Arkansas colleges and universities are set to invest around $279 million in athletics for the upcoming school year. This funding comes with strict guidelines. State law mandates that all state-funded schools must submit detailed reports of their athletic budgets to the Higher Education Coordinating Board every summer. They’re also required to clearly list any student fees used for sports, distinguishing them from tuition and other fees.
Interestingly, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville stands out as one of the few institutions that doesn’t charge students athletic fees. They plan to cover their expenses—projected at a hefty $181 million next year—through revenue from ticket sales, licensing, concessions, and donations. This makes their athletic program the largest in the state and able to operate independently of student fees.
On the other end of the spectrum, Arkansas State University in Newport has the smallest athletic budget, set at just $195,000. Following closely is Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas with $215,000. In contrast, Arkansas State University in Jonesboro has significantly larger funding of $24 million, while the University of Central Arkansas in Conway budgets $17 million for sports programs.
Excluding Fayetteville, student fees account for nearly 29.4% of athletic budgets across 22 two-year colleges and nine four-year universities in Arkansas. This highlights a reliance on student contributions for many institutions.
In conjunction with athletics, workforce education is a hot topic. Recent presentations to the Higher Education Board revealed that many courses offered do not grant credit but provide valuable skills sought by top Arkansas companies. Business, management, and marketing courses are the most popular, followed by engineering and health professions.
However, access is limited. At the 22 two-year colleges, only half of the courses are open to all registered students, while the other half is restricted to employees of certain industry partners. This has implications for educational access and workforce readiness in the state.
Overall, Arkansas’s approach to funding athletics and workforce education reflects a broader trend in higher education: the balance between offering extensive programs and maintaining financial independence, especially in terms of student fees.
