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Central Arkansas scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$31,237per year · 2026-2027 · cost of attendance
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Central Arkansas awards automatic merit on admission. Central Arkansas does not publish a GPA or test chart, so you cannot self-calculate the dollars.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
6 school sources to explore

Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.

The award collection

Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

Where does your student land?

  1. Schedler Honors College Scholarship$10,500 per year (Tuition & Fee $5,000 + Housing $1,500 + Private Room Upgrade ~$2,000 + $2,000 stipend)Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Schedler Honors College Scholarship

    $10,500 per year (Tuition & Fee $5,000 + Housing $1,500 + Private Room Upgrade ~$2,000 + $2,000 stipend)

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Minimum 3.75 Cumulative High School GPA (6th/7th semester transcript)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Schedler Honors College Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Admitted to UCA; apply to the Schedler Honors College online beginning September 1 with 2 references and 2 essays; 80 students selected. No test score required.

    How to keep it

    Year 1: 11 UCA hours/semester (27 annually) with min 2.50 per-semester / 3.25 annual UCA cumulative GPA. Year 2+: min 3.25 per-semester and 3.25 annual UCA cumulative GPA. Must enroll in 15 UCA credit hours and live in University housing to receive the full award.

    Worth knowing

    Competitive Honors selection (not automatic): 80 students are chosen for the College. The Private Room Upgrade dollar figure is an estimate set by the Tier 1 vs Tier 3 housing difference each year; the page lists ~$2,000 but states the full upgrade cost is covered. Deadline January 26, 2026.

  2. Schedler Honors Program Scholarship$9,500 per year (Tuition & Fee $5,000 + Housing $1,500 + Private Room Upgrade ~$2,000 + $1,000 stipend)Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Schedler Honors Program Scholarship

    $9,500 per year (Tuition & Fee $5,000 + Housing $1,500 + Private Room Upgrade ~$2,000 + $1,000 stipend)

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Minimum 3.75 Cumulative High School GPA (6th/7th semester transcript)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Schedler Honors Program Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Admitted to UCA; apply to the Schedler Honors Program online from September 1 with 2 references and 2 essays; an additional 40 students selected. No test score required.

    How to keep it

    Year 1: 11 UCA hours/semester (27 annually) with min 2.50 per-semester / 3.25 annual UCA cumulative GPA. Year 2+: min 3.25 per-semester and 3.25 annual UCA cumulative GPA. Must enroll in 15 UCA credit hours and live in University housing for the full award.

    Worth knowing

    Competitive Honors selection (not automatic): 40 students are chosen for the Program (after the 80 College selections). Same private-room-upgrade estimate caveat as the College tier. Deadline January 26, 2026.

  3. Achievement Scholarship$6,500 per year (Tuition & Fee $5,000 + Housing $1,500)AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Achievement Scholarship

    $6,500 per year (Tuition & Fee $5,000 + Housing $1,500)

    Published coverage or packageAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Minimum 4.00 Cumulative High School GPA (6th/7th semester transcript)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Achievement Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    UCA first-time entering undergraduate; submit admission documentation by deadline; U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen. No test score required.

    How to keep it

    Year 1 (Fall to Spring): 11 UCA hours, min 2.75 UCA cumulative GPA. Year 1 (Spring to Fall): 27 combined hours, min 3.25 cumulative GPA. Year 2+: 11 hours/semester (30 annually) with min 3.25 per-semester and 3.25 annual UCA cumulative GPA. 15 UCA credit hours required; must live in University housing for the housing award.

    Worth knowing

    GPA-only award (no test score). Policy states institutional scholarships are 'highly competitive and awarded based on academic performance and available funds,' so meeting the 4.00 GPA does not strictly guarantee the award even though there is no competitive application. Deadline January 26, 2026.

  4. University Scholarship$4,500 per year (Tuition & Fee $3,500 + Housing $1,000)AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    University Scholarship

    $4,500 per year (Tuition & Fee $3,500 + Housing $1,000)

    Published coverage or packageAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Minimum 3.75 Cumulative High School GPA (6th/7th semester transcript)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for University Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    UCA first-time entering undergraduate; submit admission documentation by deadline; U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen. No test score required.

    How to keep it

    Year 1 (Fall to Spring): 11 UCA hours, min 2.50 UCA cumulative GPA. Year 1 (Spring to Fall): 27 combined hours, min 3.00 cumulative GPA. Year 2+: 11 hours/semester (30 annually) with min 3.00 per-semester and 3.00 annual UCA cumulative GPA. 15 UCA credit hours required; must live in University housing for the housing award.

    Worth knowing

    GPA-only award (no test score). Same 'highly competitive / based on available funds' caveat as Achievement. Deadline May 4, 2026.

  5. Future Leaders Scholarship$2,000 per year (Tuition & Fee $1,000 + Housing $1,000)AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Future Leaders Scholarship

    $2,000 per year (Tuition & Fee $1,000 + Housing $1,000)

    Published coverage or packageAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Minimum 3.50 Cumulative High School GPA (6th/7th semester transcript)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Future Leaders Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    UCA first-time entering undergraduate; submit admission documentation by deadline; U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen. No test score required.

    How to keep it

    Year 1 (Fall to Spring): 11 UCA hours, min 2.50 UCA cumulative GPA. Year 1 (Spring to Fall): 27 combined hours, min 2.75 cumulative GPA. Year 2+: 11 hours/semester (30 annually) with min 2.75 per-semester and 2.75 annual UCA cumulative GPA. 15 UCA credit hours required; must live in University housing for the housing award.

    Worth knowing

    Entry-level GPA-only award (no test score). Half of the $2,000 is a housing award that only applies if the student lives in University housing. Deadline May 4, 2026.

