This page contains information about BOTH the Arkansas HBCU Scholarship and the Contiguous States HBCU Scholarship. Please review the details of the one you are most likely eligible for.
Arkansas HBCU Scholarship
The UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law is answering the call of the President’s Executive Order on Historically Black Colleges and Universities by establishing a scholarship for all students who earn a bachelor’s degree from an Arkansas Historically Black College or University and are accepted to the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. The scholarship advances the Executive Order by creating a pathway for “more and better opportunities in higher education” so students can be “empowered and able to advance the common good at home and abroad.”[1]
Recognizing that Arkansas does not have a law school associated with any of its HBCUs, it is the responsibility of the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law to advance the goals of the Executive Order and the state of Arkansas and recognize the contributions that “HBCUs have made and continue to make… to the general welfare and prosperity of our country,”[2]
Administration
The Arkansas HBCU Scholarship will be a 25% tuition scholarship offered to all accepted students who earned a bachelor’s degree from an Arkansas HBCU. Scholarships will not be stacked on top of other scholarships – e.g. If a student qualifies for a larger Merit Scholarship, the Merit Scholarship will supplant the Arkansas HBCU Scholarship. The Arkansas HBCU Scholarship will apply to tuition charges for a maximum of 90 credit-hours (the graduation requirement) taken during the fall and spring semesters. Scholarships cannot be applied during the summer or intersession terms. Scholarships will renew each year provided that the recipient remain in the top 60% of their class at the end of each spring semester.
[1] Presidential Executive Order on the White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Section 1; https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/02/28/presidential-executive-order-white-house-initiative-promote-excellence.
Arkansas Contiguous States HBCU Scholarship
Recognizing President Biden’s interest in “supporting the vital mission of HBCU’s,”[1] the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law extends the current Arkansas HBCU Scholarship to include the HBCUs in the contiguous states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. This action will provide access to legal education to a diverse population in our region.
Administration
The Arkansas Contiguous States HBCU Scholarship will be a 25% tuition scholarship offered to all accepted students who earned a Bachelor’s degree from an HBCU within a state contiguous to Arkansas, namely Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. This scholarship will not be stacked on top of other scholarships (e.g. If a student qualifies for a larger Merit Scholarship, the Merit Scholarship will supplant the Arkansas Contiguous States HBCU Scholarship). The Arkansas Contiguous State HBCU Scholarship will apply to tuition charges for a maximum of 90 credit-hours (the graduation requirement) taken during the fall and spring semesters. This scholarship will not be applied during the summer or intersession terms. This scholarship will renew each year provided that the recipient remains in the top 60% of their class at the end of each spring semester.
[1] President Biden Announces Appointment to Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Paragraph 3; https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/31/president-biden-announces-appointments-to-board-of-advisors-on-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/
