A PATHWAY TO A DEBT-FREE DEGREE
What started as a simple conversation with a small campus group about finding solutions to help University of Central Arkansas students avoid debt and meet their financial obligations developed into an institution-defining and life-changing program for Arkansas students and their families.
Soon after President Houston Davis arrived at UCA in 2017, he began to work with university leadership positioning the university’s existing resources to address the rising cost of earning a college degree.
“We have had a collective dialogue on our campus about the fact that we know that families are struggling as the price tag for higher education has only gone up over the last 30 to 40 years, and there’s great discouragement that comes when
someone sees that they cannot address that unmet need for one year, let alone for four years,” Davis said.
UCA Commitment is a groundbreaking initiative that creates a pathway to a debt-free degree for incoming freshmen from Arkansas. “Get ready for major transformation,” said President Davis as he beamed before a standing ovation from an overfilled concert hall and an audience of nearly 1,000 online viewers on Sept. 7, 2023. UCA was already buzzing with excitement from learning that the UCA Now campaign was ending almost a year early and over the goal, along with a new $10 million gift from the Windgate Foundation. The final announcement of the day launched UCA Commitment, placing UCA into a tier of elite colleges and universities nationwide that have begun similar programs.
One of the primary aims of UCA Commitment is to ensure students are claiming all of the financial aid for which they are eligible, such as completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for Pell Grants and applying for the Arkansas Challenge Scholarship. “Then we will address the unmet amount for tuition and fees with a mix of scholarships and work-study assignments that can give them a pathway to complete their degree debt-free for all four years,” Davis said.
“Higher education must fundamentally change how we position aid and support to students as thousands of young people are being priced out of even considering pursuing a college education,” Davis said. “UCA has set this as a priority and has taken on the challenge of providing leadership in this space in the state and the country.”
While some may question if this program will come at a cost to university programs or equitable pay for faculty and staff, take scholarships away from existing students or cause insurmountable tuition increases for students who are not eligible for the program, Davis is adamant that will not be the case.
“First and foremost, the funding for UCA Commitment is coming from our own budget,” he said. “We are, and have been, planning for a national and state phenomenon of declining student enrollment. We are making careful choices about the budget that we have.”
In early 2023, the Windgate Foundation learned of UCA’s plan and liked that Davis and his leadership team were leveraging existing resources. “They knew we were about a year away from launching the program and asked if we could launch sooner with their support,” Davis said. “The $10 million gift from the Windgate Foundation is the wind in our sails that allowed us to jump-start the program for the fall of 2024.” Starting in the fall of 2024, incoming freshmen from Arkansas households earning up to $100,000 can choose to opt into UCA Commitment, which will give them a pathway to earn a degree with no debt for tuition and fees.
UCA Commitment incorporates both service and work-study elements to foster well-rounded development and provide financial support. Service hours and work-study opportunities are based on the amount needed to cover the cost of tuition and fees for participating students. All students who opt into the program must complete a specified number of service hours. The hours of service required per semester range from 10 to 40 hours total. Students with a higher last-dollar need will be offered a work-study position at UCA. If they choose to opt out of the work position, they will need to find employment or funding elsewhere to pay the remaining tuition and fees.
“We are proud to continue finding new ways to eliminate financial barriers and increase our students’ capacity to succeed,” Davis said. “UCA recognizes the vital role that education plays in shaping the future of our state and society. Through higher education, we empower individuals, inspire innovation and drive economic development, and UCA Commitment is another investment in our students and in the state of Arkansas.”