Pathway Scholars at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville: Fostering Academic Success and Leadership
Providing opportunities for underrepresented students to excel, the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, has introduced the Pathways program. This initiative focuses on supporting high school students from diverse backgrounds who exhibit academic strength and leadership potential.
Holistic Support for Scholars
The Pathways program offers a multifaceted approach to support its scholars. It includes a mandatory intersession bridge program, which allows students to move onto campus early, engage in meaningful connections, and build relationships with faculty and staff. Additionally, scholars are part of a living-learning community in Hotz Honors Hall, ensuring they receive peer and faculty mentoring to ensure their academic success. This comprehensive support system also includes academic advising, opportunities for research and internships, and involvement in student development and engagement activities.
Financial Support and Flexibility
A significant aspect of the Pathways program is the provision of annual renewable scholarships up to ,500, which can be increased to ,500 if scholars later join the Honors College. These scholarships are highly flexible and can be applied towards tuition, room and board, fees, and additional expenses such as study abroad or undergraduate research projects.
Criteria for Selection
To be considered for the Pathways program, scholars must meet specific criteria. They must come from underrepresented backgrounds, including those from low-income or socioeconomically disadvantaged families, first-generation college students, or students from geographic areas with limited representation on the campus. Scholars must also maintain a high school GPA of 3.5 or above and score between 23 and 27 on the ACT composite or 1130 to 1300 on the SAT.
Inclusivity and Flexibility in Majors
The Pathways program emphasizes inclusivity, allowing scholars to pursue degrees across all six academic colleges on campus. This means that scholars can choose from majors as diverse as agribusiness, architecture, and pre-med, giving them the freedom to explore various career paths.
Combining Scholarships
One of the important features of the Pathways program is that its scholars are eligible to combine these scholarships with other financial awards. This flexibility ensures that scholars receive maximum financial support to supplement any existing forms of aid they may be receiving.
