A pressing concern for prospective and current students in the United States is the value of higher education. Between 2010 and 2021, college enrollment rates declined by 15%, with a 42% decline occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) predicts that the number of 18-year-olds graduating from high school, the primary makeup of college applicants, will decline by 13% by 2041. This is due in part to a declinein the number of 18-year-olds in the U.S. and mixed views about the importance of earning a college degree.
In a 2024 survey, the Pew Research Center discovered that only one-in-four U.S. adults believe that having a four-year college degree is vital to securing a well-paying job in today's economy. These trends are similar across partisan lines, but they are not the only factors leading to decreased enrollment.
In their 2024 Higher Education Report, Gallupand the Lumina Foundation collected data from over 14,000 U.S. adults aged 18 to 59 who fell into three categories:
currently enrolled students
adults who were previously enrolled in a degree or credential program but did not complete it
adults who never enrolled in a degree or credential program after completing high school
The report found that 85% of adults who had withdrawn or never been enrolled in a higher education program cited cost as the main reason they were not currently enrolled (National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators). Among adults enrolled in a degree or credential program at the time, 31% had considered withdrawing due to the cost. Additionally, 35% of students had considered withdrawing in the six months before the survey, and of those, 54% reported difficulty paying their monthly bills.
College costs have increased by an average of 5.6% per year since 1982. Due to this continuous rise, many students take out loans to afford higher education. According to 2024 data, 1 in 4 Americans under 40 has student loan debt, and around 30-40% of undergraduate students borrow federal student loans each year.
"As of Q4 2024, the value of outstanding student loans surpassed 1.77 trillion U.S. dollars, the majority of which was made up by federal loans. This rapid rise is largely attributed to high college costs at a time of stagnant wage growth, increasing living expenses, and a lack of well-paying jobs not requiring a degree. Government aid to help pay for college has not kept up with the cost either; the Federal Pell Grant, reserved for low-income families, only covered around 31 percent of expenses in public institutions in 2024. More than 45 million Americans had a student debt balance in that year, with the average borrower owing over 38,000 U.S. dollars."
To "bridge the affordability gap" (CNBC), many U.S. institutions, both public and private, are providing more financial aid opportunities to students. In March 2025, Harvard Universityannounced that, for the 2025-26 academic year, it would give free tuition to students whose families earn less than $200,000 per year. The university is also committed to making schooling free for students whose families earn $100,000 or less per year and will continue providing students with a $2,000 start-up grant in their first year and a matching-value launch grant in their junior year. These grants will assist students with the costs of transitioning to college and preparing for post-college life, respectively. According to the college's March press release, the expansion would “enable approximately 86% of U.S. families to qualify for Harvard College’s financial aid."
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a public university located in Arkansas' capital city. It was established in 1927 as Little Rock Junior College. In 1957, the institution began offering a four-year degree program and became independent, changing its name to Little Rock University. In 1969, the university merged with the University of Arkansas System to create the University of Arkansas at Little Rock as it is today. UA Little Rock currently enrolls 8,026 students, making it the fifth-largest college in Arkansas. These students span across three colleges and over 100 degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
UA Little Rock takes pride in its location and the unique experiences it offers students. "There are endless opportunities when you attend college in the capital city. From networking with leaders and participating in internships, to having outdoor adventures and making lifelong connections, you really can have it all in Little Rock."
The Trojan Guarantee: Making College More Affordable
In 2023, UA Little Rock announced the Trojan Guarantee, a new scholarship that offers eligible Arkansans a zero-cost bachelor's degree. "The Trojan Guarantee is a last-dollar scholarship that covers the cost of tuition and mandatory fees (up to 15 hours per semester) after federal, state, and institutional aid is applied. The Trojan Guarantee will cover any remaining tuition after financial aid is applied." The scholarship launched at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, designed as a better alternative to the school's "half-off" scholarship. It is named after the school's mascot, the Trojan.
In an on-campus event in 2023, the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Jonathan Coleman, unveiled the scholarship:
“[In] fall of 2021 we implemented our half-off scholarship, which has been a huge benefit to the university and to prospective students, but we felt like it wasn’t enough. To kind of one-up ourselves, we decided the best thing we could do was to implement something that went just a little bit further…We have students that receive $20 on a Pell Grant. That student is just as eligible for Trojan Guarantee as the student that gets the maximum amount of Pell Grant."
To qualify for the Trojan Guarantee, students must be eligible for and receive both a Federal Pell Grantand the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship. If eligible, the awards will be automatically applied to their student accounts.
Above: UA Little Rock promotes its financial aid packages across various digital platforms to help students understand their options.
These recruitment and retention strategies have been highly effective. UA Little Rock saw an enrollment surge in fall 2025, with freshman numbers rising by 33%, the largest jump since 2009. Freshman applications grew by 58.8% overall, demonstrating renewed interest in the university. Overall, undergraduate applications rose by 37.4% and admissions by 50.1% compared to fall 2024 (THV11). The college proudly highlighted these achievements on social media.
Bonus: Social Media Highlights UA Little Rock aims to not only make college more accessible but also to develop a positive, supportive, and engaging community for its students. It will host a graduation cap competition on fall commencement day, with the graduate whose cap receives the most "likes" winning a prize package. This fun challenge will allow students to add a personal touch to their special day, show school spirit, and potentially win a prize.
During New Student Orientation in July, incoming and current students (plus a few special friends) participated in the "Put these on and pose" sunglasses trend. UA Little Rock's social media profiles present a mix of entertaining and informative content. Its digital presence should serve as an example for other institutions aiming to expand their own.
Conclusion The University of Arkansas at Little Rock remains committed to its mission to provide value to students. The university actively promotes campus events and shares important information via social media, allowing students to become involved on campus and in the Little Rock area. Those attending the university can expect an accessible, affordable education and connections that lead to careers in the Natural State and beyond.
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