When Barrett, The Honors College, was established in 1988, it created an opportunity for students who wished to excel. Now, the college continues to innovate as it opens professional doorways for its students. 

For the current semester, the college added a new center for students, created over 100 new scholarships and obtained more funding to improve the student experience. 

Increased fees and new scholarships

Starting in the 2025 fall semester, the program fee will be increased by $100 per semester after being unchanged for six years. The increased fee will only affect new students, while returning students will continue to pay the original rate. 

The increased fee will go toward new opportunities, such as expanded thesis pathways, workshops for career development and improvements in student quality of life, said Tara Williams, the dean of Barrett, The Honors College.

In an email, Williams said Barrett awards around $1.5 million in scholarships each year — which students can use to support their thesis projects and research. 

The honors college is adding more than 100 scholarships to “ensure full access to the honors experience for all Barrett students,” Williams said in a written statement. 

“The Barrett fee makes possible the distinctive elements that set the honors college apart on all four ASU campuses and online,” Williams said in an email.

Nayana Mustoor, a Barrett senior studying political science, said that while the program provides many opportunities and experiences that are not offered in other places, it can be costly.

“The fact they’re offering more inclusivity and more accessibility is amazing just because … I have heard cases of people turning down Barrett or not going to Barrett simply because it’s not affordable,” Mustoor said. “The fact they’re trying to expand their audience and trying to include more opportunities for people to be able to be in Barrett is amazing.”

Renovations to the Arizona Center

Recently in the Downtown Phoenix campus, the Arizona Center finished renovations on the third floor, intending to create a new space for downtown Barrett students. 

“This exciting relocation places Barrett Downtown much closer to the center of campus, something students have consistently asked for, and creates a more connected and accessible experience for honors students,” Williams said in an email. 

READ MORE: The Arizona Center rebuilds its presence as a mall in Downtown Phoenix

With this new area, downtown students have a place for Barrett events, studying or connecting with others. 

Abby Klein, a Barrett sophomore studying community health, is a resident of the downtown campus and works on Barrett’s downtown student engagement team. 

Before the Arizona Center, hosting honors-specific events was difficult due to a lack of space, Klein said. Many events would be in the Mercado, and over time, students found it taxing to walk from the dorms at Gordon Commons, Klein said. 

“There’s a lot more opportunity … for community building that didn’t exist before,” Klein said. “It’s going to save a lot of time for us in events to make it run easier, along with open it up to a bigger space to accommodate for upperclassmen, because it is so important to connect upperclassmen with the freshmen, and that just has not been present years prior due to space limitations.”

Unlike the honors college on the Tempe campus, downtown Barrett students share a dorm building with non-honors students on campus. Klein said people often hang out in the lounges, play loud video games or watch movies, which disrupts her studying habits. 

“We have our Barrett suite — which is a calm, quiet environment — and then immediately you walk into Gordon Commons and it’s the complete opposite,” Klein said. “So this new Barrett suite was integrated with the thought in mind of having Barrett-exclusive study areas. And so the new Barrett suite should help with that tremendously.”

Other developments for the honors college

Including the additions to Barrett, the college will also host the 2026 Honors Education at Research Universities conference, allowing the college to showcase faculty, leaders and opportunities it has developed over the years. 

“From new approaches to teaching and mentoring to innovative program models, HERU will help fuel continued growth and excellence in honors education at ASU,” Williams said in an email. 

In the new year, meal plans for Barrett students will cost less. The Unlimited Plan includes double the amount of M&G per semester and is $1,280 less than it was last year, according to Williams in an email. 

Other initiatives taking place in the following year include launching the Principled Innovation Scholars program and adding to the Global Honors Flex program, Williams said in an email. 

“These investments ensure that students continue to receive the truly exceptional honors experience that is the foundation of Barrett’s reputation as a top honors college in the country,” Williams said in an email.

Edited by Natalia Rodriguez, George Headley and Ellis Preston.

Reach the reporter at sjames51@asu.edu and follow @sennajames_ on X.

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Senna JamesCommunity Editor

Senna is a sophomore studying journalism and mass communication with a minor in Spanish. This is her fourth semester with The State Press. 

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