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April 27, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 27, 2023 

948 Alaska high school seniors will graduate with ���ֱ�� Scholars Award distinction

Members of cohort represent 238 high schools from Akiachak to Yakutat

(Fairbanks, AK) - The University of Alaska announced today that 948 high school seniors across the state will graduate as ���ֱ�� Scholars, and be eligible for a $12,000 scholarship. Each year, academic achievers ranked in the top ten percent of their graduating class are identified and recognized with the award; the scholarship can be used anywhere in the University of Alaska system, including ���ֱ��A, ���ֱ��F, ���ֱ��S, and their community campuses.

“���ֱ�� Scholars in the class of 2023 represent Alaska’s best and brightest minds,” said Lael Oldmixon, the program’s executive director. “Through their success, Alaska remains empowered and ready for the future. Our universities are poised and ready to accept them as students and partners in creating the life they want in a state they love.” 

“At 18, running from Alaska sounded so enticing. Instead, I stayed and I'm so glad that I did,” said alumni ���ֱ�� Scholar, Justin Priest, ���ֱ��F BS ‘07, MS ‘20. Priest now works for the Alaska Department of Fish & Game as a Fisheries Biologist and project leader for coho salmon smolt outmigration and adult escapement surveys across Southeast Alaska. “I've stayed in our state, applying my work here, and kept involved in our communities. Hopefully, my contributions will equal what I've received from the ���ֱ�� Scholars program: a wonderful life in a wonderful state.”

The scholarships are funded by the University of Alaska Land Grant Trust Fund. This endowment receives revenue from property sales and resource development conducted on Trust lands. Many ���ֱ�� Scholars also qualify for the  and ���ֱ�� Foundation scholarships which are separately funded and managed programs. 

The University of Alaska established the ���ֱ�� Scholars Award in 1999 to encourage Alaska students to attend and graduate from college in their home state. It is designed to provide an incentive for secondary school students to achieve academic excellence, nourish efforts to provide high-quality education, and encourage high school graduates from every Alaska community to seriously consider the opportunities that the University of Alaska system offers. ���ֱ�� Scholars receive the $12,000 scholarship in $1,500 payments over eight semesters. This scholarship can be used in conjunction with other types of scholarships and financial aid like the Alaska Performance Scholarship.

A complete list of the class of 2023 ���ֱ�� Scholars will be printed and inserted in Alaska newspapers on May 14, 2023. Learn more at .

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For more information or to request an interview, please contact Lael Oldmixon, lmoldmixon@alaska.edu, 907-450-8115.