The goal of the Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship is to increase the college-going rate for local students, reduce the number of students dropping out of college for financial reasons and provide for a more educated workforce. The Arkadelphia Promise is a game-changing effort – helping to make a college education not just a dream, but a reality for every child in Arkadelphia.  A college degree is a passport to future prosperity for individuals and a more college-educated workforce makes Arkadelphia a more attractive community in which to locate a business.

This bold initiative will stimulate both the educational and economic systems in Arkadelphia. Studies have shown a strong correlation between overall academic achievement and economic vitality and quality of life.  Any hope for broad-based economic revitalization hinges on improving the education of our residents. The immediate outcomes are:

• Lowering or eliminating the cost of post-secondary education.

• Increased incentive for high school graduation, college attendance and completion.

• Enrollment increase at Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University.

• Among its broader outcomes, it is anticipated that this program will lead to a more educated workforce, higher overall earnings for graduates, greater disposable income for local families, and improvements in the local economy and housing market.

The Promise also makes the community more attractive for businesses seeking to invest, expand, or relocate; not only will their employees’ children have access to free college tuition, but the businesses themselves will be able to tap an increasingly well-trained workforce.