Honors College Faces Budget Cuts

The Honors College is feeling the effects of the budget cuts with a drastic reduction in scholarships, travel grants and research grants.

According to Rick Scott, dean of the Honors College, President Allen Meadors has cut the number of full Honors College scholarships from 100 this year to 60 next year, a 40 percent reduction. The cuts were made after the state legislature ordered the university to reduce scholarship spending by 20 percent.

The Honors College also lost $180,000 in scholarships used to finance study abroad and research projects. The money, given to students with high ACT scores and National Merit Finalists, was never included in the school's budget and no longer will be given to Honors College students, Scott said. The university had commitments for 60 of the $3,000 scholarships, he said.

UCA Honors College emblem

The cuts haven't affected the number of classes offered at the Honors College or the number of faculty that teach the classes.

When the Honors College was started in 1982, it was one of the first of its kind in the nation. More than 90 percent of Honors College students graduate and about 80 percent pursue post-graduate education. Graduates have received Rhodes Scholarships, Fulbright Scholarships and Goldwater Scholarship.

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