Guides · State programs · By FastTrack Advising

Dual Enrollment in Alaska: Middle College and dual credit, explained for parents

Published September 18, 2026

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Alaska has no statewide dual enrollment program and no state fund behind one. University of Alaska policy encourages dual enrollment and charges normal tuition and fees unless a school district has signed an agreement setting a different rate. The price therefore runs from $25 a credit to full tuition, depending on the district.

Who: High school and homeschool students, with a parent or guardian authorization form required at 17 or younger
The rule: University of Alaska Regents policy 10.05.015: normal tuition and fees apply unless a district agreement sets another rate
Taught in the high school: $25 a credit at UAA for courses taught by qualified high school instructors
Taught online: $165 a credit through Alaska Advantage, listed as $495 for a three-credit course
Middle College: Juniors and seniors, a 2.50 high school GPA, with tuition funded fully or partly by the local district
What is missing: No statewide eligibility standard, no state tuition subsidy, and no state credit cap

Why the answer depends on the district

The University of Alaska Board of Regents policy on dual enrollment is short and permissive. It says the university encourages dual enrollment, and that no additional restrictions on dual enrollment beyond those applicable to all students shall be allowed. The university is not the obstacle here.

The same policy sets the default price. Normal tuition and fees apply to each enrollment unless there is an agreement between the K-12 institution or its school district and the respective university providing for different rates of payment. Everything cheaper than full tuition in Alaska traces back to one of those agreements.

The system's dual enrollment handbook adds that cost per credit varies per campus, that the agreements run five-year terms with annual review, and that whether a student receives high school credit for a course is determined by the school district. No state statute sets a rate, a grade level, or an eligibility floor.

The three prices a college course can carry

The cheapest door is a college course taught inside the high school by a qualified high school instructor. UAA prices those at $25 a credit, covering its career and technical articulated courses and programs such as the Civic Leadership Program at South High School. Three credits on that track costs $75.

The middle door is online. UAF's Alaska Advantage program charges $165 a credit for more than 100 general education requirement courses delivered online, which UAS lists as $495 for a three-credit course. UAF puts its ordinary cost at about $300 a credit with tuition and fees.

The most expensive door is a regular seat in a regular university course. UAA states that regular tuition and fees apply to those, including the consolidated student fee. A family that registers without asking which track a course sits on can pay the full rate for a credit a classmate got at $25.

Middle College, and what it asks of a student

Middle College is the structured version. UAA runs it with Alaska Middle College School in Anchorage, Mat-Su Middle College School, and Kenai Peninsula Middle College, for juniors and seniors ready to spend the school day on a college campus.

It is free to the family. UAA states that the program comes at no cost to the parent, guardian, or student, with tuition funded fully or partly by local districts. That funding is a district decision, which is why the program exists in some boroughs and not others.

The bar is a real bar. Applicants need a high school GPA of 2.50 or higher, submit both the middle college school application and the UAA dual enrollment application, and complete writing and math placement, with math at ALEKS 30 or above and writing placing into WRTG A111.

Getting registered, and the form that matters

A student who is 17 or younger has to submit the Secondary Student Parent and Guardian Authorization form before registering. It acknowledges that university policies apply to the student, that courses attempted and grades assigned become part of a permanent postsecondary academic record, and that the parent or guardian is responsible for all charges made to the student's account.

UAA charges no application fee and sets no deadline for dual enrollment admission. Course registration still closes on the university calendar, and placement testing has to happen before that, so the open admission door is not the date to plan around.

A secondary student cannot enroll in a certificate or degree program until they hold a high school diploma or GED. UAA does let a student apply afterwards to have a credential awarded retroactively for work already finished.

What financial aid does not do here

Dual enrollment students register as non-degree-seeking, and non-degree-seeking students are not eligible for financial aid. Anything a district agreement or a scholarship does not cover is paid out of pocket.

What we tell families in Alaska is to ask the district counseling office for the list of courses it holds an agreement on before opening the university catalog, because that list is the price list. A course off the list is still available, at full tuition, which is a different decision to make.

High school credit is the district’s decision

The handbook is explicit that the school district decides whether a dual enrollment course earns high school credit. A course can be a real college course on a real transcript and still move the student no closer to a diploma.

