Alaska’s Data Tell a Familiar National Story

The drama this week in Alaska’s statehouse over vast proposed cuts in higher-ed funding echoes themes across the nation: shifting financial burdens, weak enrollment numbers, increasing struggles for would-be students, and threats of campus closures.

Students and their families carry a large and growing financial burden.

Enrollment continues to decline.

Opportunities for minority populations may be at risk.

Nationwide, Alaska has the highest percentage of American Indian or Alaska Natives, and it enrolls the fourth-largest number of American Indian or Alaska Native students at just over 5,000 students.

Alaska

Potential college closures could limit access to higher education.

The University of Alaska system is composed of 16 campuses, which do not cover much of Alaska’s large land mass.The blue dots represent the main campuses, and the orange dots show the other locations.

Jacquelyn Elias is news applications developer. Katherine Mangan and Eric Kelderman contributed to this report.