Arkansas Transfer Achievement Scholarship Passes $3 Million Milestone in Savings for Students

The Arkansas Transfer Achievement Scholarship recently surpassed $3 million in support provided, marking a significant milestone in the U of A's efforts to advance student success and increase educational access throughout Arkansas. Since its creation in 2019, the scholarship has made higher education more affordable for hundreds of transfer students from across the state. 

The ATA Scholarship allows students who graduate from U of A System community colleges to transfer to the U of A while continuing to pay the same tuition rate they paid at their two-year institutions. As word has spread and the U of A has strengthened its partnerships with each of the seven two-year colleges in the U of A System, transfer enrollment from those schools has risen 253% since 2019, with more than $3 million in total support being provided to 406 students.

"The Arkansas Transfer Achievement Scholarship embodies our commitment to breaking down financial barriers and providing life-changing educational opportunities for Arkansans," said Chancellor Charles Robinson. "By maintaining affordability and accessibility through initiatives like ATAS, we're not only investing in individual students but also in the future prosperity of our state."

Scholarship's Impact

Danterrion Swanigan, a junior majoring in communications, agrees with Robinson's assessment of the scholarship's impact on students. Swanigan learned of the transfer scholarship from a billboard while studying at Phillips Community College.  

"I'd say the scholarship made my attendance possible," Swanigan said. "I hadn't really considered the University of Arkansas before then, but when I looked into the scholarship, it was like there was no other choice. This was where I wanted to be."

While he felt some trepidation about potentially getting lost in the shuffle at a larger school, Swanigan is certain that he made the right decision. "There's so much more I can do here from scholarship opportunities, to RSOs, to classes. I feel like I have a world of opportunity I wouldn't have had anywhere else." 

Reducing Tuition

By reducing or altogether eliminating the gap between financial aid and tuition costs, the Arkansas Transfer Achievement Scholarship can benefit students long after graduation day.

Junior Shelby Pederson, a third-generation Razorback, says that graduating debt-free was a major factor in her decision to transfer to the U of A after earning her associate degree from Pulaski Technical College. "I was not planning on going to the University of Arkansas, but I really wanted to graduate from a four-year college. Once we found out I was going to get the scholarship that pretty much determined my decision since it would allow me to graduate debt-free from a great university."  

Pederson, a psychology major focusing on childhood development, says that graduating debt-free is important to her and her family, since it will allow her to make career decisions based on factors such as how many people she will be able to help, rather than accepting jobs solely based on financial considerations.

Increasing Expectations

While it took three years for the ATA Scholarship to reach the $1 million milestone in savings for students in 2022, it surpassed the $3 million mark less than a year and a half later. Suzanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions, expects that growth to continue.  

"As transfer applications continue to rise this spring, we're thrilled to see the ongoing impact of the Arkansas Transfer Achievement Scholarship in expanding opportunities for students across the state," McCray said. "As more students learn about this scholarship, we anticipate seeing even greater numbers benefit from affordable, transformative educational opportunities at the University of Arkansas."

Learn about the requirements for receiving the ATAS on the Academic Scholarship Office's website. Find out more about transferring your community college coursework to the U of A at the university's Transfer Central, which provides a smooth step-by-step plan to transfer to the U of A.