There are many school grants and scholarships from Arkansas. Knowing what is available can lead the student to find the financial help he/she needs.
The Arkansas single parent scholarship fund can help single parents further their education. Eligibility requirements are: 1) you must be a single parent and head of your household due to being either single, divorced, widowed, or legally separated; 2) you must have financial need; 3) you must have a high school diploma or GED diploma; you must attend school during the time period for which you are applying for aid; 4) you cannot be on academic probation while receiving the financial aid; and 5) you must be a resident of the county in Arkansas in which you are applying for the financial aid . There is a webpage that lists the participating Arkansas counties as follows: www.aspsf.org. According to this ASPSF webpage, ASPSF in partnership with the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE) has a new funding initiative in effect through June 30, 2010 which has set aside $175,000 in scholarship dollars for single parents who want to further their education. Although each school will determine the amount of the award, each scholarship is at least $500 or more per scholarship. This is good news for single parents living in Arkansas.
Another way to get money to help with the costs of school in Arkansas is to apply for the Arkansas Student Loan Authority – R. Preston Woodruff, Jr. Scholarship (Collegescholarships.org, 2010). The eligibility requirements are flexible: it is for residents of Arkansas who plan to attend an in-state or out-of-state post-secondary, two or four year college, university, technical or trade school; or an out-of-state student who plans to attend a post-secondary institution in Arkansas.
To apply for this scholarship you must submit an essay. Based upon the quality and content of your essay you might win the scholarship. Twenty students will be chosen to receive the one year scholarships that are renewable for four years. If you win, then you must use the scholarship funds for educational purposes and adhere to other requirements, such as following IRS rules, and allowing your name and photo to be used in promotions for the scholarship. More information about entering this Arkansas Scholarship is found at: www.asla.info.
Another form of financial assistance is offered by the Arkansas Health Education Grant Program (ARHEG). The ARHEG offers grants for medical programs not available in Arkansas. The out of state accredited medical and health professional schools for graduate and professional programs can be any accredited school of dentistry, school of optometry, school of veterinary medicine, school of podiatric medicine, school of chiropractic medicine, or school of osteopathic medicine. Furthermore, these schools require the following: they must be located outside Arkansas; they must provide a full-time course of study in an eligible profession; and they must grant a degree that meets the requirements of the applicable licensing board for granting the professional medical license.
At this website, www.arkansashighered.com/ahegp_info.html, you will find the following: the grant application information; information about the Arkansas residency certification; and information about the legal agreements that the prospective school must be a party to (Collegescholarships.org, 2010).
These above grants and scholarships that are offered in Arkansas are a great way to fulfill your academic dreams and to succeed in the future. References Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund. (2010). Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund Home Page. Retrieved March 2, 2010 from, http://www.aspsf.org/
Collegescholarships.org. (2010). College funding from Arkansas (AR) through scholarships and grants.
Arkansas has some grants for the year 2011 that are worth mentioning. Let us take a look at those now.
Arkansas Autism Grant
The Arkansas Autism Grant is a new grant that was improved upon in 2011 to help individuals and the families of individuals living with autism. The grant can also be applied for by those who have been diagnosed with all autism spectrum disorders including Asperger’s syndrome, fragile X or PDD-NOS. The diagnosis must be made by a medical doctor, a psychologist or a speech language pathologist.
If you received a grant in 2009 then this does not in any way affect your ability to apply for one in 2011. The Autism Grant can be used to pay for TEFRA premiums. While the application form does necessitate that you describe what your individual level of disability is this information will not be used in determining your eligibility or how much grant money you are entitled to.
The total amount of money available for this award is an estimated $1.4 million, which is the same amount that was provided for in 2009. For those who have been diagnosed with autism this is a worthwhile grant to apply for.
Heritage Month Grants
In the state of Arkansas there are grants that are available to aid communities and organizations in the development of meaningful Heritage month events and programs in the areas they reside in. The grant awards up to $5,000 for an eligible event. The grant process usually opens in late October and has a deadline that is sometime in mid-December. The grant money is awarded to qualifying candidates in the month of February for Heritage month events that take place in May. All qualifying events for this grant must take place during the month of May.
Grants for Native American Communities
The state of Arkansas provides grants to support culture and development of Native American communities. These grants total $7,850,000 and are geared at programs that address economic, cultural and health concerns of those who live in Native American communities. The projects that will be awarded grant funding are those that can be of help to the growth and diversity of the economies in these Native American communities. The goal is also to improve the health and well-being of the residents of these communities. The deadline to apply for this grant is April 1, 2011. This is a brand new grant that has been created for 2011.
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Thank you for referring your readers to the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund. To clarify, the only eligibility criteria mandated statewide for this scholarship are that applicants must be single parents with custodial care of at least one minor child and have not already received a 4-year degree (with the exception of those pursuing a Masters of Arts in Teaching). Beyond that, the various county-based affiliates that operate the scholarship in each county of Arkansas may have additional eligibility criteria. Individuals interested in this opportunity should visit our website at http://www.aspsf.org for more information.