Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship — ADHE

The Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, funded largely by the state lottery, is not limited to students coming straight out of high school. Recent graduates, current college students and returning students may apply if they meet the criteria for their category and attend an approved Arkansas institution. ADHE publishes July 1 as the annual deadline for the upcoming academic year. Check SAMS and your college’s calendar early: the institution may need your records sooner to certify enrollment and keep a missing document from delaying your aid package.

The traditional route for new high-school graduates has several ways to qualify. For the cohort starting after graduation, students may have a Diploma of Merit; or, if their high-school GPA is below 3.0, an eligible score such as ACT 19, SAT 990 or an official equivalent; or a GPA of 3.0 or higher plus a test score on record, with no minimum score specified on the page. Students must also file FAFSA, have lived in Arkansas for at least 12 months before enrollment and not already hold a bachelor’s degree or 120 semester credits. The nontraditional route uses different standards for students with college credits or returning adults; confirm your SAMS category before assuming the new-graduate rules apply.

The base award depends on year in college and institution type. Beginning in 2025–26, ADHE lists $2,000 for year one at both two- and four-year schools; $3,000 in year two at a two-year college; and $4,000 in years two and three and $5,000 in year four at a four-year institution. Challenge PLUS may add funds based on the FAFSA Student Aid Index: the supplement is limited by the year’s table and can reach the published maximum of $2,500 per semester in certain ranges. Students with an SAI of $8,000 or higher do not receive the supplement. These amounts are ceilings, not guaranteed offers; the scholarship can be reduced under coordination rules and cost-of-attendance limits.

Renewal depends on both grades and credit pace. For traditional students, the state page requires a 2.5 cumulative GPA, at least 27 credits in the first year and 30 in each later year, along with required enrollment; first-year students begin with 12 credits in their first fall and generally move to 15 per semester. Nontraditional students have different part-time and full-time proration. In September 2026, a student asked why the portal still appeared to show the previous cycle. That post records a user’s uncertainty while checking SAMS, not proof of a systemwide delay. If it happens to you, save screenshots, confirm you selected the right category and contact ADHE and the campus aid office.

Arkansas Workforce Challenge has a different purpose and cannot be received at the same time as Academic Challenge: it pays for training in advanced manufacturing, construction trades, healthcare, information technology, or logistics, distribution and transportation. Applicants must have lived in Arkansas for at least six months, hold a diploma or equivalency and apply through SAMS at least 30 days before the approved program starts. Published maximums are $1,500 for certain 80–179-hour programs and $3,000 for programs of 180 hours or more or at least six credits, not exceeding standard tuition and fees. Before choosing, ask ADHE whether your certificate is on the list and request the net balance for housing, books, tools and transport.