Lights up against Central Arkansas's published cutoffs. Not an award offer; confirm with the financial aid office. Award terms and residency rules change; some awards differ for in-state and out-of-state students. Always confirm at the school’s source page.

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The fine print

Aid capHard $31,237 cost-of-attendance ceiling

Institutional aid at Central Arkansas cannot push the package past $31,237. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.

What makes Central Arkansas different

UCA's freshman academic scholarships are automatic on a single high-school GPA cutoff (no test score required), running from $2,000/year at a 3.50 GPA up to $10,500/year for Schedler Honors College admits.

Merit tiers53 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

More than one award path

Separate the two paths.

Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.

  1. Match the published criteria

    Use all requirements together, including residency and the entering class.

  2. Check the application dates

    Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.

  3. Know what happens next year

    Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.

The fine print / Three questions to carry forward

Before you count on it.

Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.

Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.

Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.

Take Central Arkansas's decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See what could change an award

What families often miss

  1. Eligibility is based on the cumulative GPA from the 6th or 7th semester high school transcript (4th/5th semester for early graduates). Spring-senior grades do not move you up a tier.

  2. Each award splits into a Tuition & Fee Award and a Housing Award; students must live in University housing to receive the housing portion and therefore the full annual total. Future Leaders is half housing, so off-campus students lose $1,000 of the $2,000.

  3. Schedler Honors College/Program require a separate online application (2 references, 2 essays) by January 26, 2026, and only 80 (+40) students are selected. The 3.75 GPA is a floor, not a guarantee.

  4. Arkansas Code 6-80-105 caps total scholarships at your cost of attendance. If you exceed it, the Arkansas Challenge is cut first, then UCA academic aid — so a private award can effectively reduce your state/UCA aid rather than increasing your total.

  5. The 2026-27 on-campus undergraduate cost of attendance is $31,237 (tuition/fees $11,384 + housing/meals $11,988 + books/transport/personal); even the $10,500 Schedler award covers only part of that, and out-of-state students add $9,010.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Arkansas (and out-of-state) students with a strong unweighted-style cumulative HS GPA who want a predictable, test-optional automatic award; top students with a 3.75+ GPA who will compete for the Schedler Honors College/Program by the January 26 deadline get the largest packages.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $31,237 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Central Arkansas, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at Central Arkansas, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$14,656
$30,001–$48,000$13,988
$48,001–$75,000$16,203
$75,001–$110,000$20,318
$110,001+$20,157
All income levels (average)$16,511

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$10,523
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$18,023
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$16,511

That works out to roughly a 34% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $25,029 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Central Arkansas 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
54%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
73%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$20,346 (~$216/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$45,938
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
47%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
48%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

UCA caps total scholarships at the student's cost of attendance per Arkansas Code 6-80-105. If awards exceed COA, the Arkansas Academic Challenge is reduced first, then (in order) UCA academic, departmental/performance, other ADHE scholarships/grants, and other public funds. Private/outside scholarships are counted in the package but are NOT reduced by the University.

Reduction order is fixed: Arkansas Challenge first, then UCA academic, then departmental/performance, then other ADHE scholarships/grants, then other public funds. Because private scholarships are protected from reduction, winning an outside award is most likely to displace state/UCA aid rather than the private award itself when a student is near the COA ceiling. Last revised 01/2024; UCA defers to the Arkansas Division of Higher Education stacking policy.

Source

Other Central Arkansas scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.

AmountFull out-of-state tuition (covers the ~$9,010 nonresident tuition differential)EligibilityAll international students who are fully admitted and choose to live in University housing are automatically offered it; UCA alumni (and certain dependents) may pay in-state tuition via the UCA Alumni Association.

Status/housing-based, not a GPA merit award. Page does not list a dollar figure; the ~$9,010 nonresident add-on is from the 2026-27 COA. Verify domestic out-of-state eligibility with the aid office.

Source

AmountVaries (amounts not published)EligibilityCurrent and admitted students for the next academic year, including freshmen; FAFSA required for U.S. citizens/permanent residents. Individual donor-set criteria (GPA, major, residency).

Single online application opens October 1 at uca.academicworks.com; deadline January 26, 2026 (extended to February 4, 2026). Specific named awards and dollar amounts are not published on the public listing.

Source

Central Arkansas merit aid FAQ

  • Do UCA freshman scholarships require an ACT or SAT score?

    No. The 2026-27 freshman academic scholarships (Future Leaders, University, Achievement, and the Schedler Honors awards) are based on cumulative high school GPA only; no ACT or SAT score is listed as a requirement.

  • What are the scholarship deadlines?

    Achievement and both Schedler Honors awards are due January 26, 2026 (the Schedler Honors application requires 2 references and 2 essays). University and Future Leaders are due May 4, 2026. The UCA Foundation application is due January 26, 2026 (extended to February 4, 2026).

  • What GPA must I keep to renew my scholarship?

    It depends on the award. By Year 2+, the required UCA cumulative GPA is 2.75 (Future Leaders), 3.00 (University), and 3.25 (Achievement and both Schedler awards), with at least 11 UCA credit hours each semester (and 15 enrolled). Year-1 thresholds are lower (as low as 2.50).

  • Can I stack a private/outside scholarship on top?

    Up to your cost of attendance. Per Arkansas Code 6-80-105 UCA caps total scholarships at COA; if you exceed it, the Arkansas Academic Challenge is reduced first, then UCA academic aid. UCA does not reduce private scholarships themselves.

See sources and other schools

How Central Arkansas compares

  • 235 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.

    Central Arkansas is in a recognizable cluster (235 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Central Arkansas is one of them. The cohort minority (84 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 Central Arkansas’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Central Arkansas merit aid

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