Financial Obligations and Payment

Students at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) are expected to be both academically and financially responsible for their registration and all other charges deferred to the student account. Students who change their plans or become unable to attend must officially drop or withdraw from their courses as soon as possible within published deadlines. Students who drop courses within the 100 percent refund period will be able to avoid tuition and fee assessment. Refer to the Academic Calendar for specific deadlines.

We encourage students experiencing unplanned financial hardship to work with the Office of the Bursar whenever they owe a balance, however, the University does reserve the right to deny permission to register and to withhold final grades, transcripts (unless prohibited by applicable laws or regulations), or diplomas from students who have a balance due to the institution. Late fees may be added to a student’s account for balances not paid by the published payment deadline. Accounts in default at 180 days or more past due may be sent to a collection agency and reported to the credit bureau; collection costs & fees will be added to the student account. The university is authorized to garnish Alaska Permanent Fund dividends for payment of defaulted accounts under Alaska Statutes 14.40.251 and 43.23.190. 

UAA uses email as the official method of communication with students. Students are responsible for designating a preferred email address in UAOnline. Unless a preferred email is designated, UAA will use the university-issued email address to communicate with students, including communications on financial matters. Students are responsible to read university communications on a timely basis. Failure to review communications from the university does not release a student's financial obligations. Students are responsible to keep their contact information, including phone, preferred email, and mailing address, current in UAOnline at all times. Refer to Academic Policies & Processes for details.

Payment Procedure

All tuition, fees, and other charges for the semester must be paid at the time of registration or by the published payment deadline; refer to the Academic Calendar for more details. Late-starting classes and miscellaneous charges after the payment deadline should be paid when the charge is incurred and are subject to any subsequent late fee assessments during the term. For questions about Student Accounts, please contact the Office of the Bursar at uaa_bursar@alaska.edu or 907-786-1440.

Important facts about your student account and billing procedures:

• The student bill is available via UAOnline immediately upon registration. Additionally, an electronic bill will be generated on or about the 15th of each month and an email reminder will be sent to the preferred or UAA-assigned e-mail address. A paper bill will not be mailed.
• UAA does not initiate drop for non-payment, non-attendance, or non-participation. Students are held academically and financially responsible for all courses for which they register.
• Tuition and fee charges may be audited, corrected, and adjusted at any time. Students are notified of adjustments by e-mail. The university reserves the right to change its tuition or fees at any time.

4 ways to pay your bill:

• Online through UAOnline by credit/debit card (includes a non-refundable service fee of 2.95% of the transaction amount or $3, whichever is greater) or by Web Check (ACH transfer) payments. Web Check payments do not incur a service fee.
• Pay in person with check, money order, or cash at UAA Cashiering.
• Mail a check or money order to UAA Cashiering, PO Box 141609, Anchorage, AK 99514-1609. Include the UAID number of the account to be paid. 
• International payments may be made using Flywire.

To avoid late fees, all payments must be received by the published payment deadline.

Payment Plans:

See payment plan information on the Office of the Bursar website for the available payment plan options.

Refund Policy

Refund processing is automatic for students who officially drop courses within the 100 percent refund period. Students are responsible for thoroughly reading the class listing and being aware of the published refund deadlines for their particular classes. The date of official drop or withdrawal activity determines eligibility for a refund.

Students who drop or withdraw, or who are administratively dropped or withdrawn from courses as a result of university disciplinary action, forfeit all rights to any refund.

Tuition and fee charges may be audited, corrected and adjusted before the end of the current semester. Students are notified of adjustments by mail. The university reserves the right to change its tuition or fees at any time.

If tuition and fees are paid at any time in a semester by credit card, the credit card will be refunded (up to the amount paid) if a credit is later created on the account. This includes, but is not limited to, credits created by scholarships, federal aid, personal checks, and tuition waivers. All other refunds will be processed as a check or direct deposit. Refund checks are mailed to the student's current mailing address on record. Students are responsible to keep their contact information current in UAOnline. A charge of $18.50 is assessed for all checks reissued due to a stop-payment request by the student. Students are encouraged to enroll in Direct Deposit via UAOnline to receive any applicable refunds as quickly as possible.

Regular Tuition, Credit Courses (full semester)

• One hundred percent of the course(s) tuition, course fees, and student fees are automatically refunded when official drop activity is completed by the second Friday of the semester.
• No refund is issued for a withdrawal after the second Friday of the semester.
• For classes with irregular start or end dates, the 100 percent refund period ends five business days after the start of the class. 
• Refer to the Academic Calendar for specific deadlines.

Canceled Classes

If UAA cancels a class, a 100 percent refund of tuition and course fees is automatically processed. Refund processing dates are listed in the class listing.