Ask for that in writing before the term starts. Districts work with their regional university campus to agree which options fit their students, so the answer exists, it is just held at the district rather than at the university.

The college side counts either way. The grades become part of a postsecondary academic record that follows the student for good, which is worth weighing before a first semester with three courses in it.

Questions to ask your counselor

Bring these to the first meeting. The answers decide most of the plan.

Which university courses does our district hold an agreement on, and what does each cost us?
Is this course taught by a high school instructor or a university instructor, and does that change the rate?
Will this course count toward graduation here, and can we have that in writing?
Is a Middle College seat available to us, and what is the application timeline?
What placement testing does my teen need to finish, and by when?

Frequently asked

Is dual enrollment free in Alaska?

Only where a school district pays. Alaska has no state program and no state funding, and University of Alaska policy charges normal tuition and fees unless a district agreement sets another rate. Middle College students pay nothing because their district covers the tuition.

How much does a college course cost for an Alaska high school student?

$25 a credit at UAA when a qualified high school instructor teaches it in the high school, $165 a credit for UAF Alaska Advantage courses online, and regular tuition and fees for an ordinary seat in a university course.

What is Alaska Middle College?

A program for juniors and seniors who spend the school day at a University of Alaska campus. UAA runs it with Alaska Middle College School in Anchorage, Mat-Su Middle College School, and Kenai Peninsula Middle College, at no cost to the family, with the district funding tuition.

What does an Alaska student need to qualify for dual enrollment?

There is no statewide standard. UAA requires a parent or guardian authorization form for anyone 17 or younger and the prerequisites for the course itself. Middle College adds a 2.50 high school GPA plus placement at ALEKS 30 in math and into WRTG A111 in writing.

Do Alaska dual enrollment courses count for high school graduation?

The school district decides. The University of Alaska dual enrollment handbook states that whether a student receives high school credit for a dual enrollment course is determined by the school district, so get the answer in writing before registering.

Can an Alaska homeschool student take college courses?

Yes. UAS states that it welcomes high school and homeschool students who are ready for college-level work, with a signed student and parent agreement. Tuition assistance varies by location and by the participating school district or homeschool organization.

Sources

University of Alaska Board of Regents, Chapter 10.05 Admission and Graduation Requirements · the encouragement of dual enrollment, the normal tuition and fees default, the district agreement exception, and the parental authorization terms
University of Alaska Dual Enrollment Handbook · cost per credit varying by campus, five-year memoranda of agreement with annual review, and the district deciding high school credit
UAA Dual Enrollment Programs · the $25 a credit rate for courses taught in the high school, the middle college and ANSEP pathways, and regular tuition for ordinary courses
UAA Middle College Programs · the three middle college schools, juniors and seniors, no cost to the family, the 2.50 GPA, and the ALEKS and WRTG A111 placement
UAF Alaska Advantage · the $165 a credit rate against about $300 a credit for regular courses, and the online general education catalog
UAS Dual Enrollment · $495 for a three-credit Alaska Advantage course, the homeschool welcome, and the parent agreement form
UAA Academic Catalog, Secondary Student Enrollment Policy · the authorization form at 17 or younger, prerequisites, and the bar on degree programs before a diploma
UAA Admissions, Dual Enrollment · non-degree-seeking status, the lack of financial aid eligibility, and no application fee or deadline

Rules change. These were checked September 2026. Confirm the current version with your school before you act on any of it.

About FastTrack Advising

FastTrack Advising. FastTrack Advising works on dual enrollment and nothing else. We help families choose college courses a high schooler can take now that will still count toward the degree later, we check every course against the transfer rules of the colleges they name, and we stay in the picture through registration so the plan gets used. When the answer for a student is to wait a term, we say that too.

