Scholarship Renewal Requirements and Information for New Arkansan Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship Award and Alumni Legacy Scholarship Recipients

If you have received a New Arkansan Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship or Alumni Legacy Scholarship, congratulations! The University of Arkansas has made a financial investment in you, and we want nothing more than to see your name on Senior Walk. The Academic Scholarship Office is here to assist you in transitioning to the University and retaining your award. Please see the scholarship information and renewal requirements below.

Admissions and Eligibility Requirements

Receipt of a New Arkansan Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship or Alumni Legacy Scholarship is contingent upon being fully admitted and enrolled as an undergraduate at the University of Arkansas. In addition, most scholarships require that recipients be U.S. citizens, legal residents of the United States, or foreign nationals permitted to pursue a course of study in the United States. Recipients who have not met all admission and eligibility requirements by the first day of classes may have their scholarship offer withdrawn.

Award Information

The New Arkansan NRTA and Alumni Legacy Scholarship pays either 50%, 70%, 80%, or 90% of the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition for a full academic year (fall, spring, and summer terms) based on the student's academic credentials (see nrta.uark.edu). The financial aid notification from the Financial Aid Office, which includes all other financial aid awards, will not include the New Arkansan NRTA or Alumni Legacy Scholarship but will reflect recipients as residents for tuition purposes. Though recipients are being billed as residents for tuition purposes, the permanent residency status will not change, and recipients will remain classified as non-residents. The New Arkansan NRTA or Alumni Legacy Scholarship cannot be used to offset other expenses such as resident tuition and fees, housing charges, books, or any other university-billed charges.

Scholarship Combination

The combination of all scholarships, loans, work-study awards, and grants (excluding Pell Grants) may not exceed the cost of attendance (COA) at the University of Arkansas. Cost of attendance is not reflective of actual billed charges for the University of Arkansas, but is rather a federally regulated figure, consisting of tuition and fees, room and board, books, transportation, and personal expenses. Cost of attendance limits the amount of scholarships and aid students attending the University of Arkansas may receive. Students receiving the New Arkansan NRTA or Alumni Legacy Scholarship will have a cost of attendance (COA) that reflects the cost to attend the University of Arkansas as a resident plus the applicable non-resident tuition percentage for tuition and fees purposes. Please see nrta.uark.edufor COA estimates based on the current year's cost. For further details on COA, please see Cost of Attendance or contact the Academic Scholarship Office.

Renewal Requirements for Multi-Year Scholarships

Students receiving the New Arkansan NRTA or Alumni Legacy Scholarship must maintain full-time enrollment and a minimum 2.75 cumulative grade point average. Full-time enrollment for the purposes of the New Arkansan NRTA or Alumni Legacy Scholarship will be assessed as the completion of 24 or more credit hours during each academic year. The Academic Scholarship Office will check renewal criteria for the previous academic year (fall, spring, and summer terms) at the end of the summer term for students starting in the summer/fall and at the end of the following fall for students starting in the spring term. Students meeting renewal requirements at the time grades are checked will automatically have the award renewed.

Other Ways Scholarship Recipients May Earn Credit Hours Toward Renewal

  1. College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or Advanced Placement (AP) examination. For more information, please contact the University of Arkansas Testing Services Office at (479) 575-3948.
  2. Credit by transfer. To confirm the acceptability of courses, please see the transfer guide or contact the Office of the Registrar at (479) 575-5451.
  3. Please note that all options can assist a student in earning additional credit hours, but only summer coursework taken through the University of Arkansas or University of Arkansas Global Campus will impact the student's grade point average. To calculate a grade point average for renewal purposes, use only the credits earned through attending the University of Arkansas. This policy is related to the general university rule stating that grade points earned through transferred credit cannot be calculated into a student's University of Arkansas grade point average.
  4. Summer coursework at UA Fayetteville at student's expense. Summer hours can be used to make up needed hours or earn hours towards renewal in advance.

Please note that all options can assist a student in earning additional credit hours, but only summer coursework taken through the University of Arkansas or University of Arkansas Global Campus will impact the student’s grade point average. To calculate a grade point average for renewal purposes, use only the credits earned through attending the University of Arkansas or taking University of Arkansas Self-Paced Courses. This policy is related to the general university rule stating that grade points earned through transferred credit cannot be calculated into a student's University of Arkansas grade point average.

Continuous Enrollment

Scholarship recipients are expected to attend the University of Arkansas as a full-time student for eight (8) consecutive long semesters (fall, spring). In some circumstances (including special educational opportunities or extreme circumstances beyond the student's control), a scholarship deferral may be granted. The student must make a written request to the Academic Scholarship Office prior to the semester(s) of absence. The Academic Scholarship Office retains final authority regarding each deferral decision.

Academic Probation

Students placed on "academic probation" after their first semester will be required to develop an academic success plan with their academic advisor or other university academic support before scholarship funds will be disbursed the following semester. Students placed on "academic probation" any other semester will forfeit their scholarship immediately.

Scholarship Appeals

There are no provisions for reinstating a scholarship for future semesters if students do not meet the renewal criteria. However, if problems occur due to some extenuating circumstance or medical emergency, students may appeal to the Scholarship Review Committee through the Academic Scholarship Office with supporting documentation. Appeals are granted only in extreme circumstances beyond the student's control and when an appeal is filed before the appropriate grade point average is regained. The Scholarship Review Committee retains final authority regarding each appeal decision. Granted appeals may not be at the percentage originally awarded. Please email soappeal@uark.edu for instructions regarding the appeal process.

Scholarship Reinstatement

Students who regain a cumulative 2.75 grade point average after losing their scholarship may be eligible for reinstatement of their scholarship for the following term. The student must submit a written scholarship appeal to request this reinstatement. Students who successfully reinstate their scholarship will be due to meet renewal criteria for the following academic year at the end of the semester in which the scholarship was reinstated. The Scholarship Review Committee retains final authority regarding each appeal decision.

Conduct Expectations

It is expected that students will conform to all policies described in the University's Code of Student Life, regarding both academic and non-academic conduct. In the event of a disciplinary violation, university authorized disciplinary sanctions may affect scholarship eligibility.

Contact Information

Please email nrta@uark.edu if you have any questions or concerns, or feel free to call the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at 479-575-3806.