Arkansas Governor's Distinguished Scholarship

Eligibility

• Be a graduating high school senior.
• Be a bona fide Arkansas resident for the required residency period.
• Be a United States citizen, permanent resident, or meet the program's eligibility pathway for Employment Authorization Document holders.
• Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 unless qualifying through an eligible National Merit or National Achievement pathway.
• Earn a minimum ACT composite or superscore of 32 or an SAT score of at least 1410.
• Attend an approved institution and meet all enrollment requirements.
• Complete the FAFSA unless exempt through the program's Employment Authorization Document pathway.

Requirements

• Create an Arkansas Student Aid Management System account.
• Complete the Governor's Distinguished Scholarship application.
• Submit the FAFSA unless officially exempt.
• Ensure qualifying ACT or SAT scores are reported correctly.
• Provide academic, residency, citizenship, and enrollment documentation when requested.
• Submit an updated scholarship application if a qualifying test score is earned after another SAMS application was submitted.

How to Apply

1. 1Create or sign in to a SAMS account.
2. 2Complete the Governor's Distinguished Scholarship application.
3. 3Submit the FAFSA.
4. 4Verify that the qualifying ACT or SAT score and cumulative GPA are correctly reported.
5. 5Upload or submit any supporting documentation requested through SAMS.
6. 6Submit the application by March 1.
7. 7Monitor the SAMS account for eligibility decisions and additional requests.
8. 8If awarded, complete the required annual credit hours and maintain continuing eligibility.