Once eligibility is determined, the Financial Aid Office offers students a package which may include a combination of grants, scholarships and employment. Enrolled hours, residency classification, cumulative grade point average, and other financial assistance already received will affect the amount and type of financial aid students can be awarded.
Grants
Federal Pell Grant
The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grants to low-income, first-degree undergradaute students to promote access to postsecondary education. Grant amounts are dependent on the student’s student aid index (SAI); the cost of attendance (as determined by the institution); the student’s enrollment status; and whether the student attends for a full academic year or less.
In order to apply for a Pell Grant, students must complete the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship (Known as the Arkansas Scholarship)
The Arkansas Academic Challenge Program provides scholarships to Arkansas residents pursuing higher education. Funded in large part by the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship is available to students regardless of their academic status, whether they are just graduating from high school, currently enrolled in college, enrolling in college for the first time, or re-enrolling after a period of time out of college.
See the eligibility requirements at https://sams.adhe.edu/Scholarship/Details/ACST
Arkansas Future Grant
Arkansas Future (ArFuture) is the newest state grant program. The purpose of this grant is to increase the education and skills of Arkansas’s workforce in an affordable manner. The grant applies to students enrolled in Science,Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) or regional high-demand areas ofstudy. The grant will cover tuition and fees for qualifying certificate and Associate degree programs at Arkansas’ public institutions for eligible students. The grant is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
See the eligibility requirements at https://sams.adhe.edu/Scholarship/Details/ARFUTURE
Arkansas Workforce Challenge
The purpose of the scholarship is for workforce training in high-demand areas of healthcare, information technology, and industry. Classes are not limited to credit-bearing programs. Non-credit, workforce-training classes that fit into the three above categories may also qualify.
See the eligibility requirements at https://sams.adhe.edu/Scholarship/Details/AWC
National Guard Tuitiion Waiver
The National Guard Tuition Waiver will only be awarded for programs leading to an undergraduate degree up to a bachelor’s degree, in a state-supported public two (2) or four (4) year institution within the State of Arkansas. Guardsmen cannot have previously been awarded a bachelor’s degree. NGTW will cover tuition for all approved courses and mandatory institution fees. Each Guardsman is responsible for other costs, such as non-mandatory fees, room and board, textbooks, parking permits, etc.
See the eligibility requirements at https://sams.adhe.edu/Scholarship/Details/NGTW
Federal Work-Study
Federal work-study is a federally-funded, need-based financial aid award. It is a college-administered program designed to help students defray the costs of post-secondary education. Students are paid for hours worked, based on official time sheets, submitted by the employing department, through the college payroll system. Work assignments are made by the Financial Aid Office.
