The Department of Education announced a further delay to release batches of FAFSA information (ISIRs) to schools until the first half of March.
Despite this, Ozarks is aiming to roll out financial aid packages within two weeks of receiving FAFSA information.
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Grants and Scholarships

Grants and Scholarships

Making college affordable.

In reality, the majority of students at private colleges come from families earning less than $30,000 annually, and in Arkansas, they typically graduate owing less than students who attend state-supported colleges and universities. How? Financial aid!

One thing you’ll learn about Ozarks is that we have alumni and donors who realize the impact of “giving back.” Thanks in part to their generous support, we’re able to provide more than $11 million annually to help more than 90 percent of our students fund their education!

Ozarks-specific Scholarships

Merit Scholarships

The University works to create an academically diverse student body, and to ensure this diversity, it has created scholarships that require meritorious prior acts, specifically strong academic performance in high school or at another college. Each scholarship is bolstered by $1,000 from the Annual Fund Scholarship.

HS GPASCHOLARSHIPANNUAL AMOUNT
≥ 3.75Trustee Scholarship$13,000
≥ 3.5 & < 3.75Hurie Scholarship$12,500
≥ 3.0 & <3.5Presidential Scholarship$12,000
≥ 2.50 & < 3.0Dean’s Scholarship$11,000

Endowed Scholarships

Endowed Scholarships – the University awards nearly $1.7 Million per year in scholarships that have been created by alumni and friends for the exclusive use of Ozarks students. The scholarships have a variety of requirements, sometimes they are geography-based, sometimes restricted by major, sometimes the only criteria is “a deserving student”. It’s important to note that you do not apply for these scholarships separately, your admission counselor, after getting to know you, will help the financial aid staff in identifying possible scholarships.

Frontier Scholarship

The University of the Ozarks established the Frontier Scholarship in 2016 to help high-achieving and dedicated students from low and middle income families earn a top-quality undergraduate degree by reducing out-of-pocket costs. It is a competitive scholarship program – an additional application coupled with an interview – to select individuals whose academic achievement, leadership skills, potential, and passion for Ozarks sets them apart from other students. The Frontier application opens on September 15th and will close on January 1st. (Date are pending 24-25 FAFSA opening due to FAFSA Simplification).

FULL-NEED TUITION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

We are committed to making an Ozarks education both affordable and accessible to as many local students as possible and to help lower the debt that students are incurring. Our full-need tuition scholarship program is for Arkansas students from Johnson, Logan, Franklin, Madison, Newton, and Pope counties. The University covers the direct cost of tuition after all federal and state aid, including the U.S. Department of Education’s Direct Subsidized Loans, has been applied. The full-need tuition scholarship does not cover room and board or books.

Hazel Carr Robson SCHOLARSHIP

The Hazel Carr Robson Scholarship, established by Helen Walton to honor her mother’s legacy, offers residents of Rogers County, Oklahoma, a generous four-year award covering full attendance costs at the University of the Ozarks. Recipients embody the values of integrity and academic excellence while benefiting from this transformative opportunity.

NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS

The University was founded in 1834 to serve the community, to serve humanity and prepare young people for the life ahead of them. Often students need financial support greater than the resources provided by their family. The University, using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Institutional Financial Need Application, will work with you and your family to find additional resources in the form of need-based aid.

PERFORMING ARTS SCHOLARSHIPS

Students pursuing a major or minor in Music or Theatre have the opportunity to compete for performing arts scholarships ranging up to $5,000 per year. These scholarships can stack on top of institutional scholarships and grants up to full tuition and are renewable for four years. Application deadlines are April 15th for the fall semester and December 1st for the spring semester.
Reach out to your admission counselor for more information!

MAJOR OR MINORANDPARTICIPATION REQUIREMENT
MusicANDParticipate in University Choir
TheatreANDAudition for at least one mainstage production per year

TEACHING EXCELLENCE IN ARKANSAS CHALLENGE (TEACH) LOAN/SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Students pursuing an education major or minor may receive up to $5,000 a year, renewable for four years. It is a competitive scholarship program – an additional application is required. Each year a limited number of TEACH Awards will be available to new first year and transfer students at University of the Ozarks. The TEACH Award may be combined with other loan or scholarship programs for eligible students up to the cost of attendance. While initially awarded as a loan, graduates who go on to teach in Arkansas for at least four years, can have the loan forgiven thus acting as a scholarship for the student.


General Scholarships

PRESBYTERIAN SCHOLARSHIPS

The Presbyterian Church is looking for students who maintain a 2.5 GPA or above and demonstrate financial need. There is also an opportunity for a parent loan, which offers a low interest rate. Presbyterian families do not have to pay fees.

VETERANS ADMINISTRATION BENEFITS

VA benefits are available to veterans, their widowed spouses and the children of those who have lost their lives in service or who are totally disabled as a result thereof. Prospective students should receive approval from an Educational Services Officer (ESO) or counselor within the Military Service prior to enrolling. Those eligible should contact the nearest Veterans Administration Regional Office well in advance of enrollment for assistance in securing benefits or visit U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. For more information, regarding VA benefits, contact the Office of Administrative Services by emailing oas@ozarks.edu, calling 479-979-1201 or visiting the OAS office located in the Mabee Administration Building.

The Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program is a provision of the Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. The program allows colleges and universities in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public, in-state, undergraduate tuition rate. The university can contribute up to 50 percent of those expenses and VA will match the same amount as the institution.


Federal Aid

Almost every student is eligible for some type of federal financial aid. You may qualify for any of several federal, state, or university funded grants if you meet certain income requirements. These grants are gifts of money you can use to pay your direct costs…you do not have to pay it back. If you don’t qualify for a grant, you may still qualify for a federal subsidized loan. If you take out one of these loans, you don’t start to accrue interest on the money you borrow until you are out of school. Even those who don’t qualify for need-based aid might qualify for an unsubsidized loan, which means you don’t have to make loan payments until you finish school.


State Aid

Many states offer varying support for college. If you are an Arkansas resident (60% of our students call Arkansas home) you may be eligible for the Arkansas Challenge Award. The scholarship is awarded on a tiered class-based system. In the freshman year, a student can receive $1,000 and by the time they are a senior, they may receive $5,000. Unlike many other institutions that assume the increase is available to cover tuition increases or replace other aid – at Ozarks, we will work with each student to try and decrease his or her loan commitments, as the state increases the award.

SCHOLARSHIPS LEADING TO GRADUATION FOR ARKANSANS (SLGFA)

Completion scholarship program to fund scholarships to students who had previously dropped out of school and needed financial aid to complete their course of study.

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