MILITARY DEPENDENTS’ SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
RULES AND REGULATIONS
RULE 1 – ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE
I. The Arkansas Department of Higher Education shall administer the Military
Dependents’ Scholarship Program within the policies set by the Arkansas
Higher Education Coordinating Board. All formal communications shall be
addressed to or signed by the Director of the Arkansas Department of Higher
Education or his/her designee.
II. The final responsibility for determining eligibility of scholarship recipients shall
rest with the Director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education pursuant
to the provisions of Act 188 of 1973, Act 2127 of 2005, and subsequent
legislation.
III. When functioning under Act 188 of 1973, Act 2127 of 2005, and subsequent
legislation, the Arkansas Department of Higher Education shall follow the
provisions of the Administrative Procedures Act.
RULE 2 -- SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
I. To be eligible for the Military Dependents’ Scholarship, an applicant must
meet the following conditions:
A. The student's parent or spouse must have been a disabled veteran,
prisoner of war, missing in action, killed in action, or killed on
ordnance delivery during the course of active military duty after
January 1, 1960.
B. The student's parent or spouse must have been a resident of the
State of Arkansas at the time he/she entered service in the United
States Armed Services, or whose official residence was within the
State of Arkansas.
C. The student must qualify as the dependent of a disabled veteran,
prisoner of war, or a person declared to be missing or killed in action,
or on ordnance delivery by meeting one of the following criteria:
1. The spouse of a prisoner of war or a person declared to be a
disabled veteran, missing or killed in action, or killed on
ordnance delivery; or,
2. The dependent child born before or during the time his/her
parent was a disabled veteran, prisoner of war, or was declared
to be missing or killed in action, or killed on ordnance delivery;
or,
3. The dependent child was legally adopted or in the legal custody
of the parent prior to and during the time the parent was a
disabled veteran, prisoner of war or was declared to be missing
or killed in action or killed on ordnance delivery.
D. The applicant must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a
full-time student in a public college or university in Arkansas.
E. The applicant must be either:
1. An undergraduate student seeking a baccalaureate degree or
certificate of completion; or
2. A graduate student seeking a professional degree, and who
has not received any undergraduate education in Arkansas.
F. The applicant must apply for the scholarship prior to the published
deadline in order to receive the scholarship. Reimbursement can only
be made for the year in which the student is currently enrolled and has
made application.
II. Once a person qualifies as an eligible student under the terms of the
program, there shall be no situation, such as the return of a parent or
spouse, or the reported death of a parent or spouse that will remove the
dependent from the benefits of this program.
III. Continued Eligibility
A. Undergraduate students
The scholarship will be awarded for one academic year and renewed
annually for a total of no more than four (4) years or until the student
earns a baccalaureate degree, whichever occurs first, if the student
satisfies the following conditions:
1. The student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of
at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale;
2. The student is making satisfactory progress toward a degree or
certificate of completion;
3. The student is enrolled in at least twelve semester hours or the
equivalent per semester and completes 24 semester hours, or
the equivalent, per academic year.
B. Graduate students
The scholarship will be awarded for one academic year to applicants
seeking a master's degree and renewed annually for a total of no
more than two (2) years or until the student earns a graduate degree,
whichever occurs first.
The scholarship will be awarded for one academic year to applicants
seeking a professional degree and renewed annually for a total of no
more than three (3) years or until the student earns a professional
degree, whichever occurs first. Graduate students must satisfy the
following conditions:
1. The student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of
at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale;
2. The student must make satisfactory progress toward a degree;
and,
3. The student must be enrolled full-time as defined by the
institution.
RULE 3 -- APPLICATION PROCESS
I. Applications
A. Applications and brochures are mailed to counselors and principals at
public and private Arkansas high schools.
B. Applications and brochures are mailed to financial aid officers at public
colleges and universities in the state of Arkansas. The institutional
financial aid officer is responsible for ensuring that eligible students
are made aware of the Military Dependents’ Scholarship Program and
its benefits.
C. Applications may also be obtained upon request from the Arkansas
Department of Higher Education.
II. Submission of Applications
A. All interested students planning to enroll in a public college or
university in Arkansas may apply. The application deadline is August
1 for the Fall Term, December 1 for the Spring/Winter Terms, May 1
for Summer I and July 1 for Summer II.
B. Scholarship applicants shall submit to the Arkansas Department of
Higher Education the following:
1. Military Dependents’ Scholarship Application;
2. A death certificate or other documentation certifying the death
of the parent or spouse if they were declared killed in action;
3. A Report of Casualty from the appropriate branch of the United
States Armed Services if the parent or spouse was declared
missing in action or killed in action;
4. Documentation from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs
citing service-connected, one hundred percent (100%) total and
permanent disability if the parent or spouse has been declared
disabled;
5. A copy of birth certificate, if a dependent child;
6. A copy of marriage license, if a spouse; and,
7. Graduate/professional applicants must submit a copy of their
undergraduate transcript.
RULE 4 -- AWARD PROCESS
I. Applications and supporting documentation will be reviewed for completeness
and to determine whether the applicant meets all the eligibility requirements.
Applicants will be notified within thirty (30) days of the status of their application.
II. Eligible students will be mailed an award notice, which contains the conditions of
the award, the requirements for continued eligibility, an explanation of the
benefits, and the student's responsibilities.
III. The institution will also be mailed an award notice, which contains the student's
name, social security number, award limits,
conditions of the award, verification
process, and payment process. The institution will be required to complete a
Reimbursement Form listing all charges covered by this program.
IV. The institution will be responsible for verifying the student's continued eligibility
each semester.
V. The award will be renewed annually provided the student satisfies the continued
eligibility requirements as defined by the Arkansas Department of Higher
Education in Rule 2, Section III.
VI. Reimbursement can only be made for the year in which the student is currently
enrolled and has made application.
