Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship
Arkansas Division of Higher Education (ADHE)
Arkansas's lottery-funded scholarship: $2,000 the first year rising to $5,000 in the fourth year at a four-year college, with extra 'Challenge PLUS' money for students with a Student Aid Index under 8,000.
- How much
- Year 1 $2,000; Years 2-3 $4,000; Year 4 $5,000 at a four-year college (two-year: $2,000 / $3,000 / $1,500 5th semester); plus Challenge PLUS for SAI 7,999 or below, up to $2,500 per semester total
- Who qualifies
- Arkansas resident (page says at least 12 months before enrollment); admitted to an approved Arkansas institution in a bachelor's, associate, qualified certificate, or nursing diploma program; no prior bachelor's degree and fewer than 120 earned hours; FAFSA required (income only matters for Challenge PLUS); Selective Service compliance; drug-free certification; not incarcerated. Traditional students: Diploma of Merit, or ACT 19/SAT 990 with GPA under 3.00, or a 3.00 GPA with any test score; full-time (15 hours) each semester after the first fall. Non-traditional: 2.5 college GPA, or ACT 19 / 3.00 high school GPA if no college credit; part time (6+ hours) allowed.
- For high school seniors, students starting college, undergrads, adults going back to school, transfer students
- U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident
- Partly need-based: your FAFSA can affect whether you get it or how much.
- When to apply
- Due July 1, 2027 Annual; application deadline July 1 before the academic year
- How to apply
- Complete the FAFSA, then create a SAMS account at sams.adhe.edu (or the Arkansas ACCESS portal) and submit the Academic Challenge application by July 1 before the academic year
- No reapplication needed for renewal
- What you'll need
- FAFSA + state application + test scores
- Last checked
- October 23, 2026, against the official page (sams.adhe.edu), page 2 and page 3
The details
Base award (2025-26 rates on ADHE's page) at a four-year college: Year 1 $2,000 ($1,000/semester), Years 2-3 $4,000 ($2,000/semester), Year 4 $5,000 ($2,500/semester). At a two-year college: Year 1 $2,000, Year 2 $3,000, and a 5th semester $1,500 (after 72 hours or 3 semesters left, students must transfer to a four-year college to keep using it). Challenge PLUS (since 2024-25): students whose FAFSA Student Aid Index is 7,999 or lower get extra money, capped at $2,500 per semester total. Four-year, first year: SAI 5,750-7,999 +$500/semester ($1,500 total); 3,200-5,749 +$1,000 ($2,000); -1,500-3,199 +$1,500 ($2,500). Four-year, years 2-3: SAI -1,500-7,999 +$500 ($2,500/semester). Year 4 is already at the $2,500 maximum. Two-year: first year same as four-year; second year and 5th semester: SAI 5,750-7,999 +$500 ($2,000/semester), -1,500-5,749 +$1,000 ($2,500/semester). Traditional students (just out of high school) qualify with a Diploma of Merit, OR a GPA below 3.00 plus ACT 19+ / SAT 990+ / Next-Gen Accuplacer 246+ average (also CLT 58), OR a 3.00+ high school GPA plus any standardized test score on record; they must enroll in 12 hours the first fall and 15 hours each semester after. Non-traditional students (current college students who never had it, or adults with some college) qualify with a 2.5 college GPA, or with no college credit an ACT 19 or a 3.00 high school GPA, and may attend part time (6-14 hours) for a prorated award. Renewal: 2.5 cumulative GPA and 27 hours the first year/30 hours each year after (traditional); renewed automatically each spring, no reapplication. Up to 8 semester payments, 120 hours, or a bachelor's degree. Students with 27+ concurrent hours can forfeit the freshman award to start at the sophomore level (request by July 1); students with 87+ hours can forfeit to the senior level. Unused senior-year semesters can be used for graduate school at an Arkansas institution. Can be combined with the Governor's Scholars awards up to $10,000 per year total.
More money from Arkansas
- Governor's Scholars Program - Distinguished ScholarsUp to $10,000 per academic year for 4 years ($40,000 total)
- Arkansas Washington Center ScholarshipUp to $6,000 (one-time)
- Governor's Scholars Program - Achievement ScholarsUp to $5,000 per academic year for 4 years ($20,000 total)
- Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)Up to $4,000 (spring-summer or spring-fall) or $2,750 (spring only), incl. student stipend up to $1,250
- Arkansas Workforce Challenge ScholarshipUp to $3,000 per program (up to $1,500 for 80-179 clock-hour programs)
Keep looking
- Answer a few questions to see every program you qualify for
- Nearby states: Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas
- Federal aid and national scholarships (open to students in any state)
- The FAFSA in plain English (2027-28)
- Should I file the FAFSA if I don't think I'll qualify?
- FAFSA deadlines by state (2027-28)
- The FAFSA for parents: what you need to do
- How to save on textbooks: free, rented and cheaper options
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