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The merit-aid verdict at UAFS
UAFS layers an automatic ACT-or-GPA merit grid (up to $6,000 + a $1,500 housing stipend) under competitive Prestigious awards that can reach full in-state tuition and fees — but every amount is 'up to' and the housing stipend is forfeited if unused in year one.
Rules that bite at UAFS
The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from UAFS's own published policy, not generic advice.
capHard $28,395 cost-of-attendance ceiling
Institutional aid at UAFS cannot push the package past $28,395. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.
Common merit-aid mistakes at UAFS
Every freshman merit amount is listed as 'up to' (e.g., Platinum up to $6,000), so the actual award can be less than the headline figure.
For both the merit housing stipend and the Prestigious housing portion, students who do not use the housing portion in the first year forfeit the entire housing portion, and it must be used consecutively.
The page warns that changing majors could result in a loss of awards — relevant for major-tied Prestigious awards (e.g., First Bank Corp. Business, STEM).
Merit scholarships are due May 1, 2026, but the Prestigious Scholarship deadline for Fall 2026 is January 12, 2026 (Myles Friedman preferred deadline November 15, 2025) — much earlier.
Prestigious awards require 15 credit hours/semester and 30 hours/year (vs 12/24 for merit), plus a 3.0 (First Bank) or 3.2 (Myles Friedman) UAFS GPA.
Who this school is for
Arkansas and border-state freshmen who hit an ACT or GPA threshold get automatic merit; top students (27+ ACT) should chase the competitive Prestigious awards (First Bank Corp. Business, Myles Friedman Honors) for full in-state tuition and fees.
Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $28,395 for 2025-2026. Source
Federal cost and outcome data
Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at UAFS, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.
Average annual net price by family income at UAFS, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family income
Average net price paid
$0–$30,000
$8,890
$30,001–$48,000
$9,391
$48,001–$75,000
$11,392
$75,001–$110,000
$13,804
$110,001+
$14,297
All income levels (average)
$10,574
Sticker price vs. what students actually pay
Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$7,334
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$12,182
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$10,574
That works out to roughly a 44% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $19,048 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).
UAFS is a public school; Scorecard's net price figure covers in-state, Title-IV-aid-recipient payers only — there is no comparable federal figure for out-of-state students.
Outcomes for students who enrolled here
Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
38%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
70%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$18,250 (~$193/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$41,102
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
57%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
29%
Institutional merit aid tiers
Every tier below is sourced to the school’s own published financial aid pages. Renewal terms apply only if the student maintains the stated GPA.
Admission application also serves as the merit scholarship application; submit application, transcript, and test scores by May 1, 2026 (Fall 2026)
Renewal terms
Four years or degree completion; enroll in 12 credit hours/semester and earn 24 hours/academic year; 3.0 GPA for Platinum/Gold/Silver and 2.5 GPA for Bronze/Lion Pride; summer may be used to meet renewal. Housing stipend valid for Lion's Den housing up to four years.
Notes
Each tier qualifies on ACT OR GPA (Platinum requires 30 ACT AND 4.0 GPA, OR Valedictorian). All amounts are 'up to' per year, PLUS up to a $1,500 housing stipend. Platinum up to $6,000; Gold up to $4,000; Silver up to $3,000; Bronze up to $2,000; Lion Pride up to $1,000.
First Bank Corp. Business Scholarship (Prestigious)
ApplicationRenewable
GPA
3.5 high school GPA
ACT
27
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Seeking a business degree in the College of Business and Industry; separate Prestigious Scholarship application required
Renewal terms
Maintain a 3.0 cumulative UAFS GPA; enroll in 15 credit hours each semester and earn 30 credit hours per year; four years or degree completion.
Notes
Full tuition and fees over four years, plus optional $2,500 housing for two years. Highly competitive. Housing portion forfeited entirely if not used in year one; changing majors could result in loss of award.
Full in-state tuition and mandatory…Full in-state tuition and mandatory fees
Myles Friedman Honors Program Scholarship (Prestigious)
ApplicationRenewable
GPA
3.5 high school GPA (OR)
ACT
27 (OR)
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Seeking a bachelor's degree; separate application plus competitive interview
Renewal terms
Maintain a 3.2 cumulative UAFS GPA; enroll in 15 credit hours each semester and earn 30/year (27 hours allowed in first year with 12 in first semester).
Notes
Up to $34,000 over four years — full in-state tuition and mandatory fees (approximately $7,338.50/year per the page), plus optional $2,500 housing for two years. Preferred application deadline Nov. 15, 2025.
UAFS applies aid in a set order: non-institutional funds, including outside designated scholarships, are applied before institutional 'University Aid' merit scholarships, which are applied last. A student's final university scholarship disbursement may be reduced so that university aid never pays more than the total owed to the university, which can reduce the refund a student receives after charges are paid; the published policy does not state whether outside scholarships or loans specifically remain refundable.
Verified policy language (2026-07-02): "Under the new order of aid structure, university funds will be applied after most federal, state, and certain outside aid sources." ... Order of aid list: "2. Non-institutional Restricted Funds ... Outside designated scholarships" and "4. Non-institutional Unrestricted Funds ... Non-Restricted Outside Designated Scholarships" both apply before "7. Institutional E&G Scholarships 'University Aid' ... Merit Scholarships." ... "Will this change reduce my overall financial aid package? Maybe. Because aid will be applied to student accounts in a different order, your final university scholarship disbursement may be reduced to ensure university aid does not pay more than the total owed to the university. This may affect the amount of refunds some students receive after university charges are paid." ... "What happens if my tuition and fees are fully covered by state and federal aid sources? If your federal and state aid fully covers your tuition and fees, the university aid you may have otherwise received will not be applied to your account or refunded. Other aid sources including private scholarships and grants, as well as student loans, will still be refundable."
Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility rules.
AmountAmount not published (truncated on page)EligibilityCompetitive; students pursuing biology, biology with teacher licensure, chemistry, computer science, geoscience, mathematics, mathematics with teacher licensure, or engineering
Requires separate Prestigious Scholarship application
For Fall 2026, submit your admissions application, official high school transcript, and official test scores by May 1, 2026. The merit award uses your admission application as the scholarship application.
What is the Prestigious Scholarship deadline?
January 12, 2026 for Fall 2026 (the 2026-27 application opened October 1, 2025). Myles Friedman Honors candidates have a preferred deadline of November 15, 2025.
How much are the automatic merit awards?
Up to $6,000 (Platinum), $4,000 (Gold), $3,000 (Silver), $2,000 (Bronze), or $1,000 (Lion Pride) per year, each with up to a $1,500 housing stipend, based on ACT or GPA.
Can a Prestigious award cover full tuition?
Yes — the First Bank Corp. Business Scholarship covers full tuition and fees, and the Myles Friedman Honors Scholarship covers full in-state tuition and mandatory fees (up to $34,000 over four years), each with an optional $2,500 housing portion for two years.
How do I keep my scholarship?
Merit awards require 12 credits/semester, 24 hours/year, and a 3.0 (Platinum/Gold/Silver) or 2.5 (Bronze/Lion Pride) GPA. Prestigious awards require 15 credits/semester, 30 hours/year, and a 3.0–3.2 UAFS GPA.
How UAFS compares across our verified dataset
241 of 750 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.
UAFS is in a recognizable cluster (241 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
668 of 750 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
UAFS is one of them. The cohort minority (82 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.
Sources used on this page
Every claim is checked against UAFS’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
