UAF extends SAT/ACT test waiver through 2021

June 25, 2020

Student with long brown hair and yellow shirt studying

The University of Alaska Fairbanks will continue to waive the requirement for SAT or ACT test scores for undergraduate admission through the fall 2021 semester.

The extension of the waiver, first instituted in March, is in response to the closure of testing centers nationwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At UAF, waiving the test score requirement means that students seeking admission to a baccalaureate degree program will only need to submit their transcripts. Students with a 2.5 GPA or higher can be admitted to a baccalaureate program. Students with lower GPAs would be admitted as pre-majors, and could declare a major once they demonstrated success in college coursework.

“At UAF, we want to ensure that any student who wants to pursue a bachelor’s degree at UAF isn’t hindered by test center closures, or the costs associated with travel to a testing center far from home,” said Samara Taber, UAF director of admissions. “While the SAT and ACT scores are sometimes useful, high school grades are more predictive of academic success.”

UAF is an open enrollment university, which means any student can take classes and work toward a degree, but admission to a baccalaureate program as a first-year student normally requires SAT or ACT testing.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, universities throughout the country have waived ACT and SAT in an effort to remove barriers for prospective students who want to go to college, but may not have access to testing in their local communities.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Samara Taber, 907-474-5526, setaber@alaska.edu.