Affordabilty, accessibilty remain top priorities for university
BEST COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY FINALIST: BEST COMPANY TO WORK FOR (>250) University of Arkansas at Little Rock >>
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degrees to prepare students to be responsible leaders in their fields. Established in 1927 as Little Rock Junior College, UA Little Rock has distinguished itself as an innovator in the field of higher education. This continues to the present day, said Cody Decker, vice chancellor of student affairs.
“A lot of institutions are doing more to address affordability and accessibility, and that’s been our top priority for several years,” he said. “Our net price of attendance has dropped consistently for the past four years. As an institution that used to be near the top in terms of net price, I am happy to report we are now near the bottom among Arkansas public four-year institutions.
“Our half-off scholarship certainly is the most popular scholarship, and with it, we don’t really set conditions. When we say half off, that’s for all of our full-time, first-time freshmen who are enrolled in the institution. That makes higher education more affordable for students of all backgrounds.”
The university also offers a variety of wraparound support programs that are particularly important to first-generation students or those students facing challenges that threaten their chances of finishing a degree.
“Our Trojan Works program is really important,” said Carrie Phillips, chief communications and marketing officer. “We have recognized there are a lot more students whose needs include being able to have an on-campus job. We have developed, on top of various federal programs, our own institutional program, which we call Trojan Works, that supports a broad range of students who are looking to work on campus. We know that it helps retain them as students and [make them] more successful in their careers later.”
A UA Little Rock education is not only affordable but high-quality. In Best of the Best voting, UA Little Rock was named Best College or University and was a finalist for Best Company to Work For with more than 250 employees. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 Best College Rankings recognized the university’s degree programs in engineering, nursing, business, computer science and social mobility, which measures success in graduating economically disadvantaged students.
“We’re the most diverse four-year public institution in the state,” Decker said. “Students who choose to enroll here work alongside students from 56 countries from various socioeconomic backgrounds. We think that’s one of our competitive advantages at UA Little Rock.”