IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

5/21/2012 - Academic Challenge (Lottery) Scholarship Recipients

The Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE) is responsible for determining initial and continuing eligibility for this scholarship.  ADHE then provides official notification to UCA (and all other institutions) with a list  of recipients that have selected UCA as the institution they will be attending.  This official notification is typically received in early August and we cannot place Academic Challenge (Lottery) Scholarship awards onto any student's account until that time.  We appreciate your patience and recommend that you check and confirm you have met all requirements by logging onto your ADHE Universal Account at www.adhe.edu.  For questions regarding any ADHE program, please call 1-800-54-STUDY (1-800-547-8839).

5/9/2012 - Year Round Pell Grant No Longer Available for Summer 2012

Beginning with the Summer 2012 term, the Federal Pell Grant policy that allowed a student to receive a full Pell Grant for Fall, Spring and Summer will end.  This policy change was as a result of congressional action in 2011 aimed at reducing the cost of the Federal Pell Grant program.  This option was only available for the Summer 2011 term.  The Pell Grant program will revert back to the original policy that limits the amount of Pell Grant that a student may receive in one academic year.  If a student received a full Pell Grant for full-time enrollment during Fall 2011 and Spring 2012, the student will not have Pell Grant eligibility for Summer 2012. 

3/15/2012  -  Subsidized Loan Program Ends for Graduate & Professional Students

Beginning July 1, 2012, Federal Direct Subsidized Loans will no longer be an option for graduate or professional students.  These students will still be eligible for the same annual amount of loans, but they will be Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans that carry an interest rate of 6.8%.  Students do have the option of paying the accrued interest while they are in school.  This change will not impact any Subsidized Loans taken for periods before July 1, 2012.  More information about this change can be found in this U.S. News and World Report article.

Welcome to the Student Financial Aid web site at the University of Central Arkansas.  As part of the Division of Enrollment Management, our office works closely with incoming and continuing students to help fund and achieve their educational endeavors.  We hope that you find the information listed on this site a valuable resource throughout your time at UCA.   Please take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the various financial aid programs handled by our office.

Mission Statement

In support of the university mission statement, the Financial Aid Office is dedicated to assisting our diverse student population in accessing federal aid programs to achieve their educational goals.  The office strives to remove financial barriers for prospective and current students by providing financial resources in a positive and professional manner while complying with federal, state and institutional guidelines.

The Office of Student Financial Aid adheres to the UCA Code of Conduct for Education Loans.

Official Means of Communication

Our official means of communication is email.  Please check your UCA Cub Account often.  You may also check the status of your application and awards by logging into Self-Service through myUCA at https://my.uca.edu/.