Academic Challenge Scholarship — This scholarship awards nearly $12,000 toward earning a bachelor’s degree for graduating high school seniors who complete the college preparatory core curriculum, have the required grade point average in those courses, achieve a 19 on the ACT and demonstrate financial need.

Arkansas Health Education Grant Program — This grant is open to students seeking professional training in chiropractic medicine, dentistry, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine and veterinary medicine to allow them to attend out-of-state institutions.

Governor’s Scholars Program — This scholarship provides up to $4,000 annually for graduating high school seniors based on academic achievement, test scores and leadership. The Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship is available for those who score 32 on the ACT or 1410 on the SAT and have a 3.50 academic grade point average, or for National Merit Finalists or National Achievement Scholars. It pays tuition, mandatory fees, room and board up to $10,000 per year.

Law Enforcement Officers’ Dependents Scholarship Program — This scholarship pays tuition, fees and room at any public college, university or technical institute in Arkansas for dependents of state law enforcement officers, some Highway and Transportation Department employees, and other public employees who were killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty.

Military Dependents Scholarship — This scholarship program waives tuition, fees, room and board at any public college, university or technical institute in Arkansas for dependents and spouses of Arkansans who were killed or missing in action, prisoners of war, or meet certain criteria for disability.

Minority Teachers Scholarship — Up to $5,000 annually is available for African-American, Asian-American, Native American and Hispanic college juniors and seniors working toward teacher certification. Recipients must teach three to five years in Arkansas to receive loan forgiveness.

R. Preston Woodruff Jr. Scholarship — Awarded to 20 students annually, this scholarship is provided by the Arkansas Student Loan Authority. Though the awards are for one year, one lucky student will get a four-year renewable scholarship.

Robert C. Byrd Scholarship Program — Offers scholarships to Arkansas graduates who have been accepted to an institution of higher learning and who show outstanding academic achievement. Students must demonstrate academic proficiency with standardized test scores, grades, leadership ability and involvement in school.

State Teacher Assistance Resource (STAR) Program — This program is for people who want to teach math, science, special education, foreign languages and other subject areas with a scarcity of educators and/or are willing to teach in an area of Arkansas that has a critical shortage of teachers. Eligible students may receive up to $6,000 per year in forgivable loans for a five-year education degree program.

The Cost of College
The average price for full-time undergraduates to attend four-year institutions in Arkansas in academic year 2004-05 — including tuition, fees, and room and board — was about $8,734 at public institutions and $17,040 at private institutions. That’s quite a bargain, compared with the averages of $16,349 and $35,470 at some other schools in the U.S.

But you also have to consider the price of books, supplies, food, toiletries and transportation. And don’t forget quarters for laundry, cash for movies and money for an occasional shopping spree. The tab adds up fast.

Over the past decade, inflation has caused tuition prices at public and private four-year colleges and universities to jump nearly 40 percent. Such price increases have made it much more difficult for families from nearly all income levels to pay for college. Visit the National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) Web site, Nces.ed.gov, to find out more about how students and their families bear the burden of college costs.

Source: www.nces.ed.gov/ipeds

Show Me the Money
When you Google “scholarships,” more than 36 million results pop up! Read this first to make your search less hectic.

• Look at the heavy-hitters. Many times, companies and franchises offer major scholarships. Check out Fortune 500 companies too — they want the best and brightest minds to join their teams, and many times that equals paying for their education. Hot companies: Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola and Target, to name a few.
• Do some local legwork. Businesses around your area might have scholarships specifically for graduating high school seniors in your city. When you’re out shopping, stopping by your bank or running errands for Mom, take a few extra minutes and ask if the business provides any scholarship opportunities. Hot spots: banks and car dealerships.
• Go up the family tree. Sometimes the companies that your parents work for offer special scholarships for the children of their employees. Get your mom and dad to ask around the office for you.
• Check with your school…high school, that is. The Arkansas Community Foundation Web site has a listing of scholarships that are only available for students graduating from certain Arkansas high schools. Definitely check this site out! Visit arcf.org.
• Be wary of Web sites. When you start looking at listings, make sure you’re checking out a reputable source, and remember — real scholarship applications don’t have fees attached! Hot sites: Arkansasscholarshipconnection.org, Fastweb.com and Finaid.com.