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Chancellor's Budget Update: Nov. 20, 2024
UAF hosted the annual Chancellor’s Forum on the Budget on Oct. 29. At the forum, Vice
Chancellor Julie Queen, Vice Chancellor Owen Guthrie, and Director of Office of Management
and Budget Briana Walters gave updates on the FY25 budget outcomes, the current FY26 budget status, FY27 funding opportunities, and proposed tuition
rate changes for fall 2025. If you were unable to attend, a recording of the event
is available on the The following is an update of the topics discussed at the forum, outcomes from the
recent Board of Regents meeting, and additional information about the budget process.
UAF FY26 State Budget Request
The UA Board of Regents met in Fairbanks earlier this month and UA recently communicated
and Some highlights of the request are detailed below.
Operating Budget
Employee Compensation and Fixed Costs
The University of ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ System submitted a compensation request that includes increases
for employee groups as included in collective bargaining agreements, and a 2.75% wage
increase for unrepresented staff. Faculty contracts (United Academics or UNAC and
United Academics Adjunct or UNAD) expire in FY25, and negotiations for FY26 are in
progress. Once a tentative agreement has been reached with each group, a state funding
request will be made through the appropriate legislative process. Updates on the negotiations
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UA-wide fixed cost increases are also included to help UAF with the rising costs of
existing infrastructure requirements (e.g. utilities costs, maintenance and repair),
and contractual services (e.g. IT software annual cost increases, custodial services).
Enrollment and Economic Growth
In addition to compensation and fixed costs needs, a $2.5 million operating budget
was approved to help UAF with essential recruitment and retention initiatives as well
as for graduation support and economic development for ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥. Specifically, this
includes funding to support strategic enrollment marketing, scholarships, student
advising support, enrollment initiatives in new or growing target markets, technology
enhancement, and campus safety.Ìý
Athletics
The BoR also approved a $2.5 million initiative to enhance UAF’s competitiveness and
excellence in Nanook Athletics. This request ensures a stable operating base for the
Athletics program and continued gender equity with scholarships. UAF will continue
to earn revenue through the Athletics program, seek and strengthen corporate partnerships
and sponsorships, and expand Name Image Likeness opportunities for student-athletes. This approval was coupled with a $2.5 million initiative for
UAA Athletics.
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Capital Budget
In the capital budget, the BoR approved UAF requests of:
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$18 million for Seward Marine Center infrastructure and shore side ship support (pending
a National Science Foundation award for a new dock for the Sikuliaq);
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$7.5 million of continuation funding to support our goal of achieving R1 Research status;
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$14 million for Year 4 of the UAF Drone Program;
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$10 million for energy transitions, carbon monitoring and research compliance;
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$5 million for agriculture and food systems security research; and
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receipt authority to address increased non-state revenue generation.
In addition, UA will continue to pursue a deferred maintenance and modernization strategy
with the legislature and Governor to ensure our facilities help support UAF’s enrollment
goals and modern student needs.
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Operating and capital requests will go forward to the Governor for consideration,
and the Governor will release his initial budget in mid-December. The legislative
session begins in January and typically concludes in late spring. The final budget
is typically released in May or June.
Tuition Rate Changes Effective Fall 2025
UA proposed modest increases of 3 percent across the board to all resident tuition
rates and 5 percent to nonresident rates. The BoR approved the rates at their November
meeting. These rate increases are effective Fall 2025. UAF continues to focus on increasing
financial aid and scholarships available for students.
Get Involved
Budget planning for FY27 has begun. FY27 begins July 1, 2026, and ends June 30, 2027.
The Planning and Budget Committee, co-chaired by Vice Chancellor Queen and Provost Anupma Prakash, plays a pivotal
role in shaping our budget. The PBC is composed of representatives from across UAF,
including Governance delegates. This committee reviews proposals for future state
funding requests, evaluates recommendations from Strategic Enrollment Planning teams,
and considers tuition rate changes in a budget context. The committee then recommends
funding for well-developed proposals with a high return on investment to the Chancellor
for consideration. An RFP for FY27 budget requests has been issued, kicking-off planning for the next state budget cycle.Ìý
Strategic Enrollment Planning, chaired by Vice Chancellor Guthrie, is in its seventh year. SEP has been instrumental
in shaping the trajectory of our institution, and your contributions have played a
crucial role in its success. Faculty and staff are invited to focused on increasing student enrollment, retention and student success.Ìý
Both PBC and SEP proposals must demonstrate strong return on investment and are due
January 31, 2025.
As a UAF employee and community member, there are many ways to get involved in our
budget process. Advocacy tools and tips, including sample advocacy letters and UAF
points of pride can be found on the Chancellor’s website. The UA Office of Government Relations website also has information for individuals
who want to As an advocate, the most important thing is to tell your story and share why UAF
matters to you.
Thanks for choosing UAF.
— Dan White, chancellor
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