Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Arkansas Department of Higher Education

Overview
The Governor’s Scholars (Non‑Distinguished) Scholarship is awarded to the top‑scoring high school senior in any Arkansas county that did not name a Governor’s Distinguished Scholar that year. It is also available to graduating seniors who earn a Diploma of Distinction or who complete an Associate’s degree while still in high school. The scholarship covers tuition, required fees, and room and board up to $5,000 per academic year (maximum $20,000 over four years). FAFSA completion is required for most applicants.

Application Deadline
Annual deadline: July 1

Who May Apply
- High school seniors in their graduating year.
- Non‑U.S. citizens who hold an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), or whose parent holds an EAD, may apply; these applicants are not required to file a FAFSA. If this applies to you, contact the Governor’s Scholars office at 501‑371‑1064.

Basic Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must:
- Have been a bona fide Arkansas resident for at least 12 months.
- Be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident alien (or be an EAD holder, or have a parent who is an EAD holder, as noted above).
- Be a graduating high school senior.
- Have taken the ACT or SAT prior to the July 1 annual deadline.
- File the FAFSA (except for applicants covered by the EAD exception).
- Enroll in college/university courses and attend at least 15 credit hours each semester (first semester exception: a minimum of 12 credit hours is acceptable).

Selection Criteria
The award is given to the highest scoring student in the county using a combination of ACT or SAT score, cumulative GPA, and class rank, but also applies to students who meet the Diploma of Distinction or Associate’s degree criteria described above.

Renewal / Continuing Eligibility
To retain the scholarship each year a student must:
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 on a 4.0 scale at the end of each academic year.
- Complete 27 semester credit hours during the first academic year and at least 30 semester credit hours in each subsequent academic year.

Award Amounts and Interaction with Academic Challenge
- The Governor’s Scholars (Non‑Distinguished) Scholarship provides up to $5,000 per academic year.
- Students may accept both the Academic Challenge award and the Governor’s Scholars (Non‑Distinguished) Scholarship. When both are received, the combined annual amounts are as shown below.

If attending a 4‑year institution (per academic year while both awards are received):
- Year 1: Academic Challenge $2,000; Governor’s Scholars $5,000
- Year 2: Academic Challenge $4,000; Governor’s Scholars $5,000
- Year 3: Academic Challenge $4,000; Governor’s Scholars $5,000
- Year 4: Academic Challenge $5,000; Governor’s Scholars $5,000

If attending a 2‑year institution (until transfer to a 4‑year):
- Year 1: Academic Challenge $2,000; Governor’s Scholars $5,000
- Year 2: Academic Challenge $3,000; Governor’s Scholars $5,000
- 5th Semester (if applicable): Academic Challenge $1,000; Governor’s Scholars $2,500

Total potential: up to $5,000 per year from Governor’s Scholars, for up to four years (maximum $20,000).

Contact
If you have questions—especially regarding EAD eligibility or FAFSA exceptions—call the Governor’s Scholars office at 501‑371‑1064.