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Arkansas Workforce Challenge

The Workforce Challenge Scholarship was created by Act 613 of the 2017 legislative session and is funded by lottery revenue.  The purpose of the scholarship is for workforce training in high demand areas of healthcare, information technology, and industry.  Classes are not limited to credit-bearing programs.  Non-credit, workforce-training classes that fit into the three above categories may also qualify. Additional scholarship information can be found at: Arkansas Workforce Challenge.

Workforce Challenge Program List (Updated 12/2/25)

Changes to the Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship Program outlined in ACCESS will NOT take effect prior to the 2026-2027 academic year.  In the interim, training providers that anticipate having newly eligible programs may desire to establish state vendor status, a requirement to accept state scholarship funds: https://vendor.ark.org/.  Status updates to scholarships impacted by ACCESS can be found here: https://adhe.edu/about/scholarships. 

Background:

House Joint Resolution 1006 of the 2023 Arkansas Legislative Session, a constitutional amendment to allow lottery proceeds to fund or provide scholarships and grants to Arkansas citizens enrolled in vocational-technical schools and technical institutes, was a pivotal step to expand access to state workforce education and training. Act 341 of the 2025 Arkansas Legislative Session, the Arkansas ACCESS Act, amended existing code related to the Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship Program. Some notable changes to the Workforce Challenge Scholarship in ACCESS included, 

  • Expanding the definition of “approved institution of higher education” to include public or private vocational-technical schools that are:
    • Included on the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act eligible training provider list, 
    • Qualified to receive approval for veterans' education benefits from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or
    • Included on the ADHE Private Career Education list;
  • Defining certificate program occupational areas to include: 
    • Advanced manufacturing, 
    • Health care, 
    • Information technology, 
    • Construction trades, or 
    • Logistics and distribution; and
  • Increasing the maximum scholarship award a student may receive in an academic year from lesser of program cost or $800 to lesser of program cost or $3000. 

Forthcoming rules and policies will further clarify program eligibility and reporting requirements.