Other state programs

All state programs

PSEO (Minnesota) Free tuition, books, and required fees for 10th through 12th graders, with a May 30 notice deadline that many families miss.
Running Start (Washington) Tuition-free college courses for juniors and seniors at Washington's community and technical colleges and a few universities. Families still pay fees and books, and the student gets to campus on their own.
College Credit Plus (Ohio) Open to 7th through 12th graders, free at Ohio public colleges for public school students, with an April 1 letter of intent and a 30-credit annual cap.
Dual credit (Texas) Each college sets its rate and each district decides how much to cover. Students who qualified for free or reduced lunch in the last five years pay nothing at colleges in the FAST program.
Dual enrollment (Florida) Tuition-free by state law, with a 3.0 unweighted GPA and a qualifying PERT, SAT, or ACT score to get in. Public school students get textbooks covered too.
Dual enrollment (California) Community college courses for 9th through 12th graders through a district partnership called CCAP, with no enrollment fees and no textbook costs, capped at 15 units a term.
Dual Enrollment (Georgia) State funding covers tuition, fees, and books for 30 semester hours, mostly for juniors and seniors. After 30 hours the family pays the college's rate, and ninth graders are outside the program entirely.
Career & College Promise (North Carolina) Tuition paid by the state at community colleges for juniors and seniors with a 2.8 unweighted GPA. Whether the district covers fees and books, and who drives, varies by district.
Concurrent Enrollment (Colorado) Open to 9th through 12th graders with an approved academic plan. The district pays tuition at the community college rate; books and fees are usually the family's, and so is getting to campus.
Dual credit (Illinois) Governed by the Dual Credit Quality Act and a model agreement between each district and college. Whether your teen pays depends on that agreement.
Early College Credit and Start College Now (Wisconsin) Two programs, one for the technical colleges and one for universities, both for juniors and seniors. The district pays most or all of the tuition, and applications are due March 1 for fall and October 1 for spring.
Dual credit (Indiana) Every Indiana high school has to offer dual credit. Priority courses at public colleges cost at most $25 a credit hour, and nothing for students on free or reduced lunch.
Dual enrollment (Michigan) Grades 9 through 12, for courses the high school doesn't offer. The district pays tuition up to a state-set share; anything above it, plus books, is yours. Ten courses across high school.
Dual Enrollment (Alabama) Rising 10th through 12th graders with a 2.5 GPA, at $133 a credit hour plus fees, with a state scholarship that covers some courses when the legislature funds it. No credit cap at all.
Dual Enrollment (Tennessee) The lottery-funded Dual Enrollment Grant pays up to $620.55 for each of the first five courses, then much less. One June 30 application covers the whole academic year.
Dual enrollment (Pennsylvania) Every school entity has to hold at least one dual credit agreement, and none of them has to pay for the courses. The agreement states the cost, and published rates run from $83.50 to $230 a credit.
Dual enrollment (Virginia) Juniors and seniors at the community colleges. Courses on a College and Career Ready Virginia pathway cost the family nothing, and courses outside it are billed at the college rate.
Dual enrollment (Arizona) A community college course taught inside the high school during the school day. Concurrent enrollment is the separate arrangement where the student goes to the college. Price is set district by district.
Dual enrollment (South Carolina) College courses through the state's 16 technical colleges, priced by each college and district, with Lottery Tuition Assistance covering part of the tuition once a student carries six credit hours in a term.
Dual enrollment (Louisiana) A Board of Regents floor for eligibility, four ways to clear it, and a bill the district assembles out of state and federal funds. TOPS Tech Early Start covers career courses for juniors and seniors.
Dual enrollment (Maryland) The Blueprint moved the bill off families for students who meet the College and Career Readiness Standard, and set a floor of two covered courses each fall and spring. Counties add their own terms on top.
Concurrent Enrollment (Utah) College courses for $5 a credit hour, taught mostly inside the high school by a college-approved teacher. Each college sets its own admission bar, and books are still yours.
Concurrent Enrollment (Oklahoma) Juniors and seniors get tuition waived by the State Regents, 18 credit hours a year for seniors and 9 for juniors. Fees and books stay with the family, and each college sets its own entrance bar.
Dual enrollment (New York) No single statewide program. CUNY's College Now is free for New York City public school students, SUNY campuses price their own, and a new state rule makes districts file their partnership agreements in 2026.
Dual enrollment (Massachusetts) Two state programs. CDEP waives tuition and fees at public campuses for eligible high schoolers, mostly in the spring, and designated Early College builds the courses into the school day at no cost.
Concurrent Enrollment (Iowa) College courses run through a district contract with a community college, at no tuition cost to the family. Iowa also runs PSEO, and the two programs treat a failed course differently.
