leave the state after high school or maybe after attending [UAA] a short while, and think 'Well, I can't go back now because I'll have to pay the non-resident rate.' This gives them an opportunity to come back and pay the resident rate."

The initiative has far-reaching goals for the state's future. Not only does the tuition break benefit the returning students, but the students in turn benefit the state. Ideally, once they're back in Alaska, students will be more likely to remain and contribute their skills and their education to Alaska's economy.

More than 100 UAA students applied for Come Home to Alaska waivers during the program's first two semesters. Of the 77 accepted students last fall, 65 enrolled at the main campus in Anchorage, nine more at Mat-Su College and an additional three at Kodiak College.

Mabel Concepción is one of those students. She's an Air Force veteran and a single mother of two. She also has solid plans to earn her degree. Last year, she returned to Alaska to be closer to her mother, who could assist with the kids while Mabel worked toward her degree in journalism and communications.

For Mabel, Come Home to Alaska has been a blessing. "I was waiting for the Air Force to send my transcripts, but in the meantime I was going to owe money because I was considered out of state," she explained. She was searching UAA's website for cost-covering options last semester when, voilà, Come Home to Alaska appeared.

"When I found the program, it was like a miracle," she said. "I left for a little bit of time, but my mom was still here and she could prove it." With the Come Home to Alaska exemption, Mabel no longer needed to take on an extra job to pay tuition.

"It does affect me in a big way," she said. "It was the difference between going to school and not going to school.

Psychology major Jaz Thomas also took advantage of the incentive, leaving Austin Peay University in Clarksville, Tenn. to live with her grandmother in Alaska. "Come Home to Alaska helped me be closer to my family and helped make school more affordable," she noted.

Each student could share a story on why they came home to Alaska. Some recently finished college Outside, but moved home to take prerequisites before medical school. Others may simply be recent returnees interested in taking a class here or there. In a survey of last semester's qualified students, 62 percent say they wouldn't have enrolled if it weren't for the Come Home to Alaska program.

Currently, the exemption only runs through spring 2016, though students enrolled by then will maintain the waiver if they stay continuously enrolled. That means fall and spring semesters until graduation. Students aren't required to attend in summers-after all, if you came home to Alaska, you'll want to enjoy those long summer days, too.

If you know anyone who qualifies-regardless of age-they can start prepping their paperwork to come on home. "It's pretty simple," Michael explained. "All they have to do is fill out the application form for resident tuition and submit it by the add/drop deadline" (the next deadline is May 26 for summer classes-click here for future add/drop deadlines).

A complete application also requires the student's birth certificate and the parent's proof of residency. If the grandparent ties the student to Alaska, they'll need two generations of birth certificates and the grandparent's proof of residency.

Children of UAA alumni

Do you have a high school student in the house? Are you considering where to send them to college? More importantly, do you miss the dense forests, bike paths and snow-capped mountains surrounding the campus of your alma mater?

Even if you've long since left the state and no longer have familial ties to the Last Frontier, your kids can still receive in-state tuition to UA schools simply by being dependent children of alumni.

Yes, whether you earned an associate degree or a Ph.D.-and whether you live in Cincinnati or Singapore-your children can head north to Alaska and get in-state tuition thanks to your UA degree.

This one has a few extra rules. Instead of proof of residency this time, you'll need to provide proof of dependency. Interested students must be claimed as a dependent child on their parent's most recent tax form, and the exemption is only available to students under the age of 24. The most recent tax form must have been filed within the last 16 months.

This exemption has some extra benefits, though. There's no obligation to maintain continuous enrollment. If your son or daughter receives the exemption before they turn 24, they can pace their way through college (although if they lapse for two years, they'll have to reapply and potentially lose the exemption).

The in-state tuition benefit for children of alumni has been on the books for years, but the Come Home to Alaska program is only a temporary initiative though spring 2016. If you're unsure whether you qualify, or simply want a bit more information on these legacy-based tuition waivers, just call Enrollment Services at (907) 786-1480.

The application for resident tuition is available online. To apply as the child of UAA alumni, select the fourth box under Option C. For Come Home To Alaska, select the final box under Option C.

Every graduate of University of Alaska knows the 49th state's unique land and lifestyle, and all alumni can readily name their favorite things about Alaska. Now, you can add one more incentive to that list-in-state tuition at University of Alaska when you come back home.

Contact Enrollment Services with questions at (907) 786-1480.

Written by J. Besl, UAA Office of University Advancement