Understanding Arkansas Non-Resident Tuition Award Requirements
Navigating the world of college tuition can be daunting, especially for non-residents. Arkansas offers several avenues for out-of-state students to make their education more affordable. This article will provide a detailed overview of the Arkansas Non-Resident Tuition Award (NRTA) and related scholarship opportunities, including the Academic Challenge Scholarship, outlining eligibility criteria, award amounts, and continuing requirements.
The New Arkansan Non-Resident Tuition Award (NRTA)
The New Arkansan Non-Resident Tuition Award (NRTA) presents a significant opportunity for domestic students across the United States to pursue higher education in Arkansas at a reduced cost. This scholarship aims to bridge the gap between out-of-state and in-state tuition and fees, making Arkansas universities more accessible. The NRTA is automatically awarded to eligible degree-seeking students.
NRTA Eligibility for Surrounding and Extended States
The NRTA program distinguishes between "surrounding states" and "extended states" when determining eligibility criteria:
- Surrounding States: These include states bordering Arkansas or in close proximity, such as Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.
- Entering Freshmen: Must have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.20 or higher.
- Transfer Students: Must have a cumulative college GPA of 3.00 or higher and at least 24 transferable credit hours.
- Extended States: These are states further away from Arkansas.
- Entering Freshmen: Must have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.20 or higher.
- Transfer Students: Must have a cumulative college GPA of 3.20 or higher and at least 24 transferable credit hours.
Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship
While the NRTA focuses specifically on non-resident tuition, the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship is a broader program available to both residents and potentially some non-residents who meet specific criteria. Understanding this scholarship can be beneficial for students exploring all possible funding options.
Basic Eligibility Criteria (Traditional & Non-Traditional Student)
To be eligible for the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, an applicant must meet the following basic criteria:
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- Be an Arkansas resident (for at least 12 months prior to enrollment) or a US citizen/lawful permanent resident.
- Be accepted for admission at an approved institution of higher education in a program of study that leads to a baccalaureate degree, associate degree, qualified certificate, or a nursing school diploma.
- Not have previously earned a baccalaureate degree.
- Not have previously earned a total of 120 or more semester credit hours.
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Note that income is not a determining factor for this scholarship.
- Not owe a refund on a federal or state student financial aid grant for higher education.
- Not borrowed in excess of annual federal loan limits.
- Not be incarcerated at the time of application for or during the time the applicant receives the scholarship.
- Have complied with the United States Selective Service System requirements for registration.
- Certify to be drug-free.
Traditional vs. Non-Traditional Students
The Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship differentiates between "Traditional" and "Non-Traditional" students, each with specific eligibility requirements.
Traditional Students
Traditional students are typically those who are recent high school graduates entering college for the first time. To qualify as a Traditional student, applicants must meet one of the following criteria:
- ACT composite score or superscore of 19 or higher.
- Accuplacer score averaging 246 across all three sections.
- Classic Learning Test score of 58 or higher.
- High School GPA of 3.00.
- Diploma of Merit.
Traditional students must enroll in at least 12 credit hours in their first Fall semester following high school graduation and at least 15 credit hours each semester thereafter. They must also earn at least 27 credit hours in their first academic year and at least 30 credit hours each academic year thereafter, with a cumulative GPA of 2.5.
Important Note: The Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE) will only consider the official composite or superscore from ACT. They cannot manually adjust scores or remove the Science section from any ACT test.
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.
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- Students with some college credit: May be eligible with a cumulative college GPA of at least 2.5.
- Students with no college credit: Can qualify with an ACT composite score or superscore of at least 19 (or an equivalent score on an equivalent test).
Non-traditional students may begin attendance with fewer semester credit hours than Traditional students and still receive a prorated scholarship award for that semester. They must also maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 and earn the appropriate number of hours based on whether they attended full-time (15+ credit hours) or part-time (less than 15 credit hours) each semester.
Continuing Eligibility Criteria
To maintain eligibility for the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, students must meet specific continuing eligibility criteria:
Traditional Students
- Maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA by the end of each Spring semester.
- Earn 27 semester hours the first academic year and 30 semester hours each year thereafter. Students who are in their final year of the scholarship may receive a prorated amount if attending less than 15 hours.
- Complete all remedial courses during the first 30 hours taken after receipt of the scholarship.
- Be continuously enrolled unless the student requests for the scholarship to be placed on hold (maximum hold of four semesters).
- Enroll in courses that lead toward a baccalaureate degree after earning an associate degree or having less than 4 semesters of funding left.
- The scholarship will be renewed until the recipient first earns a baccalaureate degree, receives all scheduled semester payments for the scholarship, or earns a total of 120 or more semester credit hours.
- If the recipient’s undergraduate degree requires more than 120 additional hours, there may be an exception made to receive any remaining scheduled payments.
Non-Traditional Students
- Maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA by the end of each Spring semester.
- Earn at least 15 credit hours each semester of full-time status and earn at least 6 credit hours each semester of part-time status (excluding summer terms).
- Be continuously enrolled unless the student requests for the scholarship to be placed on hold (maximum hold of 4 semesters).
- Enroll in courses that lead toward a baccalaureate degree after earning an associate degree or having less than 4 semesters of funding left (having 72 or more earned hours on record).
- The scholarship will be renewed until the recipient meets one of the following situations: earns a baccalaureate degree, receives all scheduled semester payments for the scholarship, or earns a total of 120 or more semester credit hours.
