The University of Central Arkansas Board of Trustees approved a contract expansion with The Edge at Conway to lease more than 200 extra beds for the 2025-26 academic year.
The decision was made at the board’s regular December meeting, and it allows UCA to lease approximately 240 beds for upper-class student housing at The Edge at Conway, an apartment complex on Donaghey Avenue near campus. Additionally, the agreement includes an option to lease beds for the 2026-27 academic year.
“We are very optimistic about our overall enrollment for the next academic year. We believe we will have another strong incoming freshman class and continued momentum among our returning students and new transfers,” said UCA President Houston Davis. “Having the lease agreement in place at this time allows upper-class students the opportunity to select The Edge for residential housing.”
The housing selection process for the next academic year began in October with the priority deadline application date of April 1, 2025. Currently, housing applications for returning students are already at 1,258, representing an 84% increase in reservations from this same time last year.
The board’s agenda included a broad enrollment report from the Division of Enrollment Services and Student Success. Submitted admissions applications have increased by more than 780 since the same time last fall, and admitted students have increased by 11% from fall 2024.
Fall 2025 will be the second year of UCA Commitment, a debt-free pathway for tuition and academic fees for incoming Arkansas first-year students who are Pell-eligible or have an annual household income of $100,000 or less. Launched in fall 2024, UCA Commitment saw 767 students enroll as a part of the program in year one, and UCA saw an overall increase of 26% in total freshman enrollment.
“Through UCA Commitment, we have been able to provide critical support for our students, ensuring they have the resources and support they need to persist and succeed,” said Kevin Thomas, vice president for Enrollment Services and Student Success. “This program highlights UCA’s continued dedication to not only enrolling students but guiding them through their success and their entire educational journey.”
The Edge is apartment-styled living with four bedrooms, four bathrooms and a full kitchen. Apartments are furnished. The student housing cost would be the same as the current cost of Bear Village Apartments, another residential housing option, $4,085 per semester. For this current academic year, UCA leased 96 beds from The Edge for 2024-2025, and that agreement allowed the option to lease beds for the next academic year.
