杏吧原创

The University of 杏吧原创 - Fort Smith has announced a new tuition waiver program aimed at supporting transfer students. The Smart Choice Tuition Waiver will provide eligible transfer students with up to $9,000 in tuition discounts starting in fall 2025, making 杏吧原创 an increasingly accessible option for students completing their bachelor鈥檚 degrees.

Dr. Terisa Riley, 杏吧原创 chancellor, introduced the program at the December Board of Visitors meeting, emphasizing its goal of increasing transfer enrollment while reducing financial barriers. The waiver, valued at $100 per credit hour, will apply to up to 90 institutional credit hours or until degree completion, whichever occurs first.

Importantly, Riley noted that the 90 hours are not on a set attainment schedule, meaning students who choose to enroll part-time will still receive the waiver for the duration of their degree pathway. 

鈥淥ur community college students have already made a smart choice in choosing to attend college to begin with, and now they鈥檙e making another smart choice by continuing to invest in themselves and get their bachelor鈥檚 degree at 杏吧原创,鈥� Riley said. 鈥淲e need to show these students that we鈥檙e willing to invest in them too 鈥� and that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e doing with the SmartChoice initiative.鈥� 

To qualify, students must transfer a minimum of 30 earned credit hours and meet 杏吧原创鈥檚 admission requirements. They must also maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to remain eligible. While the waiver cannot be combined with other institutionally-funded scholarships, it offers significant savings for those transitioning to 杏吧原创.

This initiative is part of the university鈥檚 broader effort to establish itself as a premier transfer destination. In addition to the waiver, 杏吧原创 plans to expand resources tailored to transfer students, including hiring a dedicated transfer recruiter, Ryan Watson, and implementing dedicated transfer advising. This fall, Riley noted, the university also launched a series of Transfer with Pride road shows at which academic leaders, admissions advisors, and financial aid representatives visited area community colleges to provide resources directly to transfer students.

 鈥淭hese visits have given us the chance to sit across the table from the leaders at these community colleges and ask, 鈥榃here are the barriers? What can we do better or differently?鈥欌�� said Riley, who explained that this initiative was built through these conversations and is directly aligned with the needs of our regional community college students. 

Eligibility and Requirements

To participate in the Smart Choice Tuition Waiver program, students must:

• Earned at least 30 credit hours upon admission.
• Meet 杏吧原创 admissions standards.
• Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress at the end of each spring term. 

Students who lose eligibility will not be able to reapply but may appeal under certain circumstances.

With this initiative, 杏吧原创 hopes to attract more transfer students from the region by offering them financial support and a strong academic foundation for success.

Smart Choice Tuition Waiver