This flyer (a slick card) began popping up around Fayetteville recently. Source unknown to me. It is, of course, a spoof. (And, no, I don’t think the students who come to the University of Arkansas from Texas are a bunch of law-flouting louts, certainly no more so than any other college freshmen.)
Still, the flyer is evidence of continuing interest in the percentage of students UA draws from out of state. It is a matter that has arisen in legislative halls from time to time, particularly given tuition breaks extended to out-of-state students and the fact that in-state Arkansas high school graduates who happen to be in the country without proper citizenship documentation are denied scholarship help.
In the fall of 2016, 52 percent of entering UA freshmen came from out-of-state. Texas accounted for 27 percent of entering freshmen. The national appeal of UA, encouraged by scholarship awards pegged to achievement, is reflected in rising credentials for entering freshman. That enhances the university’s stature. But Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz has said there’s a limit and he hopes to keep the Arkansas percentage at about half of enrollment.
Still, if you like a little satire, here’s what’s going around.