CONWAY, Ark. — For kids and families getting ready for college, the conversation over costs can be difficult. Still, an announcement Thursday at the University of Central Arkansas could make things easier.
Starting Fall 2024, some students won't have to worry about tuition.
"It feels good to let the good news out," UCA President Houston Davis said.
Davis shared three big announcements on Thursday. In addition to launching a new program to cover tuition and fees for eligible incoming students, the university ended its capital campaign, closing out at $109 million. That comes 10 months earlier than initially planned.
It also received $10 million from the Windgate Foundation.
"It's helped with facilities, it's helping the scholarships, it's helping with faculty and chair endowments," Davis said. "That's not just about helping us here in 2023, 24 25, that will change the institution for decades."
Davis said he's incredibly excited to make college an option for those who might not have considered it before or had financial barriers.
"We want to change the conversation for families that don't think they can have a path to go to school," Davis said. "We've got a path."
The program is called "UCA Commitment" and was created for students in households earning $100,000 or less a year to earn a degree with little to no debt.
"We don't want them to feel like they have to take out a loan or put that on a credit card to cover it," Davis said. "We want them to know that they've got the UCA Commitment support to cover them and all they have to do."
Nashville High School senior Gimena Craven is one of the students eligible for UCA Commitment if and when she enrolls at the university next fall.
Craven said programs like this can make a big difference for her.
"Especially financially, I was thinking I'm gonna have to work hard to find a stable job that I can save up use for college in any way that I need to paid for," Craven said.
Now, some of the worry is off of her shoulders.
"Me and my mom were just talking about it earlier in the day; how am I going to be able to pay for college?" Craven said. "When they announced this [it] made it better."