University of Central Arkansas: merit scholarships by GPA
University of Central Arkansas publishes merit aid criteria as a published grid keyed to GPA — the ACT is not used. Awards start at a 3.0 GPA and reach $6,500 a year. Because the bands are steps rather than a slope, a hundredth of a GPA point is worth nothing inside a band and the whole step at the edge of one.
Enter a GPA below to see which band it actually lands in, what that band pays, and what the next band needs.
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Each figure is a tuition award plus a housing award, and the housing half is paid only to students living in University housing — a commuter receives the tuition portion alone. UCA also calls these awards 'highly competitive' and subject to available funds rather than guaranteed.
Unweighted, as the school asks for it.
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Example — a 3.60 GPA
Future Leaders Scholarship
$2,500 ($1,500 tuition + $1,000 housing) / year
About $10,000 over four years, if it renews.
Central Arkansas awards this on GPA alone, so an ACT score does not change it. A higher score can still matter for admission, for honours programmes, and at other schools on the list — but not for this award.
The ACT doesn't move the money here — but it still decides admission, honours eligibility, and what they is worth at the other schools on the list, where most awards are score-keyed.
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The published Central Arkansas merit aid grid
Reproduced in full from University of Central Arkansas’s own pages for 2027-28 entry. Nothing here is estimated: where the school states a benefit rather than a figure, that is what the table says.
Freshman academic scholarships
Keyed to cumulative high school GPA at the sixth or seventh semester. No test score is used. Awards apply to in-state tuition charges only.
$6,500 ($5,000 tuition + $1,500 housing)
Achievement Scholarship
No score needed
$4,500 ($3,500 tuition + $1,000 housing)
University Scholarship
No score needed
$2,500 ($1,500 tuition + $1,000 housing)
Future Leaders Scholarship
No score needed
$1,500 ($1,000 tuition + $500 housing)
Momentum Scholarship
No score needed
| Award | With a score | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Achievement Scholarship | — | $6,500 ($5,000 tuition + $1,500 housing) |
| University Scholarship | — | $4,500 ($3,500 tuition + $1,000 housing) |
| Future Leaders Scholarship | — | $2,500 ($1,500 tuition + $1,000 housing) |
| Momentum Scholarship | — | $1,500 ($1,000 tuition + $500 housing) |
Source: Entering Freshman — 2027-2028 UCA Freshman Academic & Honors College Scholarships · verified 2026-10-23
Does Central Arkansas superscore for scholarships?
Not stated for scholarships, and moot in practice — UCA superscores for admissions purposes, but no scholarship here uses a test score at all.
With nothing published, plan for the stricter reading: look up your best single sitting in the grid above, work out your superscore as well, and ask Central Arkansas’s financial aid office which one they read before you count on the higher band.
Comparing schools? See which colleges superscore for scholarships — 66 of 501 commit to it, 52 say they do not, and the rest never say.
Central Arkansas scholarship deadlines
| Entry term | Due |
|---|---|
| Achievement scholarship, and Schedler Honors application | January 25, 2027 |
| Momentum, Future Leaders and University scholarships | May 3, 2027 |
Scores take roughly two to four weeks to arrive, and official reports sent to schools can take longer, so the last useful test date is several weeks before the printed deadline. Check which test dates still make it.
Where these numbers came from
Every figure on this page was read from University of Central Arkansas’s own published pages, linked below with the date we last confirmed them. We do not estimate a missing band or interpolate a value.
- Entering Freshman — 2027-2028 UCA Freshman Academic & Honors College Scholarshipsverified 2026-10-23
- The housing component is only paid if the student lives in University housing, so a commuter receives less than the published total.
- Awards apply to in-state tuition charges, housing, food and mandatory fees only.
- The two Schedler Honors awards are larger — $10,500 and $9,500 a year — but need a separate application with two references and two essays by January 25. Only 80 and 40 places exist.
- UCA describes all institutional scholarships as highly competitive and funded by what is available, so the GPA thresholds are a floor rather than a promise.
- A 'Distinguished' scholarship appears in UCA's renewal policy with no published value or GPA requirement anywhere, so it is not in the table.
- A lost scholarship cannot be regained: UCA states there is no reinstatement.
Check before you rely on it. Grids change by entry year and schools update them without notice. This page is a reproduction with a date on it, not a guarantee, and it is not financial aid advice. ClutchACT is not affiliated with University of Central Arkansas.
Frequently asked questions
What ACT score do you need for a scholarship at Central Arkansas?
University of Central Arkansas publishes a merit aid grid keyed to ACT score and GPA. See the tables on this page for the current bands.
Is Central Arkansas test-optional?
UCA offers two admission routes: a standard one needing a 2.5 GPA with a 17 ACT composite and 15 subscores in English, reading and maths, or a test-optional route needing a 3.0 GPA. Either way, no score affects the scholarship table. For merit aid the answer is different: no test score appears anywhere in UCA's scholarship chart or its award policy. The academic tiers are determined by GPA alone. Being admitted without a score and qualifying for money without a score are two separate questions.
How much is a 30 on the ACT worth at Central Arkansas?
On Central Arkansas's published grid for 2027-28 entry, an ACT of 30 with a 3.6 GPA qualifies for Future Leaders Scholarship at $2,500 a year, about $10,000 over four years if it renews.
Does Central Arkansas superscore the ACT for scholarships?
Not stated for scholarships, and moot in practice — UCA superscores for admissions purposes, but no scholarship here uses a test score at all.
When are Central Arkansas scholarship deadlines?
Achievement scholarship, and Schedler Honors application: January 25, 2027. Momentum, Future Leaders and University scholarships: May 3, 2027. The application and the official score report are both due by that date, and ACT scores take roughly two to four weeks to arrive — so the last useful test date is several weeks earlier than the deadline suggests.
Is this Central Arkansas scholarship data current?
Every figure on this page was read from University of Central Arkansas's own published pages and last verified on 2026-10-23. The sources are linked at the bottom of the page with that date. Grids change by entry year, so check the source before relying on a figure for a decision.
Other schools to check
What to do next
Central Arkansas awards on GPA — but the ACT still decides what you're worth elsewhere.
Most schools in this comparison are score-keyed even though Central Arkansas is not, so the same test still moves the money everywhere else on the list.
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