UAM, Phillips Community College Partner to Bring Bachelor's Degrees to Local Campuses

Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas at Monticello formalized a partnership March 11 that lets students earn a four-year degree without leaving eastern Arkansas, signing the agreement at a ceremony inside the Hendrix Fine Arts Center on the PCCUA Helena-West Helena campus.

PCCUA Chancellor Keith Pinchback and UAM Chancellor Peggy Doss both delivered remarks and participated in the ceremonial signing, capping what organizers called a "start here and finish here" model designed specifically for students in the Delta and surrounding communities.

Under the arrangement, students spend their first two years as PCCUA students, earn an associate degree, and then enroll as UAM students for their junior and senior years, all while remaining on a PCCUA campus. Tuition follows the same split: PCCUA rates apply for the first two years, UAM rates for the final two.

Two degree pathways are set to launch under the partnership. A Bachelor of Arts in K-6 Elementary Education is targeted to begin in May 2026, and a Bachelor of Business Administration is scheduled to start in August 2026. Both programs are pending approval from the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Higher Learning Commission. The partnership also plans to add a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a targeted start date of fall 2027.

PCCUA describes the affordability piece in concrete terms. UAM offers eligible PCCUA students the Ridge Runner Transfer Scholarship, worth $3,000 per semester, to offset tuition costs, positioning these pathways among the most affordable bachelor's degree options in the state.

Prospective students can reach PCCUA program contacts directly. Kayla Holland handles inquiries for the Business Administration pathway at kholland@pccua.edu. Dr. Carol Birth is the contact for the Elementary Education program at cbirth@pccua.edu. Questions about the future nursing degree can be directed to Shanna Pryor at spryor@pccua.edu.

Officials from both institutions framed the partnership as a workforce development tool for a region that has historically had limited access to four-year programs close to home. By combining resources across campuses, PCCUA and UAM said they aim to improve degree completion rates while keeping costs low enough that cost does not push students out of the Delta to finish their education.