Requirements

• Be an Arkansas resident
• Must be a high school graduate or received high school equivalency
• Student cannot be a current recipient of the Academic Challenge Scholarship
• Be accepted for admission into an approved program as defined by ADHE
  • View the degree list for the 2025-2026 academic year on the Arkansas Workforce Challenge webpage.

Deadline for Application
Students must apply at least 30 days prior to enrollment in an eligible program.

 Award Amount

Up to $800 per program

 Who May Apply:

Every person who has graduated from an Arkansas high school, Arkansas home school or GED program, or anyone who has a high school diploma or GED earned from another state and has lived in Arkansas for the last year. Students must enroll in a high demand area of study in the programs of Information Technology, Healthcare, and Industry. Programs are not restricted for credit bearing classes. Non-credit, workforce-training classes that fit into the three above categories may also qualify. A listing of programs is available on the ADHE website: Arkansas Workforce Challenge. Students are not eligible for both Academic Challenge and Workforce Challenge.

 Detailed Description

General Information

Important Note: The following information is intended as a general overview of the program for those applying, or who are considering applying, for the scholarship and is not intended to be a comprehensive compilation of program requirements. For complete information, please refer to the program’s rules and regulations.

The Workforce Challenge Scholarship was created in the 2017 legislative session and is funded by lottery revenue.  The purpose of the scholarship is for workforce training in high-demand areas of healthcare, information technology, and industry.  Classes are not limited to credit-bearing programs.  Non-credit, workforce-training classes that fit into the three above categories may also qualify.

View the degree list for the 2025-2026 academic year on the Arkansas Workforce Challenge webpage.
You can also visit Explore AR Careers to view eligible programs!

Basic Eligibility Criteria

An applicant must:

• Be an Arkansas resident
• Be a high school graduate or received high school equivalency
• Not be a current recipient of the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship
• Be accepted for admission in a program of study at an approved institution of higher education that leads to an associate degree or a certificate program in one of the following high-demand fields:
  • Industry
  • Health Care
  • Information Technology
    

Continuing Eligibility Criteria

• This is a non-renewable grant.
  • Students who successfully complete their program of study will be allowed to reapply for the award in another eligible program.
  • Students who receive funding from Workforce Challenge and do not successfully complete their program will be allowed to reapply one time.

Award Amounts

The Workforce Challenge Award will be the cost of a certificate program or program of study not to exceed $800.