Withdrawal from Classes

No tuition or fee refund or exchange will be allowed for withdrawal after the drop deadline.

Noncredit, CEU and Self-Support Classes

One hundred percent of all tuition charged is refunded if the student officially drops at least two business days before the first class begins. There is no refund after this time.

Petition for Refund

In the event of extenuating circumstances, a student or person with legal authority to act on behalf of a student may petition for an exception to university policy on refunds of tuition and fees. Petitions are not automatically granted but will be considered in light of the criteria set forth below and the individual circumstances of the request.  Being unaware of university procedures or deadlines does not constitute justification for a refund.  Refunds are granted only when extenuating circumstances are documented.

1. Only requests submitted by the student or by a person with legal authority to act on behalf of the student will be considered.
2. The deadline to submit a Petition for Refund is no later than one academic year following the semester in which the course was offered. Requests that are not received within this time frame will not be considered.
3. At the time a Petition for Refund is filed, the student must have already withdrawn or received a Failing or No Basis grade. Refunds will not be considered for courses in which a student is still registered or for which a passing grade, Incomplete, Deferred or Audit grade exists.
4. Decisions will be made solely on the supporting documentation provided. In all cases, a personal statement from the student is required summarizing the situation and explaining the need for an exception to the refund deadline.
5. A request will only be approved if the petitioner can demonstrate unanticipated and unavoidable circumstances beyond the student’s control that arose or came to light after published deadlines. Work-related issues, financial hardship, and failure to read UAA’s documents generally do not present justifiable reasons to support a refund request.
6. Petitions for refund for self-support courses are generally not allowed and must have the approval of the academic unit/department chair or director.
7. Mandatory Student Fees are not refundable unless a student drops all courses during the 100% refund period.
8. If the petition for refund is approved, refunds will be issued to the original funding source, e.g., credit card, financial aid, granting agency, lending agency, etc.
9. Petitions will be reviewed periodically and the number of petitions being reviewed will determine the time for response. All charges and late fees are considered true and correct and are therefore not suspended during the review process. The university reserves the right to move forward on all collection efforts during the review process.
10. Requests for reconsideration of an adverse decision must be in writing, provide additional documentation not presented in the original request, and be received within 10 working days of the day the decision is emailed or otherwise distributed to the student.
11. Requests for adding courses after the add/drop deadline or requests to retroactively withdraw from courses must be applied for separately through the Request for Late Add or Retroactive Withdrawal process with the Office of the Registrar.
12. Complaints about dissatisfaction with academic courses, methods of course delivery or instructor performance are not considered under this process. Depending on the nature of the complaint, these matters are considered according to the Student Dispute/Complaint Resolution Process or the Academic Dispute Resolution Procedure, which can be found in the UAA Student Handbook.

Military Students Called to Active Duty or Deployment

Students called to active duty or involuntarily activated, deployed or relocated during an academic term are eligible for 100 percent refund of tuition and fees, and a prorated adjustment on housing and meal plans. See Course Performance for more information.

Title 38 United States Code Section 3679(e) School Compliance Policy

As part of the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, section 3679 of title 38, UAA complies with the requirements as outlined below:  

Note: A Covered Individual is any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, or chapter 33, Post-9/11 GI Bill®¹ benefits.  

• UAA permits any covered individual to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to UAA Military & Veteran Student Services a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33, or a Statement of Benefits from the VA website e-benefits, or a VAF 28-1905 form for chapter 31 and ending on the earlier of the following dates:
  • The date on which payment from VA is made to UAA.
  • 90 days after the date UAA certified tuition and fees following receipt of the certificate of eligibility. 
• UAA will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to UAA due to the delayed disbursement funding from VA under chapter 31 or 33.

In addition, the statute allows UAA to require chapter 31 and chapter 33 students to take the following additional actions:

• Submit a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance no later than the first day of a course of education.
• Submit a written request (Certification Request Form) to use entitlement.
• Provide additional information necessary to UAA for the proper certification of enrollment.  
• Make payment for a difference between the amount of the student’s financial obligation and the amount of the VA education benefits disbursement.  

If students do not turn in a COE, or Statement of Benefits, and/or CRF by the first day of class, a late fee may be assessed after the published payment deadline for the term and a hold restricting future registration may be placed on the account. UAA will hold students financially responsible for any portion of tuition, fees, parking, room & board, and other charges not covered by the VA. Balances remaining on the student account at the end of the term – and after VA benefits are disbursed – may be subjected to a late fee assessment and a hold may be placed on the account restricting future registration. Students may contact UAA Office of the Bursar to discuss available payment plan options, if needed.