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Arkansas Workforce Challenge

The Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship was created by Act 613 of the 2017 legislative session and amended by Act 341 of the 2025 legislative session (ACCESS). Funded by lottery revenue, the purpose of the scholarship is for workforce training (credit-bearing or professional skills training) in the designated high-demand areas:

  • Advanced manufacturing
  • Health care
  • Information technology
  • Construction trades
  • Logistics, distribution, and transportation

Program Minimum Requirements:

  • Credit: Certificate of Proficiency (6 credit hours)
  • Professional Skills Training: 80 clock hours

Tiered Funding Award Amounts:

  • Up to $1500 for professional skills training programs 80-179 clock hours
  • Up to $3000 for professional skills training programs 180+ clock hours or credit programs CP (6 credit hours) and above (not to exceed the standard tuition rate and fee structure of the IHE providing the instruction)

Eligible Institution of Higher Education Types:

(A) State-supported two-year or four-year institution of higher education

(B) Private, nonprofit two-year or four-year institution of higher education with its primary headquarters located in Arkansas that is eligible to receive Title IV federal student aid funds

(C) A public or private vocational-technical school with its primary headquarters located in Arkansas that is one or more of the following:

  • Included on the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act eligible training provider list
  • Qualified to receive approval for veterans’ education benefits from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
  • Included on ADHE’s Private Career Education list

Current Workforce Challenge Approved Program List (click to view)

Students, please refer to the SAMS website https://sams.adhe.edu/ for scholarship application information, including a list of FAQs. Additional details about the Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship are provided here: https://sams.adhe.edu/Scholarship/Details/AWC. 

Institution of Higher Education/Training Provider Program Application 

(FOR INSTITUTIONS AND TRAINING PROVIDERS, NOT STUDENTS.)

Open Oct 1-16, 2026, for programs effective January 1, 2027. 

This form is required for each program an eligible institution of higher education seeks to include on the Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship approved program list. Use this form to add a new program, update information for a previously approved program, or request removal of a program from the approved list. 

A separate application must be submitted for each program and award level. Programs offered at multiple award levels require a separate application for each level. For example, if a program is offered as both a Certificate of Proficiency (CP) and a Technical Certificate (TC), two separate applications must be submitted.

Institutions of higher education/training providers, contact workforce.grants@adhe.edu for additional information.

Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship and Federal Workforce Pell Grant Comparison