Right now, high school seniors across Arkansas are finishing, or have finished, their last few days of classes, preparing for finals, and looking forward to graduation and summer break. These students are excited for their futures and all the new experiences and opportunities that lie ahead for them.
In all of this excitement, one thing our high school seniors and their parents may not remember is that the Academic Challenge Scholarship can help them to achieve their goals, and the deadline to apply--June 15--is almost here.
Since the inception of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery in 2009, over 275,000 in-state scholarships worth more than $759 million have been awarded to students seeking both four-year and two-year degrees. That's a lot of winning futures.
With hundreds of millions of dollars available, the Academic Challenge Scholarship provides more financial aid to Arkansas students than any other state program.
The Academic Challenge Scholarship is funded in large part by the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, and it offers tuition assistance to students at every state college, university, and two-year school--both public and private. What's more, the scholarship can also be combined with other financial aid programs such as the ArFuture Grant.
Money is awarded for the Academic Challenge Scholarship based on a tiered system. Students enrolled in four-year institutions can receive $1,000 for the first year. Those who stay in school are rewarded thereafter with $4,000 for their sophomore and junior years, and $5,000 for senior year. At two-year institutions and approved nursing schools, students receive $1,000 for the first year and $3,000 for the second.
In short, students are incentivized for staying and succeeding in higher education whether they are seeking a four-year undergraduate degree in civil engineering, for instance, or a two-year associate degree in computer programming.
But that's not all. Last year, the Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship, also funded by lottery revenue, was created during the Arkansas General Assembly's 2017 legislative session to promote work-force training in high-demand areas of health care, information technology, and industry. The Workforce Challenge Scholarship will cover tuition and fees of up to $800 per certificate program. It can also be used for non-credit and short-term programs. Students must simply apply at least 30 days prior to enrollment in an eligible program by using the YOUniversal application portal.
Arkansas' current work force includes many professionals who have benefited from a lottery scholarship. Take Mary Condit, for example, who attended the University of Central Arkansas with the support of a lottery scholarship and is now the director of the Arkansas Coding Academy, where she helps train software developers.
And then there's Jalease Lofton, who is a STEM major at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. Her role model is her high school math teacher, and Jalease is using the lottery scholarship to become a teacher herself.
The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has been helping students reach their potential for nearly a decade, and there are thousands of other Arkansans with stories just like Mary's and Jalease's.
High school seniors aren't the only ones who can benefit from a lottery scholarship. The Academic Challenge Scholarship is available to all students--traditional and nontraditional alike--regardless of their academic status. Whether just finishing up senior year of high school, enrolling in college for the first time, a current college student, or planning to re-enroll after some time away, the Academic Challenge Scholarship is there to help all Arkansas students pursue their goals of higher education.
It's very easy to apply and qualify for a lottery scholarship. Eligibility requirements are simple, and applications can be found at the Department of Higher Education's website, which is scholarships.adhe.edu. The YOUniversal Scholarship application can be filled out through the website or through the free YOUniversal phone app.
Many students have already been awarded the Academic Challenge Scholarship, and they must accept the award through the YOUniversal portal as well.
The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery helps students pursue learning opportunities that contribute to both their futures as individuals and the future of our state. Every time you spend a few dollars to play the scholarship lottery, you help create a brighter future for another student.
So, calling all Arkansas students, mark your calendars for June 15. Don't wait until it's too late--go ahead and apply today!
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Dr. Maria Markham is director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.
Editorial on 05/25/2018