Top 5 Tuition-Free Online Colleges in Arkansas

If you are looking for a tuition free online college in Arkansas, learn about accredited institutions in Arkansas with tuition and fees under $10,000.

Finding a college that provides low tuition rates and delivers high-quality degree programs is a great investment you can make in your future.

Free colleges in Arkansas are achievable through tuition assistance programs, tuition waivers, scholarships, and more financial aid options that often can be combined to reduce tuition costs to zero.

Online Colleges and Universities with Free Courses

See a list of online universities with potential free courses and online degrees below.

1. Arkansas State University

Online students at Arkansas State University are encouraged to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid for an opportunity to receive funds from federal grants or scholarships.

You can also take free professional development classes each month on the Webex platform. Examples of free professional development classes include:

• Building Recovery Ecosystems
• Writing Policy Without Worry
• Health Stories in the Media
• 5 Steps to an Accessible Document

2. Arkansas Tech University

There are many opportunities at Arkansas Tech University that allow you to complete courses for free by applying awarded funds to your cost of tuition.

For example, the AR Futures Grant covers tuition and fees for certificate and associate degree programs related to science, technology, engineering, and math or another high demand area of study.

Other waivers and grants that help cover tuition include:

• the College of Arts and Humanities Internship scholarship program
• the Governor's Distinguished Scholars program
• the Military Dependent's Scholarship

3. Henderson State University

The National Army ROTC Scholarship can cover the full cost of tuition and mandatory fees at Henderson State University if it is awarded to you annually.

Henderson State University encourages you to apply for other financial aid opportunities such as the FAFSA to be considered for the Pell Grant and more.

You may also qualify for a tuition waiver such as the one for persons over 60 years of age.

4. University of Arkansas

The Arkansas Division of Higher Education provides several scholarship opportunities that cover up to the total cost of tuition and mandatory fees at the University of Arkansas.

The University of Arkansas offers non-resident tuition waivers for students with scholarships, Native Americans, members of the armed forces, and several others.

If you are a transfer student, consider UAs transfer scholarship options that may cover up to $10,000 in tuition costs annually.

5. University of Central Arkansas

There are many scholarships available for entering freshman, incoming transfers, and current students at the University of Central Arkansas that can help lower the cost of tuition for earning your degree.

The University of Central Arkansas also offers three fee waivers. The three fee waivers include:

• out-of-state tuition scholarship
• faculty or staff fee waiver
• over 60 fee waiver

The faculty or staff fee waiver provides an 80% discount on your online course fee and your fully online graduate program registration.

How To Make College Free

If you want to attend a free college in Arkansas, apply for a grant or scholarship program that awards the full cost of tuition or learn how to combine financial aid opportunities to cover or significantly reduce tuition costs.

There are several financial aid options accepted at most accredited colleges in Arkansas. You can make college free by:

• applying for grants
• applying for scholarships
• getting tuition reimbursement from an employer
• looking into tuition and fee waivers

Find a brief explanation of each financial aid option below.

Apply for Grants

Applying for grants is the first option you should look for when pursuing a free college. Most colleges will request that you submit a Free Application for Financial Aid to see if you qualify for one or more federal grants.

The four federal grants include Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grants, and Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants.

More information on student grants can be found on the Federal Student Aid website.

Apply for Scholarships

Apply for scholarships to help cover your tuition. You may not be awarded a grant, or the amount you receive from a grant may not cover the total cost of your tuition.

You can apply for scholarships through the college you are attending and other nonprofit or private organizations.

Get Tuition Reimbursement from an Employer

Your employer may offer a tuition reimbursement program that often involves reimbursing out-of-pocket expenses toward college courses or a college degree per agreed upon academic standards.

Look into Tuition and Fee Waivers

Tuition and fee waivers are often provided to out-of-state students to receive in-state tuition, employees of school districts or colleges, elderly persons, or military families.

Examples of colleges in Arkansas that offer tuition waivers include:

• Arkansas Tech University
• Henderson State University
• University of Arkansas
• University of Central Arkansas

Find a Free or Low-Cost Degree in Arkansas Today

Free colleges in Arkansas are available to students who are eager to put forth the effort in pursuing financial aid opportunities such as grants, scholarships, waivers, and more to cover the cost of tuition and mandatory fees.