More than 4,100 University of Arkansas Students Earn 'Lottery' Scholarships

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A total of 4,173 students currently enrolled at the University of Arkansas received Arkansas Challenge Scholarships for the fall 2010 semester.

The Academic Challenge Scholarships are funded by the Arkansas State Lottery.

According to preliminary numbers compiled Aug. 29 by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, the university had more Academic Challenge Scholars than any other institution in the state. University of Arkansas students earned 16.5 percent of all the scholarships awarded to incoming traditional students, primarily freshmen; 26.7 percent of the scholarships given to “current achievers,” students who were enrolled in the university last year; and 7.3 percent of all the scholarships received by non-traditional students.

The ADHE is expected to release final figures on the number of the scholarships, and the percentage received at each university, in early October.

University financial aid office records show that as of Sept. 22 a total of 1,845 traditional students enrolled in the university received Academic Challenge Scholarships. In the “current achievers” category 1,362 Academic Challenge Scholars are enrolled. There are 331 non-traditional students at the University of Arkansas who earned the scholarships. An additional 635 students earned the scholarship last year, before the lottery, and were awarded it again for this academic year.

“The Academic Challenge Scholarships are clearly a boon to students across the state, and the University of Arkansas is very fortunate to have so many qualified students choose to come here,” said Suzanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment services. “The $5,000 in scholarship funding without a doubt enabled students to attend the flagship university who might not otherwise have been able to do so.

“Such funding helps students in so many ways. They can become more involved on campus rather than spending every extra moment working. They can engage in service and in research. They can enjoy the full college experience that will prepare them to be competitive for jobs and graduate programs, to enable them to give back to the state and to their communities, which have been so generous to them,” she said.