BENTONVILLE — Northwest Arkansas Community College has settled on a location and funding model for a planned on-campus student housing facility.
The Board of Trustees voted Monday to certify the college’s desired location for its first residence hall and approve a self-financed model for the project. Both votes passed 7-1, with Ron Branscum voting no. Mary Schneider left the meeting early and was absent from each vote.
Selecting a housing location allows the college to issue a request for qualifications to firms capable of handling construction on the parcel. The parcel is on the north side of campus, just south of Eighth Street and west of Interstate 49.
Approval of a self-funded model means the college will take on construction costs without partnering with a private developer, but the college does not have to share revenue from rent costs with an outside investor, either.
A third action item related to housing — enabling the college to issue a request for qualifications to prospective contractors — did not pass after failing to receive majority approval. Ashley Pointer, Amber Latimer, Todd Schwartz and Mark Scott voted yes. Lori Frank, Ashley Harris, Joe Spivey and Branscum voted no.
Dennis Rittle, the college’s president, told trustees last week that approval of each action item helps make the college’s pursuit of on-campus housing a reality. Because the Board of Trustees decided against issuing a request for qualifications, the college will hold off for at least another month in its process of seeking and vetting firms to handle the project.
The college expects the residence hall to have 300 to 400 beds and cost about $35 million. The approximately 120,000-square-foot facility could open as early as fall 2031.
The college began exploring on-campus student housing when Arkansas state law changed in 2017 to allow on-campus residence halls at community colleges. Subsequent housing studies conducted in 2020 and 2023 revealed demand for on-campus living options, according to Justin White, vice president of student affairs and strategic initiatives.
The college’s research revealed demand for 800 to 1,200 beds — a conservative estimate, White said. He said the college’s inability to offer a more traditional college experience is a drawback.
“We are missing out on what we believe at Northwest Arkansas Community College is our market share of local students, because we do not provide them a housing opportunity,” he said.
The Northwest Arkansas Community College Land Use Committee voted last month to approve the location for the first on-campus housing development, leaving the Board of Trustees to give final approval.
White told the board at an information session last week that the selected location will reduce up-front costs. The Eighth Street site is relatively flat, can connect easily to utilities and is close to academic and student life spaces.
The Board of Trustees last year approved a 20-year master plan with the goal of supporting more students through facilities growth. Trustees can now approve each project in the plan individually.
Major projects included in the plan are residential housing, outdoor and indoor athletic spaces, a natatorium, a student life center and food services. The college has singled out housing as a linchpin project that maximizes the other additions.
The recommended location for the first student housing development gives the college an ideal foundation for housing growth, White told trustees last week. The college would like to add enough residence halls and amenities over the next few decades to create what the college is referring to as the “Ozark Village.”
Beyond upgrading campus life, the college wants to make on-campus housing a fourth revenue stream. The college’s operational budget currently draws from tuition and fees, local property taxes and annual state funding allocations.
The college’s projections suggest it could make an additional $3.7 million from student housing prices in the first year. The revenue projections are based on charging $750 a month for 100 lower-cost housing slots and $1,000 for the remaining 300 beds over a 10-month term.
Edward McKinnon
Edward McKinnon was born and raised in Memphis, Tenn., before relocating to Northwest Arkansas in high school. He earned his degree in journalism from the University of Arkansas in 2024. He spent his high school and college years as a basketball columnist, sports and culture reporter and long-form narrative feature writer. He has reported on K-12 education and related subjects at the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since February 2025. His hobbies include watching NBA games, listening to ’90s Britpop music and binging prestige TV shows.
