Navigating the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship and the Academic Challenge PLUS

The Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship is designed to provide educational opportunities for Arkansas residents pursuing higher education. Administered by the Arkansas Division of Higher Education (ADHE), this scholarship supports students seeking a baccalaureate degree, associate degree, qualified certificate, or a nursing school diploma at approved institutions. The Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship is open to Arkansas residents who have been accepted for admission at an approved institution of higher education in a program of study that leads to a baccalaureate degree, associate degree, qualified certificate, or a nursing school diploma. To qualify, applicants must not have previously earned a baccalaureate degree.

Eligibility Categories: Traditional and Non-Traditional Students

The Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship caters to both traditional and non-traditional students, each with specific eligibility criteria. Interested students should bear in mind that further eligibility (GPA, ACT, and credit hour) requirements are based on two student categories: Traditional (Incoming Freshman) and Nontraditional Students. The application deadline is July 1 of a student’s senior year in high school. Students can earn between $1,000 and $5,000, depending on their year in school.

Traditional Students

Traditional students are typically those applying for the scholarship directly out of high school. To qualify as a traditional student, applicants must:

Be a bona fide resident of Arkansas for 12 months
Be a United States citizen or a permanent resident alien
Be a graduating high school senior
Have completed the ACT or SAT prior to the annual deadline
Complete the FAFSA
Begin attendance in at least 15 credit hours each semester at college/university (only 12 credit hours is required your first semester)

In addition to the basic eligibility criteria, traditional students must also meet certain academic requirements. Traditional: Students applying for the upcoming academic year who expect to attend an approved college or university in the academic year following their graduation from a public high school, a private or out-of-state high school, or homeschool must have one of the following to qualify.

ACT composite score or superscore of 19+
Accuplacer score of all three sections averaging 246
Classic Learning Test score of 58+
High School GPA of 3.00
Diploma of Merit

Traditional students must begin attendance in at least 12 credit hours in the first Fall semester following high school graduation and at least 15 credit hours each semester thereafter to receive their funds that semester. This means they must earn at least 27 credit hours in their first academic year and at least 30 credit hours each academic year thereafter, with a cumulative GPA of 2.5. Freshmen finishing their first academic year who did not apply for or qualify for the Academic Challenge Scholarship may be considered Traditional students if they were enrolled as a full-time, first-time student and earned 27 hours with a 2.5 GPA in their first academic year. If they do not have 27 hours at the end of Spring, they can still apply as a Non-Traditional student.

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Non-Traditional Students

Non-traditional Students are defined as students currently in college who did not receive the Academic Challenge Scholarship, as well as adults who have completed some college, but do not have a degree.

Non-Traditional: Students with some or no college credit can qualify. If a student has some college credit, they may be considered eligible with a cumulative college GPA of at least 2.5. A student with no college credit can qualify as a Non-Traditional student if they have an ACT composite score or superscore of at least 19 (or an equivalent of a 19 composite on an equivalent test).

Non-traditional students may begin attendance with fewer semester credit hours than the required number for Traditional students and still receive a prorated scholarship award for that semester. They must also maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 and earn the appropriate number of hours, based on whether they attended full-time (15+ credit hours) or part-time (less than 15 credit hours) each semester.

Maintaining Eligibility

To maintain eligibility for the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, students must meet certain continuing eligibility criteria. These criteria vary slightly depending on whether the student is classified as traditional or non-traditional.

Continuing Eligibility for Traditional Students

Continuing Eligibility CriteriaStudent must maintain a minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale at the end of each academic yearStudent must earn 27 semester credit hours during the first academic year and 30 semester credit hours per year thereafter.

