The Academic Challenge Program provides scholarships to Arkansas residents pursuing a higher education. Funded in large part by the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, the Academic Challenge Scholarship is available to students regardless of their academic status, whether just graduating from high school, currently enrolled in college, enrolling in college for the first time, or re-enrolling after a period of time out of college. Students can receive upwards of $20,000 in four years.

To be eligible for an Academic Challenge award, Arkansas public high school students must successfully complete the “Smart Core Curriculum” established by the Arkansas Department of Education. Graduates that do not complete the curriculum must achieve proficient or higher scores on all state-mandated end-of-course assessments, including Algebra I, Geometry and Biology.