����vlog����’ Board of Trustees has voted to freeze tuition for the upcoming academic year, the seventh time in the last nine years that Ozarks has not raised tuition from the previous year. Since 2013, tuition at Ozarks has risen just 5 percent, compared to a nearly 30 percent national average increase in tuition at four-year colleges over the past decade.

The Board voted on Feb. 5 to hold the annual cost of tuition for the 2021-22 academic year amid the uncertainty brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We know that many families continue to struggle in our current economic conditions and the University and the Board felt it was imperative to freeze tuition during these difficult times,” said U of O President Richard Dunsworth. “Our students and their families have had to face many challenges in recent months and a tuition increase for next year shouldn’t have to be one of them. We remain committed to ensuring that an Ozarks education is as affordable and accessible as possible and to reducing the amount of debt our students incur.”  

There were also no changes to the University’s learning material fees. There will be a $100 increase to both room and board for the 2021-22 academic year.

Dunsworth commended the University’s alumni and friends for their support of student scholarships, pointing out that the current Climb Higher Campaign has raised more than $30 million in scholarship support.

“Our amazing alumni and friends continue to faithfully and generously support the mission of the University by financially supporting out students’ education,” Dunsworth said. “We are extremely blessed to alumni and friends who understand the value and importance of an Ozarks education and who want to help our students experience that.”

There are approximately 200 privately funded scholarships available for Ozarks students from alumni and friends and the University awarded nearly $12 million in institutional scholarships to students last year.

U of O’s tuition of $24,950 is nearly 35 percent less than the national average of $37,650 for a private, four-year university, according to The College Board’s Trends in College Pricing 2020. Not raising tuition also runs counter to national trends in higher education. According to The College Board, the national average tuition increase has been 28 percent for four-year private and public universities since 2011.

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The ����vlog���� Board of Trustees on April 25 voted to freeze tuition for the 2020-21 academic year amid the uncertainty brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic

It is the sixth time in the last eight years that the University has not raised tuition. Since 2013, tuition at Ozarks has risen just 5 percent.

University President Richard Dunsworth said the Board took into consideration the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on students and their families in the decision to keep tuition flat.

“Now, more than ever, our decisions need to be mission-driven and focused on accessibility and affordability,” Dunsworth said. “We understand that families are struggling and that there is a lot of uncertainty regarding the future. One of our primary goals has been to reduce the amount of debt for students through controlling the cost of tuition and allocating existing resources, including scholarships, grants and other financial assistance. Our efforts to control costs and improve quality are consistent with the mission and values of the University and are more paramount than ever.”

There were also no changes to the University’s learning material fees and a slight $100 average increase to room and board for the upcoming academic year. In addition, the board approved a revamped model of the Jones Learning Center that will allow the program to reduce its fees by 48 percent, beginning the 2020-21 academic year.

Dunsworth commended the University’s alumni and friends for their support of student scholarships, pointing out that the current Climb Higher Campaign has already raised more than $32 million in scholarship endowment support.

“Our alumni and friends continue to faithfully and generously support the mission of the University by financially supporting out students’ education,” Dunsworth said. “We are extremely blessed to have such caring and engaged alumni and friends who understand the value and importance of an Ozarks education and who want to help our students experience that.”

There are approximately 200 privately funded scholarships available for Ozarks students from alumni and friends and the University awarded nearly $12 million in financial aid to Ozarks students in 2019-20.

U of O’s tuition of $24,950 is more than 30 percent less than the national average of $36,880 for a private, four-year university, according to The College Board’s Trends in College Pricing 2019. Not raising tuition also runs counter to national trends in higher education. According to The College Board, the national average tuition increase was 3.4 percent for private nonprofit universities in 2019-20.

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Under the new program, which took effect this year for Johnson County students, the University covers the direct cost of tuition after all federal and state aid, including the U.S. Department of Education’s Direct Subsidized Loans, has been applied. The full-need tuition scholarship does not cover room and board or books.

High school students from Logan, Franklin, Madison, Newton and Pope counties will be eligible for the full-need tuition scholarships starting in the 2019 Fall Semester.

“This program has been so popular and successful that we’ve decided to expand it to several counties surrounding Johnson County,” said Reggie Hill, vice president for marketing and enrollment. “We are committed to making an Ozarks education both affordable and accessible to as many local students as possible and to help lower the debt that students are incurring.”

Under the full-need tuition scholarship program, eligible students must be from the five designated Arkansas counties and have an expected family contribution (EFC) of $5,000 or less. The students must also be eligible for the Arkansas Challenge Scholarship and must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by Feb. 15.

With a maximum federal Direct Subsidized Loan of $3,500 per year, the most an eligible Ozarks student would have in college loan debt for their tuition after four years would be $14,000. According to the Institute for College Access & Success, the average student loan debt of 2015 bachelor’s degree recipients was $30,100.

Students must maintain a 2.7 grade point average and be enrolled in 15 credit hours per semester to retain the scholarship.

Approximately 100 current students hail from Johnson County, including a new incoming class of 40 this semester,

For more information about the full-need tuition scholarship, please contact the Office of Admission at 979-1227.

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����vlog���� is introducing a new full-need tuition scholarship for students from Johnson County. Under the new program, the University covers the direct cost of tuition after all federal and state aid, including the U.S. Department of Education’s Direct Subsidized Loans, have been applied.

The full-need tuition scholarship does not cover room and board or books. It will go into effect for the incoming Class of 2018.

“This program continues our commitment to making an Ozarks education both affordable and accessible and to lowering student debt,” said U of O President Richard Dunsworth. “The message we want to send to students and families from Johnson County is that you don’t have to leave the county for an undergraduate education that is both world-class and affordable.”

Under the new program, eligible students must be from Johnson County, Arkansas, and have an expected family contribution (EFC) of $5,000 or less. The students must also be eligible for the Arkansas Challenge Scholarship and must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by Feb. 15.

With a maximum federal Direct Subsidized Loan of $3,500 per year, the most an eligible Ozarks student would have in college loan debt for their tuition after four years would be $14,000. According to the Institute for College Access & Success, the average student loan debt of 2015 bachelor’s degree recipients was $30,100.

“This model will allow for a simplified communication of financial aid to students early in the process,” said Reggie Hill, assistant vice president for advancement and director of enrollment marketing. “By providing this scholarship in combination with federal and state financial aid resources, we will be able to recruit and retain more students with high financial need from Johnson County. And, we can help ensure that they are not burdened by excessive loan debt when they graduate.”

Students must maintain a 2.7 grade point average and be enrolled in 15 credit hours per semester to retain the scholarship.

For more information about the full-need tuition scholarship, please contact the Office of Admission at 979-1227.

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