Dual Enrollment in Alaska: the law behind it

The administrative rule

4 AAC 06.075

High school graduation requirements .

The rule underneath the sentence every Alaska family hears, that the district decides whether a college course counts. Each chief school administrator develops a plan of district graduation requirements for the board to approve, requiring at least 21 units of credit with set minimums in language arts, social studies, mathematics, science, and health or physical education. The last subsection is the operative one: a unit of credit means the credit a student is awarded for a passing grade in a course of study that meets the content standards prescribed by a local school board. Whether a university course clears that bar is therefore a local board question, and the answer can differ from one borough to the next.

The agreement between the school and the college

Regents’ Policy and Regulation 10.05.015

University of Alaska Board of Regents, dual enrollment .

The document that both opens the door and prices it. The policy says the university encourages dual enrollment and that no additional restrictions beyond those applicable to all students shall be allowed, apart from avoiding violations of law or ensuring informed consent from a parent or guardian. The regulation then sets the default: 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. Where a K-12 employee teaches the course, a written agreement has to cover instructor qualifications, course detail, registration, and fees. A parent or guardian of a student younger than 18 signs an authorization before enrollment.

Agency guidance

UA Dual Enrollment Handbook, October 2024

University of Alaska, Dual Enrollment Handbook .

The handbook that turns the policy into practice across the system, and the source of two facts worth having in writing. Cost per credit varies per campus, and costs for credit are paid by the student, the school district, or an external funder such as a tribal organization or a municipality. Whether a student receives high school credit for a dual enrollment course is determined by the school district. It also records how the policy came about: the Academic Council proposed it, the Board of Regents adopted it in September 2015 and amended it in March 2018, and the supporting regulations were finalized that same year.

Secondary student enrollment policy

UAA Academic Catalog, secondary students .

A single campus reading of the same regulation, and the one a large share of Alaska students meet. The authorization form for applicants 17 or younger commits a parent to four acknowledgements: that the university will not act in a parental or supervisory role, that a parent may not attend the course without registering, that the student is fully responsible for complying with university policy, and that rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act transfer to the student on registration. Students must meet each course’s prerequisites, and a student may not enroll in a certificate or degree program before a diploma or GED, though a credential finished at UAA during high school can be applied for afterwards.

Who administers it

These are the offices that answer a question about Alaska law rather than about one school or one campus. A district and a college can both be wrong about a state rule, and these pages are where the state's own position is published.

• Alaska Department of Education and Early Development · Publishes the graduation requirement rule that leaves high school credit to the local board.
• University of Alaska Board of Regents · Sets the dual enrollment policy and the tuition default every campus works from.
• University of Alaska, Dual Enrollment Handbook · The system overview of the agreements, the cost structure, and who to ask on each campus.
• UAA Academic Catalog, secondary students · The campus policy a family signs, with the authorization form and the prerequisite rule.

Frequently asked

Is there an Alaska dual enrollment statute?

None found. Alaska has no statewide program, no state tuition subsidy, and no statutory eligibility standard. The governing documents are a state rule on high school graduation credit and University of Alaska regents policy, with the price set in district agreements.

Who decides whether a college course counts toward a diploma?

The school district. Under 4 AAC 06.075 a unit of credit is what a student earns by meeting content standards a local school board prescribes, and the University of Alaska handbook states outright that high school credit is determined by the school district.

What does a college course cost if the district has no agreement?

Normal tuition and fees. The regents regulation applies the ordinary rate to each enrollment unless a school district and the university have an agreement providing for a different rate, which is why the district course list works as the price list.

Can a campus add its own restrictions on high school students?

The policy says no additional restrictions beyond those applicable to all students shall be allowed, with exceptions only to avoid violations of law or to ensure informed consent by a parent or legal guardian, including financial obligations.

Does a parent have to sign anything?

Yes. The regents regulation requires a parent or guardian of a student younger than 18 to authorize university enrollment. At UAA the form for applicants 17 or younger also acknowledges that the university will not act in a parental role and that privacy rights transfer to the student at registration.