Are you an Arkansas resident and looking for the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL), which is mainly known as the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship 2024-25?
The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL) program is a significant scholarship program that the Arkansas Department of Higher Education funds and it was established in 2009. Since then, it has given Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarships to more than 720,000 Arkansas resident students. The main aim of this scholarship is to help Arkansas student residents. This Arkansas Scholarship 2024 is available for traditional and non-traditional students of Arkansas residents who are looking to pursue their higher education.
As of 2023, the ASL has raised over $1.3 billion in scholarship proceeds, funding over 720,000 Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarships. For fiscal 2024, the lottery projected that the total revenue would be $567.9 million, aiming to raise $100.7 million for college scholarships. The selected recipients are then qualified for those 52 Arkansas colleges and universities, which are a combination of public and private institutions. The lottery’s success is a boon for students and the state’s economy, as it helps Arkansans pursue higher education and thereby contributes to the state’s workforce development.
Table of Contents
Objectives and goals of the 2024 scholarship program
1. Continuing to Raise Funds for Education:
The past success of the ASL since 2009, the organization aims to continue raising significant funds to support educational scholarships.
Eric Hagler, ASL executive director Said that…….
“We are in the entertainment business; however, we never lose sight of our objective of helping Arkansas students pursue a higher education,”
In fiscal year 2023, the ASL raised the fund amount of $114,767,979; even this FY23 was also the second-highest financial year with sales of $607,561,125. The same in 2024; the organization is trying to maintain or exceed this level of funding to ensure that scholarships can be awarded to as many students as possible.
2. Expanding Scholarship Opportunities:
The ASL plans to expand its scholarship offerings to meet the different needs of Arkansas students. This includes the introduction of the Arkansas Challenge Plus Scholarship, introduced in 2024, which provides additional funding based on financial needs for students who already have an Academic Challenge Scholarship. Even in the fiscal year 2024, the Division of Higher Education projects will award 27,000 students Academic Challenge scholarships totaling $75 million.
3. Supporting Workforce Development:
Another scholarship called the Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship is a non-renewable grant where ASL aims to support students seeking certifications in high-demand occupations such as healthcare, information technology, and industry. The desired Students can enroll in this scholarship either in credit or non-credit ways.
4. Increasing Accessibility to Higher Education:
The ASL grant is a popular scholarship for Arkansas residents looking for the financial means to pursue higher education. This scholarship helps traditional and non-traditional students, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent capable students from pursuing college or technical education.
5. Promoting Responsible Gaming:
While raising funds for education, the ASL also emphasizes the importance of responsible gaming. The program aims to continue promoting awareness and providing resources for responsible gaming practices among its participants.
6. Engaging with the Community:
The ASL plans to maintain and enhance its engagement with the Arkansas community through an active presence on social media platforms and participation in events. This engagement helps to keep the public informed about the lottery’s impact on education and encourages continued support for the program.
Eligibility Criteria for the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL) 2024
| SL No | Eligibility | Description |
| 1 | Minimum GPA | 2.5/4 Scale |
| 2 | Citizenship | USA or Lawfully permanent resident |
| 3 | FAFSA | Yes |
| 4 | ACT/SAT Scores | a) Traditional: Minimum 19 score b) Non-Traditional: 2.5 GPA + Minimum 15 credit hours |
| 5 | Educational Status | Who just graduating from high school or currently enrolled in college or enrolling in college for the first time, or re-enrolling after a period out of college |
| 6 | Degree and Credit Hour Limitations | No need to previously earn a baccalaureate degree or accumulated 120 or more semester credit hours |
| 7 | Financial Aid Refund and Loan Limits | Applicants should not have any extra refunds to repay on federal or state educational grants. |
| 8 | Renewal | |
| 9 | Enrollment Type | a) Traditional: Full Time with 15 credit hours b) Non-Traditional: Full Time/Part Time with minimum 15/(6-14) hours |
| 10 | GED | Required |
List of Scholarships Funded by the ASL
1. Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship
2. Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship
3. Arkansas Concurrent Challenge Scholarship
4. Arkansas Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship
5. Single Parent Scholarship Fund
6. Technical Opportunity Program (TOP)
7. Military Dependents Scholarship
8. Non-Traditional Student Scholarship
9. Minority Teacher Scholarship Program
10. Arkansas Challenge Plus Scholarship
Scholarship Amount for Arkansas Scholarship Lottery 2024
| Four Year College | Two Year College | |
| 1ST Year | $1000 | $1000 |
| 2nd Year | $4000 | $3000 |
| 3rd Year | $4000 | |
| 4th Year | $5000 |
Application Deadlines
| Application Opens | |
| Application Closes |
The Application Will Publish Soon
How are Scholarship Recipients Chosen?
Scholarship recipients are typically chosen based on factors that fulfill the specific scholarship’s goals and requirements. The selection process is depending on the scholarship program, but here are some standard criteria and methods used to select recipients:
1. Academic Merit
Merit-based academic scholarships mainly focus on the merit-based selection process for scholarships, such as the Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship, which is awarded based on academic achievement. The applicants applying for this scholarship must be qualified upon graduation from a public high school, a private or out-of-state high school, or a homeschool. Applicants also need to maintain the minimum GPA, standardized test scores (like the ACT or SAT), class rank, or other measures of academic excellence.
2. Financial Need
Suppose I talk about scholarships like the Arkansas Challenge Plus Scholarship, a financial need for traditional and non-traditional students. In this scholarship, applicants also maintain their GPA and ACT/SAT scores and give FAFSA to those requiring financial needs.
3. Field of Study
Scholarships such as the Arkansas Future Grant (ArFuture) target students enrolled in specific fields of study, particularly those in STEM or high-demand areas. This aligns with workforce development goals by encouraging education in sectors critical to the state’s economy.
4. Special Populations
Under ASL, some scholarships are designed for specific groups, such as the Single Parent Scholarship Fund for low-income single parents or the Military Dependents Scholarship for those seeking post-secondary education to improve their skills in the respective domain for Arkansas veterans.
5. Random Drawing
Applicants looking for the ASL grant first need to apply for the FAFSA; after that, the applicants are qualified for the random drawing through a lottery process.
How to Apply Arkansas Scholarship Lottery 2024-25
To apply for the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery 2024-25, applicants are need to visit the official website and apply for it. To do it, applicants are required the following documents………
- Arkansas Residency Proof
- Academic Records
- FAFSA Form
- Application Form
