The UCA Commitment program is a last dollar scholarship that covers tuition and academic fees, designed to support Arkansas students who are Pell eligible or from households earning $100,000 or less a year. This program combines various forms of financial aid and support to ensure more equitable access to higher education opportunities.
Here’s how it works:
- Last Dollar Funding: This scholarship is calculated after considering your Federal, State, and UCA institutional scholarships.
- Exclusions: Private scholarships (e.g., UCA Foundation scholarships or those from your hometown, special organizations, private groups, etc.) and funds explicitly designated for housing costs are not included in the last-dollar calculation. This includes the housing portion of our academic scholarships.
- Service: Every semester, students volunteer 10 hours of community service on campus, in their hometowns, through their coursework, and many other avenues.
- Coverage: We ensure that your tuition and fees are covered by filling in the financial gaps after other scholarships have been applied. As long as you meet renewal requirements, you can continue in the program for four (4) years.
We exclude your private scholarships and housing-specific funds from our calculations. The program does not cover room and board (i.e., housing and food) charges; however, private scholarships may be applied toward those charges, and institutional academic scholarships that specify funds for housing will apply to room and board costs.
The program provides support for eight (8) consecutive fall and spring semesters or until the completion of a bachelor’s degree, whichever occurs first. UCA Commitment has dedicated staff who support and help students navigate the program acceptance and renewal requirements.