Arkansas Scholarships are available for both domestic and international students seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees at one of the universities in Arkansas. Most of the Arkansas Scholarships are offered to incoming international students planning to study undergraduate degrees. The scholarships are merit-based and mostly require a good academic GPA along with English proficiency and ACT/SAT scores. International students may receive undergraduate scholarships in Arkansas ranging from 2,000 USD to 11,000 USD (1.6 lakhs to 9.15 lakhs INR) per year.
Students seeking graduate studies such as master’s or PhD degree at Arkansas are eligible for both merit scholarships and assistantships. However, not all universities in Arkansas offer scholarships for graduate students except John Brown University and University of Central Arkansas. To be eligible for Arkansas scholarships at graduate level, a GPA between 2.7 to 3.0 (80-85%) is recommended. The graduate scholarships in Arkansas range between 1,000 to 1,500 USD (83,264 to 1.25 lakhs INR) per year or up to 100% tuition waiver.
Arkansas Scholarships Benefits for International Students:
| Scholarship Type | College-Specific, Merit-Based, Need-Based, Tuition-Fee-Waiver |
| Offered by | N/A |
| Organization | N/A |
| Application Deadline | Feb 01 ,2026 |
| Number of Scholarships | N/A |
| Amount | Variable Amount |
| Renewability | No |
| International Student Eligible | Yes |
| Scholarship Website Link | https://scholarships.uark.edu/ |
International students seeking undergraduate scholarships must maintain a good academic standings and have met the minimum English language proficiency requirements specific to the university. Some scholarships also require SAT/ACT scores along with essays and LORs as part of eligibility requirements. It is also advisable to check the scholarships or application deadline before applying for admissions (if any). Below mention is the eligibility criteria based on the various scholarships in Arkansas:
Basic Eligibility Requirements:
Arkansas Undergraduate Scholarships College-Specific Requirements:
| University/College | Scholarships | Eligibility Requirements | Deadline | Award |
| University of Arkansas, Fayetteville | New Freshmen Scholarships | Demonstrate Strong academic record | Community service | Leadership Potential | | Priority Deadline [Nov 15, 2026] | Final Deadline [Feb 1, 2026] | Transfer Scholarships Spring Deadline [Oct 15, 2026] | 2,000 to 8000 USD for first year 2,500 to 3,000 USD for transfer students |
|
University of Arkansas, Little Rock |
Chancellor’s Leadership Corps Scholarship Program | 3.0 GPA | High academic | Leadership potential | Community involvement | ACT score of 19 | Student living on campus | N.A | 3,000 USD tuition fee + 3,000 USD housing |
| New Arkansan Non-Resident Tuition Award | 3.0 GPA | ACT score of 20 | N.A | 100% tuition fee covered | |
| Privately funded Scholarships | Awarded based on competition | N.A | 1,000 to 5,000 USD per year | |
| John Brown University | JBU academic scholarships | 3.0 to 3.9+ GPA | ACT: 20-29+ | SAT: 1020-1320 | Fall [November 1, 2026] | Spring [January 25, 2026] | 6,000 to 13,000 USD |
|
University of Central Arkansas |
International Student Merit Scholarship | SAT/ACT score | Essay | LOR | January 31, 2026 | 4,000 to 32,000 USD |
| Global Citizen Scholarship | 3.5 GPA | Completion of 12 UCA ug or graduate credits till spring semester | Essay (500 words) | 2 LOR | Demonstrated leadership potential | Closed | Variable | |
| Out-of-State Tuition Scholarship | 2.5 GPA (75%) for freshmen and 2.0 GPA (70%) for transfer | | N.A | Tuition fee waiver | |
| Virgene Horn Memorial International Scholarship | Junior or senior level ug students | N.A | Variable | |
| Privately Funded Scholarships | LOR | Resume | Essay | Application Opens October 2026 | Variable | |
| Academic Scholarship | 3.25 GPA (87%) | UG freshmen or transfer student | Have met ELP requirements | N.A | 3,000 USD | |
| Southern Arkansas University | Initial Scholarships | 3.0 GPA (85%) | ACT: 2-30 | SAT: 1160-1370 | Student with F-1 visa status | incoming freshment | | March 15, 2026 | 1,515 to 5,000 USD per semester or 3030 to 10,000 per year |
| University Freshmen Scholarships | 2.75 to 3.25 GPA (81-87%) | September 30, 2026 | 2,550 to 4,500 USD | |
| Rexxan Oller International Students Scholarships | 3.0 GPA (85%) | Current international student | Demonstrated financial need | | N.A | Variable | |
| Academic Achievement Scholarship | 3.0 GPA (85%) | N.A | 6,000 to 11,000 USD | |
| Test-optional Admission and Scholarships | 3.0 to 4.0+ GPA (85%) | SAT/ACT scores | N.A | 6,000 to 9,000 USD | |
| Trustee Scholar Award | 3.5 GPA (90%) | SAT: 1390 | ACT: 31 or above | N.A | Tuition fee covered + perks and honors |
The requirements for graduate scholarships and assistantships are generally similar in each Arkansas university. To make themselves eligible for either of these fundings opportunities, applicants must have good academic standings and have demonstrated financial need through submission of FAFSA. The overall eligibility requirements are mentioned below along with specific requirements for each graduate scholarships and assistantships:
Basic Eligibility Requirements:
Arkansas Graduate Scholarships and Assistantships College-Specific Requirements:
| University/College | Scholarships | Eligibility Requirements | Award |
| University of Arkansas, Little Rock | Graduate Assistantships | 3.0 GPA (85%) | Partial tuition fee covered + 3,225 USD Stipend (10 hours/ week for 2 semester) or 6,450 USD (20 hours/ week for 2 semester) |
|
John Brown University |
Graduate Business Scholarship | 2.75 GPA (81%) in UG | 2 Short essays | Enrolled in graduate business degree | 750 USD per semester or 1,500 USD per year |
| Graduate Scholarship | Incoming student | Demonstrate financial need | Enrolled in graduate program | FAFSA | 500 USD per semester or 1,000 USD per year | |
| Southern Arkansas University | Graduate Assistantship | Completed application for graduate assistantship | Previous training or work experience | Enrolled as full-time student with min 6 and max 9 hours in Fall min 3 and max 6 hours in summer | A GPA of 3.0 (85%) | Tuition fee cover for out of state students + 4,000 USD Stipend per semester |
| Arkansas Tech University | Graduate Assistantship | Student with good academic standing | working on campus | Have participated in GA orientation | Successful completion of background check | Variable |
| University of Central Arkansas | Out-of-State Tuition Scholarship | 2.7 or 3.0 (80-85%) GPA in UG | Tuition fee waiver |
Various external funding opportunities are also available for international students studying or planning to study in USA. Click here to know more about scholarships in USA for Indian students
The application process differs for undergraduate and graduate scholarships in Arkansas universities. However, for merit scholarships it is mandatory to apply for admissions before the given deadline and hold an admission offer before claiming the scholarship. For graduate assistantships a separate application may be required with specified GPA requirements. Mentioned below are the documents which one must carry while applying for the scholarships in Arkansas:
As there are a wide range of funding options available, numerous factors are taken into consideration during the selection process for Arkansas scholarship. The most common factors are mentioned below:
Test scores (SAT/ACT or IELTS/TOEFL IBT for UG)