Citing a state Department of Higher Education report, senators said 49.3% of students enrolling in an Arkansas public college or university had to take at least one remedial class.  They said that was the lowest percentage since the fall of 1993.  The report also said that college enrollees’ worst performance came in the fall of 2002 when 59.6% of new students had to enroll in a remedial class.

The importance of remediation rates is that they measure the likelihood of students' eventually earning a degree. Students have to pay for remedial classes, but they do not get college credits for completing the courses. Therefore, having to take remedial classes throws them off schedule both financially and academically.

Universities and colleges have adopted several strategies to help remedial students, such as providing tutors, making classes smaller, offering preparatory programs in summer and grouping students together in several classes so they can support each other.