LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has announced the deadline to apply for the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship has been extended to Aug. 1 with modified eligibility requirements deemed necessary because of COVID-19.
Unlike in prior years, students who have a sufficient number of hours and have earned satisfactory academic progress before March 27 are automatically eligible for the scholarship for the 2020 fall semester.
“COVID-19 greatly disrupted our educational processes, particularly in terms of in-person learning,” says Maria Markham, director of the Division of Higher Education. “We felt it necessary, therefore, to modify the requirements for those students w ho might have experienced a setback through no fault of their own.”
The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery provides tuition assistance to traditional and nontraditional students attending universities and two-year colleges, public and private, in the state.
Since its inception in 2009, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has raised more than $954 million in scholarship proceeds and awarded more than 542,000 scholarships to students.
“The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery was started with the primary goal of helping Arkansas students realize their higher education goals,” says Bishop Woosley, director of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. “We have never deviated from that mission and are proud that more than 92 cents of every dollar raised through the sale of lottery tickets go es to scholarships, prizes, retailer commissions and other expenses.”
Traditional students must score at least 19 on the ACT to qualify for the scholarship. The latest ACT score accepted by Arkansas Department of Higher Education will be from the July testing. Students who have yet to achieve a score of 19 on the ACT may take the Accuplacer test remotely as a substitute.
Freshman students at four-year colleges receive $1,000 from the scholarship. Second-and third-year students receive $4,000, and senior level students are awarded $5,000 per year. At two-year colleges, first-year students receive $1,000, while second-year students are awarded $3,000. To maintain eligibility, students must keep a 2.5 GPA.
Additionally, students seeking certification for high-demand occupations such as in healthcare and information technology may apply for the Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship, which is also funded by lottery revenue. Students must apply at least 30 days before enrolling in an eligible program.
Students may apply online for both scholarships at scholarships.ADHE.edu.
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