An Arkansas Division of Higher Education grant covering tuition and general mandatory fees for certificate and associate degree programmes at Arkansas public institutions, restricted to students enrolled in STEM fields or in state or regionally designated high-demand areas of study. Eligibility is open to graduates of Arkansas high schools, homeschools or GED programmes, and to anyone holding a high school diploma who has lived in Arkansas for the preceding three years and has not yet earned an associate degree; the FAFSA is required. At four-year institutions the award is calculated using the average charge at two-year institutions. Continuing eligibility ends once a student earns an associate degree, receives five semesters of funding, or fails to maintain satisfactory academic progress. Awards are first-come, first-served, so the July and January deadlines are effectively soft ceilings on a fund that can run out earlier.