Applying for Admission: Certificate or Associate Degree Programs

When to Apply

Applications for admission to certificate or associate degree programs are due no later than June 15 for fall semester, Nov. 1 for spring semester or May 1 for summer semester.

High school seniors are encouraged to apply for admission as early as the first semester of their senior year and should provide an official high school transcript including a list of courses in progress. Transfer students should apply at least three to four months prior to the beginning of the semester in which they plan to enroll.

How to Apply

Apply online at www.uaf.edu/admissions/. Application forms may also be printed from the above website or requested from the Office of Admissions and the Registrar. Before an application can be reviewed, the student must:

  • Apply for admission
    Applications must be received before the published deadlines, along with a $40 nonrefundable processing fee. The fee should be paid by check, credit card or money order in U.S. funds to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Please do not send cash.
  • Submit official transcripts
    Most applicants to certificate and associate degree programs are not required to submit high school or college transcripts but all are strongly encouraged to do so. Transfer students who want to receive credit for prior work must submit official transcripts.
  • Submit official test results
    Certificate and associate degree applicants with fewer than 30 semester credit hours must submit the results of the ACT Plus Writing (preferred), SAT or ACCUPLACER test. Test results for English and composition must be less than two years old; for math, less than one year old. These test scores are used to place the student in English, mathematics and other freshman courses.
    Contact Testing Services at 907-474-5277 or your high school guidance office for information concerning the ACT Plus Writing, SAT or ACCUPLACER tests.

Admission Requirements

For admission to associate/certificate programs, official documentation must be provided showing that the applicant:

  1. is at least 18 years old, or
  2. has a high school diploma*, or
  3. has a General Educational Development (GED) diploma.

* To earn a high school diploma in Alaska, a student must fulfill all curriculum requirements and satisfactorily complete all three competency areas of the High School Qualifying Exam.

Students under the age of 18 who will not have a high school diploma or GED prior to the start of their first semester are not admissible but may take courses as a non-degree student. Upon turning 18 they may apply for admission to an associate or certificate level program. Please note that in order to qualify for federal financial aid, you must have either a high school diploma or a GED.

Transfer Students

Transfer students are eligible for admission if they left their previous accredited institution(s) in good standing. Admission status will be determined on an individual basis if a student attended an unaccredited/non-regionally accredited postsecondary institution. Students transferring with fewer than 30 semester hours of transferable credit must submit placement scores from the ACT Plus Writing (preferred), SAT or ACCUPLACER test. Test results must be less than two years old. See Transferring Credits for more information.

High School Students

High school students may take classes at UAF. There are two enrollment options -- Secondary Student Enrollment and TECH PREP; both have specific registration requirements but do not require admission to UAF.

Home-Schooled Students

Home-schooled students may be admitted to an associate or certificate program if the student is at least 18 years old, holds a GED, graduated from a state-sponsored correspondence program with a high school diploma or with the approval of the director of admissions.

After Acceptance

Qualified applicants will receive a letter of acceptance once all items are received and evaluated. This letter will list any conditions under which the student is being admitted.

Qualified applicants who are in their last year of high school or who are attending another college will receive conditional acceptance. Acceptance becomes final when the Office of Admissions and the Registrar receives official transcripts showing the student has satisfactorily completed all work in progress and that high school seniors have graduated. Acceptance to UAF is final only when the Office of Admissions and the Registrar has accepted all necessary credentials.

For additional program-specific application requirements, please see program descriptions.

Request To Postpone

An offer of admission to UAF is valid for the semester for which the applicant applied. Requests to postpone admission until a later semester may be made in writing to the Office of Admissions and the Registrar. Admission may be postponed for up to one calendar year. Students are required to notify the Office of Admissions and the Registrar if they are attending another school outside the University of Alaska Statewide System.

Readmission of Former Degree-seeking Students

Undergraduate degree-seeking students who choose not to enroll for a semester or more may be eligible to re-enroll in their original degree program without reapplying for admission. Students remain eligible to register for classes if:

  • they have not been academically disqualified,
  • they have not attended a non-UA institution since they were last enrolled at UAF,
  • their lapse in enrollment is less than five years, and
  • they are continuing with the same degree program as before.

Students who meet all of the above requirements should consult with their academic advisor and register for classes. Students who do not meet all of these requirements should submit an undergraduate application for admission along with the $40 processing fee and transcripts of any non-UA course work taken. Students who are unsure about their status should contact the Office of Admissions and the Registrar.

  • Fresh Start for Returning Students
    Fresh Start can offer a new beginning for students who performed poorly at UAF when enrolled at least two years ago. Students who withdrew from school or were dismissed for academic reasons may apply for readmission through the Fresh Start program and request that their entire prior academic record be disregarded. Students who qualify for Fresh Start will begin their college study anew with no credits attempted or earned, and no quality points reflected in future GPA calculations. Fresh Start can be used only once.
    At least two years must have elapsed since the beginning of the last semester the applicant attended UAF. The applicant may be asked to present evidence that the conditions which resulted in poor academic performance have changed enough so there is a reasonable expectation that the student can perform satisfactorily if permitted to resume college study.
    All prior course work will remain part of the student's overall academic record and appear on transcripts, but none of the previously earned credits can be used in a new program. These credits will be included only in GPA computations for graduation with honors (see Graduation with Honors). A student admitted under Fresh Start may be allowed advanced standing or a waiver of requirements just as any other student, but will not be allowed credit by exam for courses lost in Fresh Start. Students who are interested in Fresh Start should contact the Office of Admissions and the Registrar.
  • Readmission of Servicemembers
    The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 requires that students who left school to serve in the uniformed services be readmitted into the same program with the same standing they had when they left. UAF allows for special readmission of these students. More information is available at www.uaf.edu/admissions/other/military/.

Where to Get More Information

Office of Admissions and the Registrar
University of Alaska Fairbanks
First Floor, Signers' Hall
P.O. Box 757480
Fairbanks, AK 99775-7480
Email: uaf-admissions@alaska.edu
Online: www.uaf.edu/admissions/
Telephone: 907-474-7500
Toll-free: 800-478-1823
Fax: 907-474-7097