National Student Exchange

UAF is a member of the National Student Exchange. Through this program, qualified students may apply for exchange enrollment at any one of almost 200 colleges and universities throughout the United States, its territories and Canada. NSE enables students to study at member institutions and to take advantage of specialized courses or unique programs.

Applicants must have completed a minimum of two full-time semesters at UAF as a degree student and have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA in order to participate in NSE. The Alaska Performance Scholarship, UA Scholars and most other forms of financial aid may be used to cover costs. The priority application deadline for the upcoming academic year is March 1.

Students approved to participate in NSE pay a $500 study away fee to UAF each semester they are away. Tuition is either assessed by the host institution at the in-state rate, or the student may pay tuition at UAF, depending on availability. 

For more information, visit the National Student Exchange website and contact UAF's NSE coordinator at 907-474-6516 or uaf-studyaway@alaska.edu, or visit the UAF study abroad programs website.

Note: Students attending any campus of the University of Alaska system under the National Student Exchange program are assumed to be receiving the benefit of reduced tuition because of their enrollment at an NSE partner university in another state. Therefore, time spent in NSE does not count toward the time required to establish residency in Alaska for tuition purposes. If students end their participation in NSE, they could begin establishing residency for tuition purposes as set forth in the UA Resident and Nonresident Tuition policy on the Tuition and Fees page.

Study Abroad And International Exchange Programs

Studying abroad or participating in an international exchange or internship is an excellent opportunity for every UAF student to learn about other cultures and gain international experience while earning academic credit. Students participating in approved international exchange, study abroad or internship programs enroll at UAF and receive UAF credit. The Alaska Performance Scholarship, UA Scholars and most other forms of financial aid may be used to cover costs of international academic programs; scholarships are also available for many programs. Students interested in gaining international experience should begin planning early in their UAF careers, particularly because prior study of a foreign language may be required for some programs and is highly recommended for others. Applicants must have completed a minimum of two full-time semesters at UAF as a degree student and have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA. Other requirements may also apply, and all applications are subject to approval by the Study Away Programs office. Application deadlines are Oct. 1 for spring semester programs and March 1 for summer, fall semester or academic-year programs.

Students approved to participate in study abroad or exchange programs pay a $500 study abroad fee to UAF each semester they are abroad. For study abroad programs, all tuition, housing and student fees are paid directly to the program provider or host institution. Students participating in exchange programs pay for 15 credits of undergraduate or 9 credits of graduate UAF tuition and a 4 percent of tuition network fee in addition to the $500 study abroad fee. Tuition and fees are assessed on a semester basis.

UArctic organizes north2north, one of UAF’s student exchange programs. Programs are focused on studies in and of the North and are designed to enhance the Arctic perspective of UAF academic programs.

Programs are available in more than 70 countries worldwide.

Contact Study Away Programs for more information at 907-474-6516 or uaf-studyaway@alaska.edu, or visit the Study Away Programs website.