Students planning to attend the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana next year are encouraged to apply now for the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship (ACST). The scholarship makes college more affordable for Arkansas residents, whether you just graduated high school, are already enrolled in college, or are returning to school.

What You Should Know

• The scholarship is open to both “traditional” applicants (incoming freshmen) and “non-traditional” students (current college students or adults re-enrolling).

• To qualify as a traditional student, you’ll need one of the following: an ACT composite or superscore of 19 or higher, a qualifying score on an approved equivalent test, or a high school GPA of 3.0 (or diploma of merit), and you must plan to attend a qualified Arkansas institution full-time.

• Non-traditional applicants may qualify with previous college work (with a minimum 2.5 GPA) or, if you have no prior college, with a qualifying ACT (or equivalent) score. Part-time enrollment can still qualify for prorated awards in many cases.

• The scholarship is renewed annually; you don’t need to reapply every semester, but you must continue to meet enrollment and GPA requirements for funding to continue.

The deadline to apply is July 1 for the upcoming academic year. Applications are submitted through the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE)’s online portal, SAMS. Visit https://sams.adhe.edu/Scholarship/Details/ACST to learn more and to apply.

Registration for spring classes at the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana is now open and will remain open until January 14. If you plan to use the Academic Challenge Scholarship at UAHT next fall, now is a great time to apply and get ahead on course planning. Visit uaht.edu or call 870-777-5722 to register for spring classes.