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Maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA by the end of each Spring semester
Earn 27 semester hours the first academic year and 30 semester hours each year thereafter
Students who are in their final year of the scholarship may receive a prorated amount if attending less than 15 hours
Complete all remedial courses during the first 30 hours taken after receipt of the scholarship
Be continuously enrolled unless student request for scholarship to be placed on hold (maximum hold of four semesters)

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Shall enroll in courses that lead toward a baccalaureate degree after:
- Earning an associate degree; or
- Having less than 4 semesters of funding left
Will be renewed until recipient first:
- Earns a baccalaureate degree
- Receives all scheduled semester payments for the scholarship
- Earns a total of 120 or more semester credit hours
If the recipient’s undergraduate degree requires more than 120 additional hours (not that the student is taking longer than 120 hours due to changing classes or programs) there may be an exception made to receive any remaining scheduled payments

Continuing Eligibility for Non-Traditional Students

Continuing Eligibility Criteria for Non-Traditional StudentsMaintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA by the end of each Spring semesterEarns at least 15 credit hours each semester of full-time status and earns at least 6 credit hours each semester of part-time status (excluding summer terms)Be continuously enrolled, unless student requests for scholarship to be placed on hold (maximum hold of 4 semesters)Shall enroll in courses that lead toward a baccalaureate degree after:Earning an associate degree; orHaving less than 4 semesters of funding left (having 72 or more earned hours on record)Will be renewed until the recipient meets one of the following situations:Earns a baccalaureate degreeReceives all scheduled semester payments for the scholarshipEarns a total of 120 or more semester credit hoursIf the recipient’s undergraduate degree requires more than 120 additional hours (not that the student is taking longer than 120 hours due to changing classes or programs) there may be an exception made to receive any remaining scheduled payments

Maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA by the end of each Spring semester
Earns at least 15 credit hours each semester of full-time status and earns at least 6 credit hours each semester of part-time status (excluding summer terms)
Be continuously enrolled, unless student requests for scholarship to be placed on hold (maximum hold of 4 semesters)
Shall enroll in courses that lead toward a baccalaureate degree after:
- Earning an associate degree; or
- Having less than 4 semesters of funding left (having 72 or more earned hours on record)
Will be renewed until the recipient meets one of the following situations:
- Earns a baccalaureate degree
- Receives all scheduled semester payments for the scholarship
- Earns a total of 120 or more semester credit hours
If the recipient’s undergraduate degree requires more than 120 additional hours (not that the student is taking longer than 120 hours due to changing classes or programs) there may be an exception made to receive any remaining scheduled payments

Award Amounts

The Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship provides varying award amounts depending on the type of institution (two-year or four-year) and the student's year in school.

Traditional Category Award Amounts

The award amount for students attending a two-year institution are shown as below by year (this includes satellite campuses of four-year institutions and approved nursing schools that only offer two-year programs). Students are no longer eligible at a two-year institution if at 72 or more credit hours with 3 semesters or less of eligibility remaining. If you reach this amount of reported earned hours or semester payments remaining, you will have to request a transfer or a hold until you transfer (see Holds, Transfers, Underenrollment, and Withdrawals below) to a four-year institution to receive the remaining semesters of eligibility.Year 1 $2,000 ($1,000 per semester) Year 2 $3,000 ($1,500 per semester) 5th semester $1,500 (final semester at 2 year)

Starting with the 2025-26 school year students are awarded at the following rates:

Four Year College

Year 1: $2,000
Year 2: $4,000
Year 3: $4,000
Year 4: $5,000

Two Year College

Year 1: $2,000
Year 2: $3,000

Students are no longer eligible at a two-year institution if at 72 or more credit hours with 3 semesters or less of eligibility remaining. If you reach this amount of reported earned hours or semester payments remaining, you will have to request a transfer or a hold until you transfer to a four-year institution to receive the remaining semesters of eligibility.

