In short, qualify for the Arkansas Academic Challenge (Lottery) Scholarship. That means score a 19 on the ACT. There are also a few other criteria that must be met to actually receive the Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship. Contact the Arkadelphia Promise office for a checklist of things you need to do to be eligible.

After you have been awarded the Arkansas Academic Challenge (Lottery) Scholarship you will need to forward a copy of the email to the Arkadelphia Promise at jjones@arkadelphiapromise.com. You will also be contacted by email in late spring that you must go on-line and accept the Arkansas Academic Challenge (Lottery) Scholarship.

Check your e-mail!

The Arkansas Academic Challenge (Lottery) Scholarship will send the money directly to the college or university of your choice. The scholarship will be sent semester by semester to your college. If you receive the scholarship for the fall semester, you will receive the scholarship the spring semester as long as you are enrolled in a college.

The Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship will pay up to $6,000 for your freshman year; the Lottery Scholarship will pay $1,000. Different colleges and universities charge fees for various services they provide to the student. The Arkadelphia Promise will pay for many of the fees, but not all. The Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship will be sent semester by semester to your college. If you receive the scholarship for the fall semester, you will receive the scholarship the spring semester as long as you are enrolled in a college.

Below is a chart that shows the amounts that the Arkadelphia Promise will pay each year beginning with the Arkadelphia High School graduating class of 2018.

Year Arkadelphia Promise Lottery Scholarship Yearly Total
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Freshman up to $6,000 $1,000 $7,000
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Sophomore up to $3,000 $4,000 $7,000
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Junior up to $3,000 $4,000 $7,000
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Senior up to $3,000 $5,000 $8,000
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4-Year Total up to $15,000 $14,000 $29,000
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The Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship Director will receive a full account of all the scholarships and need-based funding you will receive. The director will figure your scholarship by subtracting the Arkansas Academic Challenge (Lottery) Scholarship and any need based funding from your total tuition and fee cost. If there is a balance, the Arkadelphia Scholarship will pay up to $6,000 per year for freshmen students. It is possible that you could receive more than you need from other sources, if so, check with your financial aid office to confirm how those funds can be used.

Some degrees require additional fees for course completion (example, HSU’s Aviation Flight Instructor fees). The Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship does not pay for fees relating to a specific course of study. The fees that the Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship pays for are fees that are charged to every student regardless of their chosen academic major.

If you are an Arkansas Academic Challenge (Lottery) Scholarship recipient and are awarded a Pell Grant large enough to pay for the remainder of your tuition and fees, the Arkadelphia Promise cannot be awarded. The Arkadelphia Promise can only be used to pay for tuition and fees. However, if you receive a Pell Grant and attend a community college, you will likely have money left-over after paying for your tuition and fees and you can use that money to pay for books or gas, or room and board costs if you are staying on campus at your college or university.

If you receive a merit scholarship, the Arkadelphia Promise will still contribute after the Arkansas Academic Challenge (Lottery) Scholarship is applied to your invoice. Any merit scholarship can be used to pay for room and board or anything else your college will allow!

An “outside” scholarship is any scholarship that isn’t the Lottery Scholarship or given by the colleges or universities. However, there are some scholarships that must be applied for separately from your college and that is considered an “outside” scholarship. Check with the Arkadelphia Promise Director to make sure. Remember, you must apply for two “outside” scholarships to receive the Arkadelphia Promise. A copy of the “outside” applications can serve as proof that you applied.

To keep the Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship you must remain eligible for the Arkansas Academic Challenge (Lottery) Scholarship. All the eligibility details for the Arkansas Academic Challenge (Lottery) Scholarship can be found at www.adhe.edu. If after entering a college or university you lose the Lottery Scholarship, you will also lose the Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship. If you lose the Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship, you will not be eligible for reinstatement.

Absolutely! The Arkadelphia Promise Director can help answer any questions or concerns you may have regarding going to college and how to pay for it. You will probably qualify for a partial Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship to. The director has access to helpful information for you to use as you navigate your way to college. Parents and students are strongly encouraged to seek assistance for the Arkadelphia Promise at any time. It is a goal of the Arkadelphia Promise to assist as many AHS students as possible achieve a college degree.

No. Many private scholarships take into consideration to economic need of a student when deciding who to award the scholarship to. Many private scholarships and foundations have a desire to help those students with the greatest financial need in order to impact as many lives as possible. If you receive a private scholarship that considers your family’s personal income, it will not be deducted from the total amount of your Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship.

The Arkadelphia Promise will help pay for tuition and fees of up to 30 hours per year. Most schools charge “per hour”, 15 hours cost more than 14, etc.