Scholarships & Aid Programs

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Scholarship & Aid Programs

Lyon College offers a number of scholarships worth many thousands of dollars for qualified students. These scholarships and grants can come from one or more of three sources: Lyon College, the federal government, and the state government.

To apply for Lyon scholarships, students should simply apply early to Lyon Collegeonline and send transcripts to Lyon College’s Office of Enrollment Services. Although standard test scores (ACT/SAT) are not required for admission to Lyon College, they could qualify you for a better scholarship.

Students and families wishing to maximize their Financial Aid awards should fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid(FAFSA) even if they do not believe they will qualify for any additional aid.
Arkansas students should fill out the "Scholarship Application Management System" (SAMS)by June 1 of their enrolling year to be considered for the Arkansas Challenge (Lottery) Scholarship.

The FAFSA (studentaid.gov/) will become open by January 1st for the 24/25 year. "Scholarship Application Management System" (SAMS)is open and available for completion on October 1st each year.

You must be accepted for admission to Lyon before any financial aid award can be made.

Jump to Federal Aid Programs | Jump to State Aid Programs

Lyon College Scholarships, Grants, & Awards

Merit-Based Scholarships

Lyon College awards academic merit-basedaid according to a review of a student’s application and academic performance. These amounts are annual and renewable for up to eight semesters of undergraduate studyprovided that the student maintains requirements. Students will be notified of their award by the Admissions Office staff after being accepted.

Students will be offered one of the following scholarships:

Academic Award
Dean's Scholarship
President’s Scholarship
Trustee Scholarship

Competitive Scholarships

Honors FellowsProgram

Lyon invites a select number of entering freshman students to apply and interview for limited spots in the prestigious Honors Fellows Program—a rigorous course of study designed to provide highly skilled, motivated students the opportunity to travel, hone their research skills, and exchange ideas in a challenging and supportive academic environment. Learn more about the FellowsProgram.

Peformance Awards

Lyon offers a limited amount of performance awards annually to members of the entering students who demonstrate outstanding ability in music, theatre, or visual art. This performance award may be stacked with academic scholarships and other certain Lyon awards, though total institutional aid shall not exceed the cost of tuition.(Only one performance award per student).

Candidates must schedule a campus audition or portfolio review through the Admissions Office.

Choir:Twocontrasting pieces with sheet music for piano accompaniment; an accompanist is provided.
Theatre: Twocontrasting 1-minute monologues (reflecting your age and gender).
Visual Art: Portfolios should consist of no more than 15 works of art, reflecting the student's ability to use a variety of mediums. We prefer actual works over digital files, though exceptions can sometimes be made.
Instrumental Music (Marching, Concert, or Jazz Band): Twocontrasting pieces, with scales up to threesharps and three flats, two octaves.
Scottish Heritage: demonstrate outstanding ability in piping, drumming, or Highland dance. Scottish fiddle, accordion, or other instruments may also be considered.
Honors Fellows Program:selected by the Director of the Fellowship Program
Cheerleading/Dance: selected by the cheerleading and dance coach
Archery/Trap: selected by the archery/trap coach
Esports: selected by the Esports coach

Scholarships for Transfers

Lyon welcomes qualified transfer students who have demonstrated academic ability and commitment to the pursuit of a higher education at previous institutions. Transfer students with a GPA of 2.50 or higher are eligible to receive a scholarship.

Lyon College Legacy Award (Additional Materials Required)

Lyon College is proud to offer incoming freshman the Legacy Award—a $500 per year grant, renewable up to 4 years. The Legacy Award will be available for any incoming student who is the sibling, child, or grandchild of a Lyon College/Arkansas College graduate. That's $2,000 off your tuition, over 4 years, just for picking the same college as your sibling, parent or grandparent! This $500 per year Legacy Award will be awarded in addition to any and all other Lyon institutional scholarships and grants.

For more information, please call 870.307.7250 or emailadmissions@lyon.edu.

Visit Grant

All First-Time, Full-Time and Transfer students entering Lyon in the fall of 2024 can receive $2,000 per year if they take a campus visit on or before May 1st. This $2,000 Visit Grant is renewable for 3 additional years as long as the student enters the subsequent fall semester(s) with a minimum Lyon College cumulative GPA of 2.0. This Visit Grant will be awarded in addition to any and all other Lyon institutional scholarships and grants, though total institutional aid shall not exceed the full cost of tuition.

Federal & State Financial Aid Programs

You may find a more complete description of Federal aid programs at studentaid.gov. Application for all Federal programs is made by completion of a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and may be made at studentaid.gov. It will be open by 1-1-2024 for the 24/25 year.

Federal Pell Grant

This program is the federal government's largest gift aid program. Eligible students may receive a minimum of $602 to a maximum of $7.395 depending on need, as determined by the FAFSA, and federal funding.

Federal Supplemental Educational Grant Program (FSEOG)

Pell Eligible students with exceptionally high financial need are eligible to receive this federal grant. Amount may range from a minimum of $400 to a maximum of $1,000. Funding is very limited, and priority is given to students whose financial aid applications (FAFSA) havebeen received by March 1st.

Federal Direct Loan

This federal program is the largest federal program available to students. All students who file a FAFSA will be considered for a Direct Loan and may receive from $5,500 to $7,500 per year depending on number of credits a student has completed toward their degree. Repayment of these funds begins 6 months after the student ceases to be enrolled in at least sixhours.

Arkansas Financial Aid Programs

The state of Arkansas offers a number of financial aid programs to Arkansas residents who attend college in-state. The availability of and the requirements governing students' eligibility for these programs are subject to change. Applicants from the state of Arkansas should contact the Arkansas Department of Higher Education at 501-371-2000 or go to scholarships.adhe.edu for information on all state financial aid programs.

Arkansas Academic Challenge (Lottery) Scholarship

This state program provides an annual amount of $1,000 the first year, $4,000 the second year, $4,000 the third year, and $5,000 the fourth year, depending on the student's performance and course work completed in high school. Applications are available online at the Arkansas Department of Higher Ed. website "Scholarship Application Management System" (SAMS)on October 1st and must be submitted by June 1st.

Governor's Distinguished Scholarship

This state program offers scholarship awards of $10,000 to students who score a 32 or above on the ACT and have a high school grade point average of 3.50 or above. Applications will be available on the Arkansas Department of Higher Education website "Scholarship Application Management System" (SAMS)on October 1st and must be completed by February 1st.

Students may find eligibility for other types of Arkansas State aid by checking scholarships.adhe.edu.

You must be accepted for admission to Lyon before a financial aid award can be made.