Non-Traditional Category Award Amounts

The award amount will progress similarly to the chart below as you earn the amount of hours or semester payments. Hours Already Earned Classification Initial Award Amount Full-Time Payments Remaining 0 - 12 Freshman - Semester 1 $1,000/semester 8 Semesters 13 - 26 Freshman - Semester 2 $1,000/semester 7 Semesters 27 - 41 Sophomore - Semester 1 $2,000/semester* 6 Semesters 42 - 56 Sophomore - Semester 2 $2,000/semester* 5 Semesters 57 - 71 Junior - Semester 1 $2,000/semester* 4 Semesters 72 - 86 Junior - Semester 2 $2,000/semester 3 Semesters 87 - 103 Senior - Semester 1 $2,500/semester 2 Semesters 104 - 120 Senior - Semester 2 $2,500/semester 1 Semester *Award amounts for these semesters are $1,500 at a two-year institution (this includes satellite campuses of four-year institutions and approved nursing schools that only offer two-year programs)

The award amount will progress similarly as you earn the amount of hours or semester payments.

0 - 12 Hours Earned: Freshman - Semester 1, $1,000/semester, 8 Semesters Remaining
13 - 26 Hours Earned: Freshman - Semester 2, $1,000/semester, 7 Semesters Remaining
27 - 41 Hours Earned: Sophomore - Semester 1, $2,000/semester*, 6 Semesters Remaining
42 - 56 Hours Earned: Sophomore - Semester 2, $2,000/semester*, 5 Semesters Remaining
57 - 71 Hours Earned: Junior - Semester 1, $2,000/semester*, 4 Semesters Remaining
72 - 86 Hours Earned: Junior - Semester 2, $2,000/semester, 3 Semesters Remaining
87 - 103 Hours Earned: Senior - Semester 1, $2,500/semester, 2 Semesters Remaining
104 - 120 Hours Earned: Senior - Semester 2, $2,500/semester, 1 Semester Remaining

*Award amounts for these semesters are $1,500 at a two-year institution (this includes satellite campuses of four-year institutions and approved nursing schools that only offer two-year programs)

Students must be enrolled in at least 15 semester hours (considered full-time for this scholarship) to receive the amounts stated above. However, there is an allowance for Non-Traditional students who are enrolled in less than 15 hours. If enrolling as a part-time student in less than 15 semester hours, your award amount for that semester is prorated by the rates below, with a minimum of 6 semester hours required for any amount.

Enrolled in 6-8 hours: 50%
Enrolled in 9-14 hours: 75%
Enrolled in 15+ hours: 100%

Academic Challenge PLUS

Starting with the 2024-2025 academic year and after, students are eligible for additional funding from Academic Challenge based on their FAFSA’s Student Aid Index (SAI). Students who have an 8,000 SAI or higher are not eligible for the additional funding, and that funding for the Academic Challenge is capped at $2,500.00 per semester. If your SAI is 7,999 or below, the additional funding is as shown below, depending on what type of institution you are attending.

If you are receiving Academic Challenge PLUS, as described below, the total amount of your award (including the PLUS amount) will be prorated by the same rates.

Four-Year Institutions

First Year Award:

Student Aid Index 5,750 - 7,999: $500 per semester Additional PLUS Amount, $1,500 per semester Total Academic Challenge Award
Student Aid Index 3,200 - 5,749: $1,000 per semester Additional PLUS Amount, $2,000 per semester Total Academic Challenge Award
Student Aid Index -1,500 - 3,199: $1,500 per semester Additional PLUS Amount, $2,500 per semester Total Academic Challenge Award

Second and Third Year Award:

Student Aid Index -1,500 to 7,999: $500 per semester Additional PLUS Amount, $2,500 per semester Total Academic Challenge Award

Fourth Year Award:

If you are receiving the fourth year of the Academic Challenge Scholarship, you are not eligible for any additional Academic Challenge PLUS funds since you are already being awarded at the maximum of $2,500 per semester.

