Can I still get the Arkadelphia Promise if I have received state or federal student aid?

If you receive state or federally funded financial aid (example: Pell Grant, GO! Scholarship, etc.), those awards will be applied to tuition and mandatory fees first, followed by the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship (lottery). IF there is a balance after those awards have been applied then the Arkadelphia Promise will pay the difference.

Students may not choose the order in which aid is applied to their bill (for example, you cannot apply the lottery scholarship and the Promise scholarship together to pay for tuition and mandatory fees and use the Pell grant to pay for room and board). Federal/state laws and universities dictate how financial aid is stacked.

Who Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

While growing up, we’ve all dreamed of what we could accomplish for ourselves and our communities after finishing school. The Arkadelphia Promise can help with your goal of earning a college degree and thereby pursuing a future career. It is a promise to remove the financial obstacles of higher education so you can continue to dream big and work hard after high school.

Who is Eligible for the Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship and what does it pay for?

In general, all graduates of Arkadelphia High School, beginning with the 2011 graduating class who receive the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship (“Lottery Scholarship”) from the State of Arkansas are eligible. See the Specific Qualifications section below for more detail.
The Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship will pay the difference, or gap, between the dollar amount of an Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship and a dollar amount up to the highest tuition and mandatory fees charged by an Arkansas public college or university. The Arkadelphia Promise can be used to help pay tuition and mandatory fees at any accredited two-year or four-year public or private college or university in the United States. The Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship does not pay for room and board or books.

Will the Arkadelphia Promise help pay for tuition and fees to an out of state school?

Yes.

A special provision will be made for students attending an out of state school since the Arkansas Academic Challenge (Lottery) Scholarship applies only to Arkansas schools.  For students attending accredited public or private colleges or universities outside of Arkansas, the Arkadelphia Promise scholarship will pay up to the same amount it would have paid had the student attended an Arkansas institution.

For example, if the highest cost of tuition and fees at an Arkansas public university is $8,000 and the lottery scholarship contributes $5,000, the Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship will contribute up to $3,000 toward the cost of tuition and fees at an accredited public or private college or university anywhere in the United States.

Students attending out of state colleges or universities must meet the same minimum requirements as students attending in state college or university.

What are the Terms of the Scholarship?

The Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship provides up to four continuous years of tuition and mandatory fees for post-secondary education. To maintain continued eligibility for the Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship, Arkadelphia High School graduates must adhere to the following:

• Enter any accredited two-year or four-year college or university in the United States immediately following graduation from high school (unless deferred by military service).
• Receive and maintain the Lottery Scholarship. If after entering a college or university, the student loses the Lottery Scholarship, he or she will also lose the Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship. Once a student loses the Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship, he or she will not be eligible for reinstatement.

How is the Amount of Scholarship Determined?

All students who maintain continuous enrollment in APSD in K-12th grade on November 16, 2010 and who graduate from Arkadelphia High School will receive 100% of the Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship, regardless of the date of original enrollment in the District.
Subsequent to November 16, 2010, scholarship amounts will be paid based on length of attendance in the Arkadelphia Public School District (“APSD”). For example, graduates who attend all 13 years at APSD will receive 100 percent of the scholarship. See the Benefit Chart below for additional details.
Benefit Scale: The tuition benefit, based on the highest tuition in an Arkansas public post-secondary institution, will be determined as follows:

Length of Attendance Benefit

How can I be Eligible for the Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship and how do I stay Eligible?

1. Graduate from Arkadelphia High School.
2. Receive a Lottery Scholarship from the State of Arkansas.
3. Maintain eligibility in the Lottery Scholarship throughout college.

What are the specific qualifications to receive the Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship?

• Must be a graduate of Arkadelphia High School
• Must apply for and receive the Lottery Scholarship
• Must provide a letter of admission at an approved institution of higher education in a program of study that leads to a baccalaureate degree, associate’s degree, qualified certificate or a nursing school diploma
• Must be an Arkansas resident and US citizen or lawful permanent resident
• Must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Government aid received will be reduced from the amount of the Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship
• Must provide documentation of application and awards of all federal and state financial aid available as well as additional applicable scholarships offered by colleges, universities and private funders
• Must achieve at least a 2.5 high school grade point average and/or achieve a 19 on the ACT
• Must apply for 2 scholarship opportunities outside of state, federal or Arkadelphia Promise funding. Awards are not required but proof of application is to be documented.

Funding for the Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship is provided by Southern Bancorp and the Ross Foundation. The Scholarship Program was conceived and developed by the Clark County Strategic Plan.