SAMS Account

You will need to create a SAMS Account to apply for many state scholarships and grants, including the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship (aka the "lottery" scholarship).

How to qualify for the Arkansas Academic Challenge:

Option 1: Earn a Diploma of Merit

- External agencies will report your completion data, and this should be available to ADHE by mid-July.

Option 2: High School GPA below 3.00 / Completion of Equivalent AND qualifying test score

- ACT 19+
- Accuplacer (reading, writing, math) 246+ average
- SAT 990+
- See below for additional equivalent test information

Option 3: High School GPA of 3.00+ AND standardized test score on record

- ACT, SAT, Accuplacer (reading, writing, math) or other equivalent
- No specific score required

Traditional students must begin attendance in at least 12 credit hours in the first Fall semester following high school graduation and at least 15 credit hours each semester thereafter to receive their funds that semester. This means they must 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.

The Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarships could be worth up to $15,000.00 over four years

Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship Award Amounts

Starting with the 2025-26 school year students are awarded at the following rates:

Year 1 @ 4-year college $2000 @ 2-year college $2000

Year 2 @ 4-year college $4000 @ 2-year college $3000

Year 3 @ 4-year college $4000

Year 4 @ 4-year college $5000

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.

Four Year Institutions

First Year Award:

Student Aid Index Additional PLUS Amount Total Academic Challenge

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:

-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.

Two Year Institutions

EFirst Year Award:

Student Aid Index Additional PLUS Amount Total Academic Challenge

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

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Second Year and Fifth Semester Award:

Student Aid Index Additional PLUS Amount Total Academic Challenge

5,750-7,999 $500 per semester $2,000 per semester

-1,500-5,749 $1,000 per semester $2,500 per semester

AR Future Grant

Another very important and exciting opportunity is the Arkansas Future Grant. This grant could pay 100% of your tuition if you attend a certain school and earn a degree in a high-demand area. Click on the button for the full list.

Governor's scholars program-achievement scholars

The Governor’s Scholars (Achievement) Scholarship is offered to high school seniors that will graduate with a Diploma of Distinction or that have earned an associate’s degree while in high school. It will also be offered to the highest scoring high school senior by ACT or SAT, GPA, and Class Rank who has applied for the Academic Challenge Scholarship in an Arkansas county where there was not a Governor’s Distinguished Scholar that was able to be selected. FAFSA is required. The scholarship pays tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board up to $5,000 per year.

Click on the logo to complete your SAMS aCCount

And again....write down your email and password that you use to set up your account. Don't use your school email.

institutional scholarships

These are scholarships offered to students by the colleges where they apply for admissions based on ACT scores. Every college has their own eligibility qualifications and deadlines. Make sure you do your research! Some schools have deadlines beginning in November!!!

Local scholarships

These are scholarships offered to students by businesses and citizens of the community. Stay tuned! These are usually posted in the Spring.

Scholarships 2026

other scholarships

Here is a link to the Arkansas Community Foundation. The foundation manages dozens of scholarships established by donors to support education for students who meet various criteria. Create an account in their Scholarship Portal to see if you are eligible!

Arkansas Community Foundation Scholarships

Below is a link to a free website that will match you to some scholarships from their database. NEVER pay for a scholarship list or access to a database.

Scholarships