Can you imagine studying marine biology in Hawaii or taking art classes in New York, all while maintaining your status as a UAF student? You can, through the National Student Exchange. As a UAF student you have the opportunity to expand the boundaries of a university to the Lower 48, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada. Think of the adventure you will have experiencing an entirely new culture and geography.  

Since its founding in 1968, more than 60,000 students have participated in this student exchange program, each taking advantage of the enormous cost savings while still having access to individual assistance from experienced campus coordinators.

Through the NSE program, qualified students may spend up to one year at another school and either pay their normal tuition to their home campus or pay at the host campus as if they were a resident. Credits and grades earned during the exchange become part of your home-school transcript.

NSE has participating schools in the lower 48, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada. For a complete list of participating schools visit the National Student Exchange website at www.nse.org.

NSE eligibility is a privilege earned by students who have met or exceeded the minimum requirements of the program. These requirements are applicable from the moment you submit your application to the moment you return to UAF at the end of your exchange.

• Full-time enrollment at UAF
• Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA
• Good academic, behavioral and financial standing at UAF
• No incomplete grades from previous terms

You may be eligible for exchange to more than one NSE campus, your exchange may cross two or more academic years (additional application fees will apply), or may involve exchange from more than one home institution.  No matter what the mix of home campuses, host campuses or time away you may only participate in the exchange for a cumulative total of time not to exceed one calendar year, defined as an academic year and a summer session.

Want to go on exchange but not sure where? Take a look at the NSE website at www.nse.org. There is a complete list of schools, and you can sort by major to find the exchange school that’s right for you.

Students can also make an appointment to meet with the UAF NSE coordinator, Megan Allen, in the Office of Admissions, 113 Eielson building, e-mail uaf.nse@alaska.edu or call (907) 474-5809 for more information.

Information sessions about participating in National Student Exchange will be held. Interested students are required to attend one information session prior to the application deadline. Applications will only be distributed during information sessions. Sessions will be held in the Office of Admissions, 2nd floor of Signers' Hall. Contact uaf.nse@alaska.edu for more information about these sessions, and visit www.nse.org for eligibility requirements and other related information.

Register for an informational session.

Applications are due Feb. 15 of each year. You can submit your application starting Dec. 1 each year after attending a mandatory information session. Your application is given priority based on the date you submit your application.

Students will be notified of their placement at a mandatory placement meeting following spring break. At the meeting students can accept or reject their placement and will be given instructions on how to proceed with the placement if they choose to accept it.

Plan A: Students pay in-state tuition and fees at the host campus. Students on 'Plan A' apply for financial aid through their host school.

Plan B: Student pay tuition and fees at UAF. Students on 'Plan B' financial aid go through UAF’s Financial Aid Office.

Each campus determines the fee payment plan or plans under which it will participate in the exchange programs. All NSE participants must pay room and board charges to the host campus.

Note: Any cash-based scholarship can be applied to either 'Plan A' or 'Plan B' (i.e., UA Scholars award). If you have a UAF tuition waiver, you must complete your exchange on 'Plan B'.

For more information or questions about NSE, please contact:

Erica Keiko Iseri, NSE Coordinator
217 Eielson Building
907-474-7192
uaf.nse@alaska.edu

Erica's office hours are:
Monday - Friday, 9 - 4 p.m.

The Placement Acceptance Form (PAF) that you filled out with your home school Coordinator will be used to put you into our system and assign you a student ID.

Once we have received your Placement Acceptance Form you will be sent information about registration and housing.  Registration begins at the end of November for the spring semester and mid-April for fall registration.  You will be given registration priority based on your class standing. 

You will have a spot reserved for you if you wish to live on campus, however, it is imperative that you submit your housing application no later than June 15 if you wish to retain a room. Housing for the fall term in particular fills up quickly and held rooms will be released if applications aren't received by June 15.

Students on Plan A (paying UAF tuition) can use this helpful tuition calculator to figure their tuition costs.