University of the Ozarks is expanding its new full-need tuition scholarship program for students from Johnson County to the neighboring counties of Logan, Franklin, Madison, Newton and Pope.
Under the new program, which took effect this year for Johnson County students, 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.
High school students from Logan, Franklin, Madison, Newton and Pope counties will be eligible for the full-need tuition scholarships starting in the 2019 Fall Semester.
“This program has been so popular and successful that we’ve decided to expand it to several counties surrounding Johnson County,” said Reggie Hill, vice president for marketing and enrollment. “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.”
Under the full-need tuition scholarship program, eligible students must be from the five designated Arkansas counties and have an expected family contribution (EFC) of $5,000 or less. The students must also be eligible for the Arkansas Challenge Scholarship and must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by Feb. 15.
With a maximum federal Direct Subsidized Loan of $3,500 per year, the most an eligible Ozarks student would have in college loan debt for their tuition after four years would be $14,000. According to the Institute for College Access & Success, the average student loan debt of 2015 bachelor’s degree recipients was $30,100.
Students must maintain a 2.7 grade point average and be enrolled in 15 credit hours per semester to retain the scholarship.
Approximately 100 current students hail from Johnson County, including a new incoming class of 40 this semester,
For more information about the full-need tuition scholarship, please contact the Office of Admission at 979-1227.
Topics: About, Admission, Scholarship, Tuition