JONESBORO, Ark. — Arkansas State University is announced a new scholarship program which would offer free tuition to the "majority of Arkansas families."
The announcement was made by university chancellor Todd Shields this week, with Arkansas State introducing its new A-State Promise Plus.
Shields said that the program is meant to "ease the financial burden" on families in Arkansas and said that the program applies to households where the income is $70,000 or less.
“Arkansas State is committed to easing the financial burden for these hard-working families as they seek to send their children to college,” Shields said. “A-State Promise Plus scholarship will bridge the tuition gap for Arkansas families with a household income of $70,000 or less.”
Shields said that the program will help make college attainable for numerous households around Arkansas as the median household income sits at $53,000 for the Natural State.
“A-State has a legacy of supporting first-generation students that stretches for decades, and we recognize that for families under $70,000, sending their children to college is a hurdle," he said. “We want to make sure every young Arkansan that is qualified to go to college has that opportunity. We do not want cost to Arkansas families to limit the dreams of their children.”
As for how the scholarship will work, it's being described as a "last-dollar scholarship." This means that it will cover the tuition costs that remain after grants, the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, and Lottery Scholarship are applied to a student's account.
Additionally, A-State said that the scholarship will help lower housing costs for first-year students. They shared that "Plus" is also a $2,500 housing scholarship that can help first-year students who live on campus.
This housing amount increases as the student moves from freshman year to sophomore year and so forth, if the student continues to live on campus.
For more information on the program, you can click here.