Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship

Since 2010, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has helped raise more than $1.1 billion to fund more than 675,000 scholarships for students attending 51 Arkansas colleges and universities.

This week we want to remind you about the fast approaching deadline to apply for the next round of scholarships.

July 1 is the deadline to apply for the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship (AACS) for students planning to enroll in a two- or four-year college or university in the fall.

Applicants can be new high school graduates, students already enrolled in college, or non-traditional students seeking to further their education. To apply go to https://sams.adhe.edu/ and click on “Students.”

To be eligible for the scholarship, a student must be an Arkansas resident for at least 12 months prior to enrollment and receive at least a 19 on the ACT. To maintain eligibility, students must keep a 2.5 GPA.

Award amounts are as follows:

Four-year college:

Year 1 - $1,000

Year 2 - $4,000

Year 3 - $4,000

Year 4 - $5,000.

Two-year college:

Year 1 - $1,000

Year 2 - $3,000

The lottery also helps fund the Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship. This scholarship is available for those attending technical schools. It is for students seeking certifications in high-demand occupations, such as health care and information technology.

And the lottery helps to fund the Arkansas Concurrent Challenge Award. This award provides financial incentives to eligible high school students who want to get an early start on college courses.

The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery recently launched a map on the lottery site that shows Academic Challenge Scholarships awarded by county. We’ve posted a link to the site on our website www.arkansashouse.org.

Every bit of education you get after high school increases the chances you'll earn good pay.

Most college graduates earn more money during their working years than people who stop their education at high school earn. We encourage Arkansans to explore how the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery can assist in furthering their education.

And don’t forget to apply for the Arkansas Academic Challenge by July 1.