New Scholarship at ASU-Mountain Home to Cover Tuition for Graduates of Four Rural Schools

Arkansas State University-Mountain Home (ASUMH) has announced a new scholarship that will offer full tuition and mandatory fees to graduates from four of the region’s small rural school districts. The Dr. Roger Simons Promise Scholarship, funded through a donation by Dr. Roger Simons, will be available to graduates from Cotter, Flippin, Norfork, and Yellville-Summit High Schools beginning with the class of 2027.

The college unveiled the program on Monday during an event at the Vada Sheid Community Development Center on the ASUMH campus. The scholarship is structured as a last-dollar program. It covers tuition and mandatory fees that remain after a student has applied federal, state, and institutional financial aid. Eligible students must enroll at ASUMH, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and maintain satisfactory academic progress to keep the funding.

The scholarship is designed to help students complete an associate degree, workforce certificate, or other programs offered by ASUMH. These include technical education and degrees that can transfer to four-year institutions.

“This is about much more than a scholarship. It’s about possibility,” said ASUMH Chancellor Bentley Wallace. “Too often, the greatest obstacle isn’t ability or determination. It is uncertainty about how to pay for college.”

The four districts served by the scholarship—Cotter and Norfork in Baxter County and Flippin and Yellville-Summit in Marion County—are some of the smallest in ASUMH’s service area. Each graduates far fewer students than Mountain Home High School, whose students already benefit from a similar program known as the Mountain Home Promise. That scholarship, funded through a partnership between Mountain Home Public Schools, the Mountain Home Education Foundation, and ASUMH, has led to an increased rate of college enrollment and degree completion, according to Wallace. The new scholarship builds on this model and extends it to neighboring districts.

“Promise programs change behavior early,” Wallace noted. “By providing a clear, simple guarantee, students and families are encouraged to plan for college long before graduation rather than deciding at the last minute whether it’s affordable.”

Wallace also highlighted the program’s potential to meet workforce needs in north central Arkansas. “Our employers need skilled workers, healthcare professionals, technicians, tradespeople, educators, business leaders, and entrepreneurs. The strength of our communities depends on developing local talent and creating opportunities for that talent to thrive right here at home.”

Superintendents from all four qualifying districts spoke at the event, emphasizing the impact of the scholarship on their students and communities. Cotter Superintendent Jayme Jones said the program eliminates a significant barrier for families struggling with college costs, enabling students to pursue education that can break cycles of generational poverty and build a stronger economy.

“These scholarships give students opportunities many families had assumed were out of reach,” Jones said.

Flippin Superintendent Kelvin Hudson echoed those sentiments, noting that local school districts have worked for years to remove obstacles to student success, but financial barriers to college had remained beyond their control. “Our students are bright, resourceful, and hardworking,” he said, adding that the program will produce more employable graduates and strengthen the local workforce.

Norfork Superintendent Richard Blevins highlighted the economic challenges many students face, with 78.6% of Norfork students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. “A child who needs breakfast and lunch assistance also needs help getting to college,” he said.

Yellville-Summit Superintendent Wes Henderson pointed to the scholarship’s inclusion of technical and vocational training programs, which he said meet growing demand for skilled trades in the area.

Wallace said the scholarship originated from a conversation with Simons about how best to use his donation to leave a lasting impact. “Dr. Simons could have chosen many ways to invest, but he chose to invest in people he may never meet,” Wallace stated. “And because of that choice, lives will be changed.”

ASUMH is a two-year college serving north central Arkansas. Its offerings include university transfer programs, career and technical education, workforce training, and lifelong learning opportunities.