Changes in student recruitment, better access to financial support, and a new student “portal” at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (UAFS) are factors in big enrollment gains among freshmen and transfer students, according to university officials.
UAFS announced Monday (Aug. 18) that fall 2025 freshmen enrollment of more than 1,030 is up 15% compared with fall 2024. The freshmen numbers are at the highest level since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, the 365 transfer students enrolled for the fall semester is up 49% compared with fall 2024.
Total fall enrollment student is more than 4,370 non-concurrent undergraduate students, according to UAFS. The numbers are preliminary and official enrollment numbers won’t be final until the 11th day of classes, UAFS noted in the report.
Also, more than 880 students are living in campus housing, more than the record of 866 in 2014.
“Our admissions advisors have been intentional about connecting with students and families, ensuring they know that higher education is both possible and worthwhile at UAFS,” said UAFS Chancellor Terisa Riley. “These preliminary enrollment numbers show that students recognize UAFS is a place where they can receive an exceptional education at an incredible value.”
Following are factors the university cited as primary reasons for increased enrollment.
• Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management Brooke Magallanes helped lead a “comprehensive overhaul” of student recruitment that included “processes to streamline the student application experience.”
• The admissions office hired a transfer recruiter and launched “Transfer with Pride” road shows last year to connect UAFS with officials in community colleges.
• The university also offered new scholarships and tuition waiver programs, including the “Tuition and Mandatory Fee Guarantee,” which covers all remaining tuition and mandatory fees for qualifying Arkansas residents after grants and scholarships are applied.
• In addition, the “Smart Choice Tuition Waiver” was added and provides up to $9,000 in tuition savings for transfer students who bring at least 30 earned credit hours and maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA.
• The UAFS Foundation is expected in 2025-2026 to surpass the record of more than $3.1 million in private scholarships provided in the recent academic year.
“Our enrollment management team has been focused on reimagining how we recruit and support students,” said Magallanes, who was hired in March 2024. “We overhauled our recruitment communication schedule and expanded our outreach across Arkansas and the surrounding region, and those efforts are paying off in new student enrollment.”
The outreach boosted “Den Day” attendance from 100 students in 2024 to almost 600 this year, according to UAFS.
“We’ve also expanded the new student portal to bring together critical tasks in one place,” Magallanes said. “Students can now complete the New Student Form, register for orientation and Cub Camp, and submit their housing application and contract all within the same system. By creating a single platform, students can track their admissions, orientation, and housing status in one place.”
Off-campus recruitment resulted in a direct connection with 2,596 potential students in Arkansas and Oklahoma.
“This is a university-wide effort,” Riley said. “From the moment a prospective student first engages with us to the time they walk across the graduation stage, every part of UAFS is focused on our students’ success.”