LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — There's no question that college is expensive and sometimes that holds students back from earning a degree— now, a new scholarship program at UA Little Rock aims to knock down those financial barriers.
During Discover Day at UA Little Rock, more than a thousand potential students were the first to hear about a new scholarship program that would allow some freshmen to earn a bachelor's degree at no cost.
"It guarantees that if you receive and maintain Pell eligibility, along with the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, you will not pay tuition to earn a Bachelor's degree from UA Little Rock," Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Dr. Cody Decker said.
Dr. Decker said most Arkansans will be eligible.
"With our half-off that we launched in 2020, we've had just under 1,000 freshmen receive that scholarship. With the Trojan guarantee we're going to add on top of that, so instead of around 900, or so, we will probably be up to about 1,200 students," he added.
About 50 percent of freshmen and 58 percent of undergraduate students are eligible to receive Pell grants.
"What we think is exciting, though, that kind of sets us apart [is that] there's no requirement to live on campus. There's no requirement to work on campus. It's available to both freshmen and freshmen transfers," he explained.
Paris Moore has been looking to enroll at UA Little Rock next fall and said the program could make a big difference for her.
"I feel like it's a good start for kids that don't really have the finances," Moore said.
Since she's eligible, it takes some of the stress off of her and her mom, Tangila Porter.
"My daughter could possibly have a free opportunity at school without all of the debt that I had to stress about when I went," Porter said.
"This is your opportunity to expect more for yourself and your future without accumulating significant debt. We believe in you and we're here to support you every step of the way," Dr. Decker said.
Through the Trojan Guarantee, it's possible to do without income restrictions.
"This is exciting news for many families and students, where affordability we know is top of mind for a lot," he added.
The University can determine eligibility for a Trojan Guarantee through its admissions applications.
The scholarship program officially starts next fall.