In the heart of the United States’ “Last Frontier,” a one-of-a-kind program continues to generate interest and has everyone’s eyes wide open and hands wringing: the Permanent Fund Dividend, abbreviated as PFD.
This stimulus program, rooted in Alaska’s oil wealth, has evolved into a revenue-sharing model that seeks to directly benefit Alaskan residents. Each year, this initiative distributes billions of dollars to more than 600,000 permanent residents of the state, and it’s time for new rounds of stimulus checks to begin rolling out.
What is the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend?
The Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) is an annual payment distributed to eligible Alaska residents. This dividend comes from the Alaska Permanent Fund, a sovereign wealth fund established in 1976 with revenue generated by the state’s oil exploration.
Since 1982, this program has operated as a form of targeted universal basic income, with the goal of sharing the state’s wealth with its citizens. As of today, it has disbursed $29,404,168,973 to eligible households.
The fund is managed by the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, which invests oil revenues to generate long-term returns. These returns are the primary source of PFD payments. The idea behind the fund is to ensure that future generations of Alaskans also benefit from the state’s natural resources.
Dividend checks to be distributed to more than 600,000 Alaska residents
For the year 2025 (accounting for the 2024 dividend), the total individual PFD amount is $1,702. This amount is composed of two parts: a base dividend of $1,440 and an additional energy relief bonus of $262. This total represents a 30% increase compared to the $1,312 payment made in 2023.
The increase in the dividend amount is due to several factors, including the fantastic performance of the Alaska Permanent Fund last year and the political decisions of the state government, which found a consensus to distribute money to Alaskans.
The Energy Relief Bonus is a targeted measure intended to help residents cope with energy costs, which can be particularly high in Alaska due to its climate and geographic location.
Payment schedule for August 2025 PFD stimulus checks
According to official Alaska data, Alaska’s estimated population in 2024 is approximately 741,147 people. For the 2025 PFD application period, 666,213 applications were received. Of these, 624,489 applications were actually paid.
As of today, you can no longer apply for the check (even if you qualify), because the application period for the 2025 PFD was open from January 1 to March 31, 2025. Applications could be submitted online, in person, or by mail, and must be received by the closing date.
If you didn’t do so within that timeframe, you won’t be able to claim your payment, and the money becomes the property of the State of Alaska.
The payment distribution schedule is based on the application status.
- If an application was listed as “Eligible – Not Paid” as of June 11, 2025, the payment was made on June 18.
- For applications with that status as of July 9, 2025, payment was scheduled for July 17
- And for those with an August 13, 2025, payment was scheduled for August 21.
Payments are preferably made by direct deposit, although paper checks are also mailed. You can track your application by visiting the program’s official website: https://www.alaska.gov/
The basic requirements to be eligible are these
To be eligible for the 2025 PFD, applicants must meet several requirements during calendar year 2024. These requirements include having been an Alaska resident for the entire year, intending to remain a resident indefinitely, and not having claimed residency in another state or country or received benefits as a result since December 31, 2023.
Additionally, applicants must not have been convicted of a felony or have been incarcerated in 2024 as a result of a felony. There are also requirements related to absences from the state, which must have been permissible (for military, educational, or medical reasons) if they exceed 180 days. Finally, a valid Social Security number and updated bank information are required if requesting direct deposit.
