In 2024, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock disbursed $4,040,511 in financial aid tied to athletics, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
A total of 134 male and 129 female student-athletes competed for one or more of the university’s sports teams in 2024. Male student-athletes received 22% less in athletically related financial aid compared to their female counterparts.
The university’s athletically related financial aid increased by 3.2% compared to the previous year.
College football is one of the biggest sports in the U.S., with some college teams eclipsing NFL teams in terms of attendance and profit.
College athletics has entered a new era of athlete compensation after a federal settlement allowed schools to directly share revenue with players for the first time. The agreement also requires the NCAA to pay $2.8 billion in back damages over 10 years to athletes who competed from 2016 to the present.
In 2022, after years of legal and legislative pressure, athletes also gained the right to profit from their names, images and likenesses through state laws and an NCAA policy change.
| Institution | Athletically Related Student Aid |
|---|---|
| University of Arkansas | $13,954,643 |
| Arkansas State University | $6,292,529 |
| University of Central Arkansas | $4,988,852 |
| Harding University | $4,272,480 |
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock | $4,040,511 |
| Ouachita Baptist University | $3,673,242 |
| University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | $2,562,148 |
| Henderson State University | $2,221,561 |
| Arkansas Tech University | $1,979,299 |
| Southern Arkansas University Main Campus | $1,935,898 |
Information in this story was obtained from the U.S. Department of Education. The source data can be found here.
