Academic Challenge Scholarship

The Academic Challenge Scholarship is Arkansas's lottery-funded state scholarship for residents attending an Arkansas college. High school graduates can qualify through an Arkansas Diploma of Merit, a qualifying ACT/SAT/Accuplacer score with a GPA below 3.0, or a 3.0+ GPA with any test score on record. The award starts at $2,000 in year one and rises to $5,000 by year four at a four-year school (lower amounts at two-year colleges), and renews as long as a 2.5 cumulative GPA is maintained.

Eligibility

DemographicsRequires an Arkansas Diploma of Merit, OR a high school GPA below 3.0 with a qualifying test score (ACT 19+, SAT 990+, or Accuplacer average 246+), OR a 3.0+ GPA with any standardized test score on record. Must be an Arkansas resident for at least 12 months and a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident enrolling in a bachelor's or associate degree program.

Applying

Four-year colleges: $2,000 (year 1), $4,000 (years 2-3), $5,000 (year 4) - up to $15,000 total. Two-year colleges: $2,000 (year 1), $3,000 (year 2), plus a $1,500 fifth-semester award.