Two-Year Institutions

First Year Award:

Student Aid Index 5,750 - 7,999: $500 per semester Additional PLUS Amount, $1,500 per semester Total Academic Challenge Award
Student Aid Index 3,200 - 5,749: $1,000 per semester Additional PLUS Amount, $2,000 per semester Total Academic Challenge Award
Student Aid Index -1,500 - 3,199: $1,500 per semester Additional PLUS Amount, $2,500 per semester Total Academic Challenge Award

Second Year and 5th semester:

Student Aid Index 5,750 - 7,999: $500 per semester Additional PLUS Amount, $2,000 per semester Total Academic Challenge Award
Student Aid Index -1500 - 5,749: $1,000 per semester Additional PLUS Amount, $2,500 per semester

Summer Aid

Students have the option to Opt-in to receive the scholarship during the Summer through their SAMS account. The deadline to let us know if you wish to opt-in is June 1 for each year. The Summer semester is treated as a normal Fall or Spring semester in terms of credit hour requirements. Student will be required to enroll in at least 15 hours during the Summer to be eligible for this payment, with the exception of those in a restricted program or those receiving the fourth year funding of their scholarship that can receive a prorated amount at the same rates indicated above. You must be enrolled in the required number of hours for all Summer terms (e.g. Intersession, Summer 1, and Summer 2, etc.) by your institution’s Census Date for the Summer semester. You cannot add classes after Census and be paid for them. If you are not meeting continuing eligibility for your scholarship by the end of Spring, you may not be eligible to receive these funds during Summer. Be aware that if you drop, withdraw, and/or fail classes for the Summer semester it will likely affect your eligibility to use the scholarship in the following Fall semester.

If enrolling in Summer classes, you must complete all hours that you enroll in for Summer in addition to the above requirement.

If enrolling as a part-time student in less than 15 semester hours, your award amount for that semester is prorated. If you enroll in at least 15 hours for Summer, you must earn at least 15 or more hours. If you enroll in 6-14 hours for Summer, then you are only required to earn at least 6 hours by the end of Summer.

Disbursement of Funds

The award will be disbursed to the institution you are attending in accordance with its disbursement policies, typically in equal amounts for each term (Fall and Spring), after verifying you are enrolled in the appropriate number of semester hours.

You must be enrolled in the appropriate number of credit hours at ONE institution each semester. This scholarship award and hours cannot be split among multiple colleges in a semester unless there is a consortium agreement between the colleges for that student or that student's program (If you are paying both schools separately for your tuition and fee charges, your program is likely not under a consortium agreement).

Holds, Transfers, Underenrollment, and Withdrawals

Life circumstances can sometimes interfere with a student's ability to maintain continuous enrollment. The Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship program provides some flexibility through holds, transfers, and considerations for underenrollment and withdrawals.

Holds: If you are underenrolled, withdraw, have a leave of absence from school, a hold may be allowed for up to two years (four fall and/or spring semesters) in total, provided you petition ADHE by completing a hold request form in your SAMS account. To submit a hold, you will log into your SAMS account, click on “Scholarships” in the menu, and click the Request Hold button. This request must be received by October 1 for the Fall term and February 1 for the Spring term. Failure to notify the ADHE of your intent to hold your scholarship, will likely result in the loss of your award.
Transfers: You may transfer to another eligible Arkansas institution provided you update your SAMS account by October 1 for the Fall term and February 1 for the Winter or Spring terms. If transferring between Fall and Spring semesters, you must also submit a transcript from the school you are leaving showing that you have maintained both the required GPA and amount of earned hours.
Underenrollment: If you are underenrolled, withdraw, have a leave of absence from school, a hold may be allowed for up to two years (four fall and/or spring semesters) in total, provided you petition ADHE by completing a hold request form in your SAMS account.

You have the option to Hold your scholarship if you are not able to enroll, are underenrolled, or have to withdraw.

Appeals Process

If you are placed on Probation or Dropped from the scholarship, exceptions will be allowed for extenuating circumstances through an appeal. An appeal normally consists of a letter or statement of your situation, a copy of your unofficial transcript, and documentation showing proof of those circumstances.

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