June 1 scholarship application deadline fast approaching
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – All state financial aid applications must be completed through the web-based YOUniversal Financial Aid System no later than midnight on Wednesday, June 1 to be eligible for funding for fall or spring of this academic year.
“We’ve used technology to make our financial aid application as easy and accessible as possible,” said Shane Broadway, Department of Higher Education interim director, “but it also means that applicants will be locked out at 12:01 a.m. on June 2 – no exceptions, no overrides.”
More than 20 different grants, loans, and scholarship programs are available through ADHE. The Academic Challenge Scholarship is the largest program, funding students in several categories in varying amounts. Students who have not previously received the Academic Challenge Scholarship must apply by June 1, and any supporting materials required for application must be submitted by Wednesday, June 15.
Each student who graduates from an Arkansas high school in 2011 and completes the eligibility requirements is guaranteed to receive Academic Challenge Scholarships funds through the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery under the current legislation. Those enrolled at four-year universities will receive $4,500 and those at two-year colleges will receive $2,250 over the course of two semesters.
“Over the next several days, we will send out a third notice to nearly 6,000 students who have applied but are pending eligibility because they need to supply some additional materials to qualify, maybe an official ACT score, a transcript or complete the FAFSA form,” Broadway said. “And we’ll also send out reminders to approximately 2,500 students who have qualified and been awarded but have yet to accept the scholarship.”
Any remaining scholarship dollars will be awarded to currently enrolled and returning students based on a prioritization process that takes into account students nearest to graduation, grade point average and those in critical needs areas, such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Last year, the Academic Challenge Scholarship was awarded to more than 31,000 students – from traditional recent high school graduates to non-traditional students. A large number of students are expected to maintain their eligibility and continue receiving the monetary award for the upcoming year.
The homepage of the agency’s website – www.adhe.edu – should provide answers to most questions and easy access to information, officials said.
The ADHE is responsible for carrying out the policy directives of the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board, approving and reviewing college and university academic programs and developing funding recommendations for the state’s 11 public universities and 22 public two-year colleges as well as several other post-secondary entities.
In addition, the agency is responsible for distributing approximately $170 million annually from state revenues and lottery funds intended to ease the financial burden of students seeking an education beyond high school. For more information, visit www.adhe.edu or call 501-371-2000.
