Education First Scholarship: A Comprehensive Guide to Requirements and Eligibility

The Education First Scholarship, particularly the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, aims to provide financial assistance to students pursuing higher education. This article provides a detailed overview of the scholarship requirements, eligibility criteria, award amounts, and other essential information for prospective applicants and current recipients. It covers both Traditional and Non-Traditional student pathways, as well as opportunities for graduate school funding and additional aid based on the Student Aid Index (SAI).

Eligibility Criteria

The Education First Scholarship program has different eligibility requirements for Traditional and Non-Traditional students.

Traditional Students

Traditional students are typically defined as those who are applying for the upcoming academic year and expect to attend an approved college or university in the academic year immediately following their graduation from a public high school, a private or out-of-state high school, or homeschool. To qualify as a Traditional student, applicants must meet one of the following academic criteria:

ACT Score: Achieve a composite score or superscore of 19 or higher.
Accuplacer Score: Obtain a score of 246 or higher.
Classic Learning Test Score: Score 58 or higher.
High School GPA: Maintain a GPA of 3.00 or higher.
Diploma of Merit: Possess a Diploma of Merit.

In addition to these academic qualifications, Traditional students must also meet specific enrollment requirements to maintain their scholarship funding. They 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 for that semester. This translates to earning at least 27 credit hours in their first academic year and at least 30 credit hours each academic year thereafter, while maintaining a cumulative GPA of 2.5.

It's worth noting that freshmen who complete their first academic year without initially applying for or qualifying for the Academic Challenge Scholarship can still be considered Traditional students. To qualify under this provision, they must have been enrolled as full-time, first-time students and earned 27 credit hours with a 2.5 GPA in their first academic year. If they do not reach 27 hours by the end of the Spring semester, they can apply as a Non-Traditional student.

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 have their own set of eligibility criteria. Students with some college credit may be considered eligible if they have a cumulative college GPA of at least 2.5. Those with no prior college credit can qualify if they have an ACT composite score or superscore of at least 19 (or an equivalent score on a comparable test).

Unlike Traditional students, Non-Traditional students have more flexibility in their enrollment. They may begin attendance with fewer semester credit hours than required for Traditional students and still receive a prorated scholarship award for that semester.

Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship Award Amounts

The Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship provides varying award amounts based on the type of institution (four-year or two-year college) and the year of enrollment. Starting with the 2025-26 school year, the award rates are as follows:

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

Additional Funding Based on Student Aid Index (SAI)

Starting with the 2024-2025 academic year, students may be eligible for additional funding from the Academic Challenge Scholarship based on their FAFSA's Student Aid Index (SAI). However, students with an SAI of 8,000 or higher are not eligible for this additional funding, and the maximum funding for the Academic Challenge is capped at $2,500.00 per semester.

The additional funding for students with an SAI of 7,999 or below is as follows:

Four-Year Institutions:

First Year Award:
- SAI 5,750-7,999: $500 per semester additional PLUS amount, totaling $1,500 per semester.
- SAI 3,200-5,749: $1,000 per semester additional PLUS amount, totaling $2,000 per semester.
- SAI -1,500-3,199: $1,500 per semester additional PLUS amount, totaling $2,500 per semester.
Second and Third Year Award:
- SAI -1,500-7,999: $500 per semester additional PLUS amount, totaling $2,500 per semester.
Fourth Year Award: Students receiving the fourth year of the Academic Challenge Scholarship are not eligible for any additional PLUS funds, as they are already being awarded the maximum of $2,500 per semester.

Two-Year Institutions: Students receiving the fourth year of the Academic Challenge Scholarship are also not eligible for additional PLUS funds, as they are already at the maximum of $2,500 per semester.

Forfeiting Scholarship Funds

Current recipients of the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship may have the option to forfeit certain semesters of funding under specific circumstances.

Forfeiting Freshman Award Amount

Students who wish to forfeit their first semester of eligible funding must submit a request by July 1st. By forfeiting the freshman award amount, they may be eligible for a higher level of funding later in their academic career.

Forfeiting to Senior Award Amount

If a current recipient has or will earn 87 or more college credit hours prior to their upcoming Fall or Spring semester, they may be eligible to request an increase in funding to the Senior level, which provides $2,500 per semester for two semesters. The priority deadlines for requesting to forfeit to the senior award amount are August 1st for the Fall semester and January 1st for the Spring semester. Requests submitted after the priority deadline may not be processed until after the beginning of the semester. By receiving the higher level of funding, students agree to forfeit any payments they would have received before the Senior level.

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Graduate School Eligibility

Students who graduate early from their undergraduate program have the option to utilize their remaining semesters of scholarship funding for graduate school, subject to certain conditions:

Students can use one or both remaining semesters from their Senior year of funding for graduate school, with a maximum of two semesters.
The graduate school must be based in Arkansas and must be an "Approved Institution" as defined in the scholarship's Rules and Regulations.
Students must be accepted into and start the graduate program in the semester immediately following their undergraduate graduation (excluding summer semesters).
Students must submit a Graduate School Form and attach their graduate acceptance letter.
If a student has an extenuating circumstance or their graduate program doesn't start immediately after graduation, they can request to have their scholarship held for up to one year by submitting a hold through their SAMS account.
Students must earn 30 hours with a 2.5+ GPA in the academic year prior to beginning their graduate program in a Fall semester, or 15 hours with a 2.5+ GPA if their graduate program begins in a Spring semester following graduation in a Fall semester.

The scholarship amount for graduate school is based on the number of hours enrolled. Seniors receive $2,500 per semester if enrolled in 9 or more hours.

Additional Scholarship Opportunities

Besides the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, other scholarship opportunities are available, such as the Emerald Scholarship and the Eagle Guarantee at Eastern Michigan University.

Emerald Scholarship

The Emerald Scholarship offers varying award amounts and requires full-time enrollment (at least 12 credits per semester). Recipients must maintain a cumulative EMU GPA of 2.75 or higher and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress at Eastern Michigan University. The scholarship is renewable for three additional consecutive years, and eligible students must be traditional (under the age of 21) first-year students.

Eagle Guarantee

The Eagle Guarantee is available to incoming first-year students and combines with a studentâs federal Pell grant, Michigan Achievement, and Emerald Scholarship to cover the cost of tuition up to 16 credit hours per semester for up to 8 consecutive fall/winter semesters. Residence hall awards apply to traditional residence halls only (excluding Cornell, Westview, 601 West Forest, and Lakeview).

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