- If the recipient’s undergraduate degree requires more than 120 additional hours, there may be an exception made to receive any remaining scheduled payments.
ACT Equivalent Scores
For students who did not take the ACT, Arkansas recognizes equivalent scores from other standardized tests:
| Test Name | Qualifying Scores | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| New SAT | 990 | Test taken March 2016 or later |
| ASSET | 40 | Average of all subscores |
| Classic Learning Test (CLT) | 58 | |
| COMPASS | 64 | Average of reading, writing, and algebra scores |
| ACCUPLACER | 79 | Average of all subscores |
| Next-Generation ACCUPLACER | 246 | Average of reading, writing, and math scores (all three highest scores must be submitted at the same time) |
Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship Award Amounts
Starting with the 2025-26 school year, students are awarded at the following rates:
| Year | Four Year College | Two Year College |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \$2,000 | \$2,000 |
| 2 | \$4,000 | \$3,000 |
| 3 | \$4,000 | - |
| 4 | \$5,000 | - |
Starting with the 2024-2025 academic year, students are eligible for additional funding from Academic Challenge based on their FAFSA’s Student Aid Index (SAI). Students who have an 8,000 SAI or higher are not eligible for the additional funding, and that funding for the Academic Challenge is capped at \$2,500.00 per semester. If your SAI is 7,999 or below, the additional funding is as shown below, depending on what type of institution you are attending.
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| Student Aid Index | Additional PLUS Amount | Total Academic Challenge Award |
|---|---|---|
| 5,750-7,999 | \$500 per semester | \$1,500 per semester |
| 3,200-5,749 | \$1,000 per semester | \$2,000 per semester |
| -1,500-3,199 | \$1,500 per semester | \$2,500 per semester |
Second and Third Year Award:
| Student Aid Index | Additional PLUS Amount | Total Academic Challenge Award |
|---|---|---|
| -1,500-7,999 | \$500 per semester | \$2,500 per semester |
Fourth Year Award:If you are receiving the fourth year of the Academic Challenge Scholarship, you are not eligible for any additional PLUS funds since you are already being awarded at the maximum of \$2,500 per semester.
Forfeiting Award Amounts
The Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship offers options to forfeit certain award amounts under specific circumstances:
- Forfeiting Freshman Award Amount: If a high school senior earns 27 or more college credit hours prior to beginning college in the Fall, they may be eligible to request an increase in Arkansas Academic Challenge funding from the freshmen level to the sophomore level. By receiving the higher level, they agree to forfeit the first semesters of eligible funding of Arkansas Academic Challenge. Requests to forfeit the freshman award amount are due by July 1.
- Forfeiting to Senior Award Amount: Current recipients of the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship who have earned 87 or more college credit hours prior to their upcoming Fall or Spring semester may be eligible to request an increase in Arkansas Academic Challenge funding to the Senior level at \$2,500 per semester for two semesters. By receiving the higher level, they agree to forfeit any payments they would have received before the Senior level of funding. The priority deadline for requests to forfeit the senior award amount is August 1st for Fall / January 1st for Spring. The final deadline to request this forfeit is October 1st for Fall / February 1st for Spring.
Graduate School Eligibility
Students who graduate early from undergrad have the option to use the remaining semesters for graduate school under certain conditions:
- Students who graduate early from undergrad have the option to use one or both remaining semester(s) from their Senior year of funding for graduate school (Max 2 semesters).
- The Graduate school must be based in Arkansas.
- Students must be accepted and start the graduate program the semester immediately following their undergraduate graduation (summer semesters not included).
- Students must submit their Graduate School Form and attach their graduate acceptance letter.
- If a student has an extenuating circumstance or their graduate program doesn’t start immediately following their graduation, they can have their scholarship held up to a year by submitting a hold through their SAMS account.
- Students must earn 30 hours with a 2.5+ GPA 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 graduating in a Fall semester in the middle of an academic year.
- The deadline to request this is October 1st for Fall / February 1st for Spring.
- The scholarship amount for graduate school is based on the hours enrolled in. Seniors receive \$2,500 a semester if enrolled in 9 or more hours.
Additional Scholarship Opportunities at UA Little Rock
For students attending the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UA Little Rock), there are additional scholarship opportunities available:
- UA Little Rock Grants: Awarded to students with exceptional financial need as funds are available. The 2025-2026 FAFSA must be completed by July 1st. Award amounts vary.
- P.A.R.K. Scholarship: Awarded to students that complete the P.A.R.K. Program. A letter must be submitted by P.A.R.K.
General Information
It's important to note that the information provided here is intended as a general overview of the programs for those who are applying or considering applying for the scholarship and is not intended to be a comprehensive compilation of program requirements. For complete information, please refer to the program’s rules and regulations.
Students are not required to reapply each semester or year to continue to receive the scholarship. The scholarship is renewed on a yearly basis after each Spring semester as long as the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements.
If you are still pursuing the required ACT score, additional opportunities to retake the test through the national July ACT testing date may be available. If you do not believe you will be able to make the qualifying ACT test score or didn’t take the ACT, the Accuplacer test is being offered remotely and can be substituted for the ACT.
If you are awarded over your Federal Cost of Attendance Budget at your institution for the semester or academic year, your scholarship may be reduced. Scholarships are reduced in the order listed in the Arkansas Scholarship Stacking Law.
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