Concurrent Credit (Arkansas) State policy bars a college from billing the family for tuition, fees, or materials on a concurrent credit course. A 2025 scholarship replaced the old Concurrent Challenge grant and pays $65 a credit hour.
Dual Enrollment and Dual Credit (Mississippi) Mississippi separates the two terms in statute. Dual enrollment earns college credit only; dual credit earns high school credit too, and the distinction decides whether the course helps your teen graduate.
Dual Enrollment (Nebraska) Nebraska has no single statewide program, so the price depends on which college your high school partners with. The ACE scholarship covers tuition and mandatory fees for students who qualify on income.
Dual Credit (New Mexico) A statewide program where the college charges no tuition and the school district buys the books. Families pay special course fees and transportation, and the guidance is two courses a semester until graduation requirements are done.
Early College (Maine) Maine pays college tuition for high schoolers through the Aspirations Program, and the class of 2027 forward gets 18 tuition-free credits for the whole of high school.
Dual and Concurrent Enrollment (New Hampshire) The state and the community colleges cover two courses a year for students in grades 10 through 12, and most of those courses are taught inside the high school.
Dual Enrollment (Vermont) Two vouchers, each covering tuition on a college course of up to four credits, for any Vermont student who has finished grade 10, including home study students.
Dual credit (West Virginia) A state-funded pilot pays tuition and academic fees for courses on approved career pathways, for public, private, charter, microschool, learning pod, and homeschool students alike.
Dual enrollment (Delaware) No statewide program makes it free. State regulation puts the policy on every district and charter, bars turning a student away over money, and most courses run through Delaware Tech.
Dual enrollment (New Jersey) No statewide free tuition. Public colleges must sign dual enrollment agreements and districts choose whether to join, so the price and the eligibility rules come from your own county college.
Dual enrollment (Connecticut) A board policy rather than a statute sets the rules. Concurrent credit courses are capped at $50 a credit, CT State covers two courses a semester for qualifying juniors and seniors, and UConn ECE has run since 1955.
Accelerated learning (Oregon) Oregon calls the whole category accelerated learning. Dual credit at the high school is free or close to it at most community colleges, and Expanded Options moves a junior or senior onto a campus at no charge to the student.
Dual enrollment (Nevada) No statewide free tuition. Districts sign cooperative agreements with NSHE colleges and each agreement names who pays, so the price runs from $25 a credit at the high school to $154 on a university campus.
Concurrent enrollment (Kansas) Concurrent enrollment means the college course is taught at the high school, and it is not free by default. Excel in CTE pays tuition for approved technical courses, and a district board may cover the rest if it chooses to.
Dual Credit (Kentucky) A $99 ceiling on what a college may charge a high school student, and a state scholarship that pays that rate for one general education course a year.
Dual Credit (Missouri) Missouri draws a line between dual credit and dual enrollment based on who teaches, and the price and the GPA tier both follow from that.
Dual Credit (Idaho) Every Idaho public school student gets $4,625 to spend on college credit between grades 7 and 12, and the fund pays $75 a credit, which is what colleges charge.
Dual Credit (North Dakota) Tuition is the family's here, at a reduced rate that changes with who teaches the course, and Bank of North Dakota covers two courses a year for students on free or reduced lunch.
Dual Credit (South Dakota) Juniors and seniors split a deeply reduced tuition rate with the state, at $80.37 a credit hour, under a statute with a hard rule about what happens if a course goes badly.
Dual and Concurrent Enrollment (Rhode Island) A state fund covers tuition and fees for part-time college courses at the three public institutions, and the statute behind it caps that fund at whatever the budget appropriates each year.
Early College and Running Start (Hawaii) Two programs run off one statute that never says who pays. Early College comes to the high school and the school usually covers it; Running Start puts the student on a UH campus at that campus’s published rate.
Dual Enrollment (Montana) The first two courses or six credits carry no tuition anywhere in the Montana University System, fees are waived, and everything after that costs half of resident two-year tuition, around $60 a credit.
Dual and Concurrent Enrollment (Wyoming) State law bars a college from charging a participating student for textbooks, materials, student services, or any other fee, and from 2026-27 the state starts reimbursing districts for what it costs them.

Planning Dual Enrollment for your teen?

Save this page and the state's deadlines show up on your own My FastTrack page, next to the tools. Which courses to take, in which order, so the credits still count at the college your teen ends up at, is the part we do with families.

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