State university students no longer have to worry about losing their scholarship funds—for now.

Last month, University of Alaska students held their breath while already-promised scholarship funding hung in the balance during an accounting dispute between the governor’s office and legislature.

The bill that restores the Alaska Higher Education Investment Fund, which pays for programs like the Alaska Performing Arts Scholarship, WWAMI medical program, and Alaska Education Grant, hasn’t yet been signed by the governor, though he’s publicly said he intends to.

“I was very relieved and excited to hear that they were actually able to refund it,” University of Alaska Fairbanks junior Madeline Andriesen said this week. She stood to lose $4,700 in the state scholarship funding this school year.

But it’s not over.

“Yes, we have the scholarships but we’re still worried about the school,” Andriesen said.

Gov. Dunleavy’s line-item vetoes hit education hard last month- removing $130 million from the university’s funding. Last week, the Board of Regents discussed consolidating campuses, eliminating programs and accreditations, and laying off at least 1,000 employees.

Andriesen worries her small music program might be the first to go.

In budget documents, the governor’s office said that cuts to the university were necessary to eliminate duplicate programs and administrators, and to reduce dependency on state funding.

It’s unclear if scholarship funding will have to be approved each year, a representative at the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education said.

For now, Andriesen said she’ll focus on the fall semester.

“It’s a huge relief that I can pay for what is there- but what’s going to be there?,” she said.

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