• Student must be a resident of the state of Arkansas, as defined by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board Policy, Section 5.10
• Must be a 2026 Arkansas High School Graduate
• Must have at least a 19 ACT or 990 SAT superscore and
• Must have at least a00 high school GPA
• Family income is less than $70,000 (based on the Adjusted Gross Income or AGI from federal income tax form)
• Must be accepted for admission at Arkansas State University
• Must complete the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship application
• Must meet Federal Title IV eligibility criteria

Important:

The Arkansas Promise Plus Scholarship is only available to traditional, on-campus students. A-State Online students are not eligible for this program.

STEP ONE: Apply to A-State

Apply for admission to Arkansas State University. You can apply immediately at AState.edu/Apply.

STEP TWO: Complete the Arkansas Challenge Scholarship Application

Apply online at sams.adhe.edu.

STEP THREE: Submit the FAFSA

The new, simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opens October 1, 2025.
Complete it at studentaid.gov.

We recommend finishing all three steps by November 1, 2025.

• Students must enroll in at least 15 hours each semester.
• A-State will apply the Pell Grant, Arkansas Challenge, and Arkansas Challenge Plus (if eligible) to the tuition and fees.
• The remaining balance for 15 hours of tuition and basic fees (Athletic and Student Activity Fee) will be paid by the A-State in our Arkansas Promise Plus Program.
• Please note that students enrolled in more than 15 hours or in courses that require additional fees will be responsible for these charges. For a list of additional fees, please visit https://www.astate.edu/info/costs/undergraduate/
• Students living on campus will have their housing paid for the first year only.
  • Students will be responsible for paying the meal plan charges.
  • Students will be responsible for books and other expenses charged.
• Students that prefer to not live on campus will receive $1500 per semester towards meals and other expenses ($1000 voluntary meal plan, $500 in Promise Plus Perks) for the first year only.
• The Arkansas Promise Plus may be stacked with A-State Academic Scholarships. (See A-State Stacking Policy).

• Voluntary Meal Plan can be used at the campus cafeteria and on-campus food vendors
• Promise Plus Perks can be used at Textbook Brokers as well as the Team Stores located in Centennial Bank Stadium, First National Bank Arena, and Tomlinson Stadium

To stay eligible each year, students must:

• Complete at least 30 credit hours at Arkansas State University
• Maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA
• Submit the FAFSA annually at studentaid.gov and meet the income requirements.
• Meet all requirements for the Arkansas Challenge or Lottery Scholarship

To qualify for the Arkansas Promise Plus:

• Your family income is $70,000 or less (based on the Adjusted Gross Income or AGI from federal income tax form)
• You must be a resident of the state of Arkansas, as defined by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board Policy, Section 5.10
• Accepted for admission at Arkansas State University
• Complete the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship application
• Meet Federal Title IV eligibility criteria
• Annually complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by June 1 each year
• Complete 15 credit hours each semester for a 30-hour total each academic year
• Maintain a grade-point average of 2.5

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid allows A-State to determine your eligibility for need-based aid, and is required by the federal government for all federal financial aid that includes grants (like the Pell Grant), scholarships and loans. Along with missing out on Arkansas Promise Plus, students and their families are likely not maximizing the financial aid they could qualify for.

A-State’s role is to support each individual with the scholarship necessary to cover up to 15 hours of tuition and basic fees (Athletic and Student Activity Fees). The amount will vary depending upon how much in federal and state grants each student qualifies for.