Date Updated: October 7, 2004

IMPORTANT NOTE: This information is current as of the date this site was updated and is provided for informational purposes only. The eligibility requirements and rules governing the programs administered by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education are subject to legislative and regulatory amendments subsequent to the date this site was updated. Please e-mail the Financial Aid Division at finaid@adhe.arknet.edu if you should need further information.

The State Teacher Assistance Resource (STAR) Program is designed to provide scholarships to students who are pursuing a course of study leading to teacher licensure in designated subject and/or geographic critical shortage areas in the Sate of Arkansas.

Students may receive the scholarship for up to 3 years or until such time as they have completed the requirements for licensure. The recipient will receive $3000 per year by committing to teach in a public school located in a geographical area of the state designated as having a critical shortage of teachers or in a subject matter area designated as having a critical shortage of teachers.

The recipient will receive $6000 per year by committing to teach in a public school located in a geographical area of the state designated as having a critical shortage of teachers and in a subject matter area designated as having a critical shortage of teachers.

ADHE shall forgive one (1) year of the loan for each consecutive year the recipient teaches full time in an Arkansas public school in a designated subject or geographical critical shortage area.

A student may receive loan repayment of federal student loans in the amount of $3000 per year for each year a certified teacher, who graduated from a teacher education program after April 1, 2004, teaches in a public school located in a geographical area of the state designated as having a critical shortage of teachers.

A student may receive loan repayment of federal student loans in the amount of $6000 per year for each year a certified teacher, who graduated from a teacher education program after April 1, 2004, teaches in a public school located in a geographical area of the state designated as having a critical shortage of teachers and in a subject matter area designated as having a critical shortage of teachers.

The total term of federal student loans shall not exceed 3 years.

To be eligible for the STAR, the student must submit an application by June 1 and:

1. be an Arkansas resident, as defined by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE), six (6) months prior to the application deadline;

2.  be a citizen of the United States or permanent resident alien;

3.  be enrolled full-time (minimum of 12 semester credit hours or its equivalent, excluding correspondence courses) in a regionally accredited Arkansas 4-year public or private college or university with a teacher education program which has been approved by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE); or actively pursuing an Associate of Arts in Teaching; or in a Master of Arts in Teaching Program;

4. be entering his/her sophomore, junior or senior year in an Arkansas public or private college or university (not applicable if enrolled in a MAT Program);

5.  have a minimum 2.75 cumulative grade point average;

6.  plan to teach in a public school in Arkansas located in a geographical area of the state designated as having a critical shortage of teachers or in a subject area designated as having a critical shortage of teachers at least one year for each year of scholarship assistance received.

7.  Any prior recipient of the Emergency Secondary Education Loan (ESEL) Program may qualify for the STAR by meeting the requirements above.

For continued eligibility, the student must:

1.  have been a prior recipient of the STAR and/or ESEL;

2.  complete 24 semester credit hours per academic year if an undergraduate student;

3. complete 18 semester credit hours per academic year if a graduate student; and,

4.  maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.

The STAR scholarship converts to a fully payable loan if the recipient does not attend college on a full-time basis, withdraws from an approved teacher licensure program, or does not fulfill the required teaching obligation. The loan must be repaid, plus accrued interest at a simple per annum rate, not to exceed five (5) percentage points above the Federal Reserve Discount rate at the time of the contract.

Call (501) 371-2050 or (800) 54-STUDY for an application.