@DBCooper.  It saddens me that you are so negative.  My Anchorage born son skis for UAF, where more than half of the ski team is comprised of Alaskans.  They all buy their own skis.  Some of them receive athletic scholarships that cover a fraction of their education costs, some of them do not receive any athletic scholarships.  The Nordic skiers at UAF have GPAs of about 3.4 to 3.5 with many of them majoring in engineering, business administration, and other academically demanding fields.  They are an asset to the university.  Some of them may go on to represent Alaska and the USA in international ski competitions with a solid education under their belts, if their opportunity is not taken away by the proposed cuts.