(a) An eligible student shall apply to the Division of Higher Education for benefits under this subchapter.
(b) A United States Armed Forces dependent shall:(1) Apply for the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program, 38 U.S.C. § 3500 et seq., as it existed on January 1, 2025, with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs; and(2) Provide the division with proof of:(A) Acceptance into the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program; or(B) Noneligibility for the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program following application.
(1) Apply for the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program, 38 U.S.C. § 3500 et seq., as it existed on January 1, 2025, with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs; and
(2) Provide the division with proof of:(A) Acceptance into the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program; or(B) Noneligibility for the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program following application.
(A) Acceptance into the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program; or
(B) Noneligibility for the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program following application.
(c) Except as provided under subsection (d) of this section, a dependent of an Arkansas hero, upon his or her being accepted for enrollment into any private, nonprofit institution of higher education in the State of Arkansas or a state-supported institution of higher education in the State of Arkansas, may obtain his or her first bachelor's degree for so long as he or she is eligible with state assistance for tuition, fees, or other charges as provided under this subsection.
(d) (1) The state assistance under this subchapter is limited to the tuition, fees, or other charges that exceed the amount of monetary benefits the dependent is eligible to receive from the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program during the months included in each semester in which the dependent is enrolled.(2) If the dependent is not eligible for monetary benefits from the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program but is eligible for the benefits under this subchapter, the dependent may obtain a bachelor's degree free of tuition, fees, or other charges from a private, nonprofit institution of higher education in this state or a state-supported institution of higher education in this state.(3) However, the state assistance awarded to a dependent attending a private, nonprofit institution of higher education in this state shall not exceed the maximum amount of state assistance awarded to dependents attending a state-supported institution of higher education in this state.
(1) The state assistance under this subchapter is limited to the tuition, fees, or other charges that exceed the amount of monetary benefits the dependent is eligible to receive from the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program during the months included in each semester in which the dependent is enrolled.
(2) If the dependent is not eligible for monetary benefits from the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program but is eligible for the benefits under this subchapter, the dependent may obtain a bachelor's degree free of tuition, fees, or other charges from a private, nonprofit institution of higher education in this state or a state-supported institution of higher education in this state.
(3) However, the state assistance awarded to a dependent attending a private, nonprofit institution of higher education in this state shall not exceed the maximum amount of state assistance awarded to dependents attending a state-supported institution of higher education in this state.
(e) Once a person qualifies as a dependent under this subchapter, there shall be no situation such as the return of the parent or the reported death of the parent that will remove the dependent from the provisions or benefits of this subchapter.
(f) An eligible recipient shall receive a scholarship for one (1) academic year, renewable for up to three (3) additional academic years if the recipient meets continuing eligibility criteria established by the division.
(g) In compliance with the division's scholarship stacking policy, a student's total financial aid package, which can include multiple scholarships, shall not exceed the recognized cost of attendance at a state-supported institution of higher education.
(h) In the event the number of students who qualify for a scholarship under this subchapter during an academic year exceeds the amount of funds appropriated to the Higher Education Grants Fund Account for purposes of funding students who qualify for scholarship under this subchapter during the given academic year, the excess awards that qualify for distribution under this subchapter shall be funded with any net proceeds from the state lottery remaining after the division allocates sufficient funding to award the following scholarships at levels equivalent to the awards made in the previous academic year:(1) Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, § 6-85-201 et seq.; and(2) Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship, § 6-85-301 et seq.
(1) Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, § 6-85-201 et seq.; and
(2) Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship, § 6-85-301 et seq.