FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-- Contact Kara Lee Ford at 501-683-1646 for more information.
June 2, 2021
LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL) announced today that July 1 is the deadline to apply for the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship.
The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery provides tuition assistance to traditional and non-traditional students attending universities and two-year colleges – both public and private – in the state. Since its inception in 2009, the Arkansas lottery has helped raise more than $1 billion in scholarship proceeds and awarded more than 650,000 Academic Challenge Scholarships to students.
“The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery was started with the goal of helping Arkansas students realize their higher education goals,” said J. Eric Hagler, ASL director. “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 goes 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 the Arkansas Division of Higher Education will be from the June testing. Students who have yet to achieve a score of 19 make take the Accuplacer test 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 annually, while second-year students are awarded $3,000. To maintain eligibility, students must keep a 2.5 grade point average.
“For more than a decade, the lottery has helped hundreds of thousands of Arkansans receive the education necessary for success in today’s global economy,” said Maria Markham, director of the Division of Higher Education. “As a result, past recipients are enjoying fulfilling careers and current recipients have the hope of a bright future.”
Additionally, students seeking certification for high-demand occupations in healthcare information technology and industrial manufacturing 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.
Finally, funding is available for high school students who wish to start early on receiving credit for college courses through the Arkansas Concurrent Academic Challenge Scholarship. It pays $125 per credit for up to two concurrent-credit courses persemester of the student’s junior and senior high school year.
For more information and to apply, students may visitscholarships.adhe.edu.
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About the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery
More than 92 cents of every dollar of ASL revenue goes to prizes, scholarships, retailer commissions, and other expenses in Arkansas. Since 2009, the lottery has raised more than $1 billion in proceeds for scholarships. More than 650,000 college scholarships have been awarded to Arkansans. The lottery has awarded more than $3.6 billion in prizes to players, about $312 million in retailer commissions, and provided more than $144 million in state and federal tax revenue.
Follow the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery on Facebook, Twitter,and Instagram. Visit MyArkansasLottery.com for more information on scholarships, winners, games, odds, promotions – and to join The Club for free. To hear winning numbers, call the Winning Numbers Hotline at 501-682-IWON (4966). To get help with problem gambling, contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.