UA funding has not kept up with inflation.  In fact, UA’s budget requests have not been fully honored in decades and only three times in the last twenty years has the University received a legislative appropriation in excess of fixed costs.  This situation has been particularly challenging in light of high cost drivers like PERS/TRS, utilities, fuel and healthcare.

The graph above illustrates the long term funding for the University of Alaska. The bottom line represents the general fund dollars the university actually received from the state.  The upper line represents the amount of money the university would have received if Alaska funded its university at the same rate other states fund theirs (Higher Education Price Index).  The difference between this amount and the amount UA received is about $121.9 million.  The middle line represents the money UA would have received had the state simply kept up with inflation (CPI).  The difference between inflation and what UA received is about $48.3 million.