The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) announced Thursday a 7% increase in new student enrollment, including an extraordinary 39% surge in transfer students for the fall 2024 semester. These gains represent a major achievement flowing from the university’s strategic goal of widening and deepening the applicant pool, reaffirming UAPB’s commitment to an accessible and affordable higher education.
Overall enrollment stands at 2,049 as of the 11th day of instruction, reflecting a slight 2% decline from 2023. While new student enrollment is up, enrollment of continuing students shows a 9% decrease. This decrease is attributed to several factors, including the cost of funding one’s education. Nationwide, financial barriers remain the primary reason students leave college before completing their degrees, and UAPB is no exception. Historically, 75% of UAPB students are eligible for Pell grants, and more than 90% receive some form of financial assistance. As a priority for the 2024 – 25 school year, UAPB is implementing real-time strategies to solve the financial challenges that continuing students face. These strategies have assisted significantly and stopped the recent trend of large declines in enrollment (7% in 2022 and 11% in 2023).
It is also notable that UAPB is “bucking” the national trend of decreasing enrollment of Black males at HBCUs. A recent report released by the American Institute for Boys and Men show that Black males comprised 26% of enrollment at HBCU’s nationally in 2022. Preliminary data show that Black males make up 43% of UAPB’s student population for Fall 2024. The average over the past three years is 45%.
Interim Chancellor Dr. Andrea Stewart expressed optimism, stating, “the increase in first-time students and transfer students is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, and administration. We have focused on broadening our outreach and enhancing our support systems to attract a more diverse and college-ready student body. While we acknowledge the financial challenges many of our continuing students face, I am pleased that we are implementing additional measures to support them, along with all students, on their educational journey at UAPB.”
Dr. Moses V. Goldmon, vice chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Success, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of maintaining momentum.
“We are moving in the right direction. Our efforts show early signs of success as evidenced by the increase in applications from 4,732 in 2023 to more than 7,500 in 2024,” Dr. Goldmon said. “UAPB also saw a 45% increase in new student orientation participation in 2024. This is important because it ensures that students new to UAPB are ready to start class on day one. These increases coupled with the uptick in first-time student enrollment show that our strategic enrollment management strategies are working. They’ve been designed to increase the number of new students and ensure their success once they join the UAPB family. The rise in transfer students underscore our appeal as a welcoming and supportive institution where students can continue their academic pursuits with confidence and a sense of belonging.”
Initiatives to continually improve retention rates are ongoing. For example, The Student Success Center (SSC) recently launched the Pride Success Academy (PSA) to help students who are marginally prepared. The PSA is a comprehensive support program that provide students with the tools and resources they need to succeed in higher education. Through a range of interventions and support services, including a personal success coach, the PSA enables students to overcome barriers to academic success, develop valuable skills, and progress towards completing a bachelor’s degree. The SSC has also expanded our capacity to provide tutoring services by making tutors available for more academic subjects and increasing the hours that services are available to better match student schedules.
