Everyday heroes across Arkansas put their well-being on the line for their communities—from the first responders rushing toward emergency calls to the dedicated road crews, correction officers, and park rangers keeping public infrastructure and spaces safe. To honor that dedication and make higher education more accessible to these essential workers, the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville (UACCB) has launched the Public Service and Safety Scholarship.
Designed specifically for full-time personnel working in high-risk and hazardous roles, the new initiative extends financial support to a broad range of public servants across the region. Eligible professionals include law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and EMS personnel, as well as state, county, or city highway and road department employees. The program also serves state and county correctional officers, Division of Community Correction employees, state parks staff, and state forestry workers.
“Our public service and safety professionals face high-risk and hazardous situations every day in service to our communities,” said Dr. Zach Perrine, Provost at UACCB. “Through the UACCB Public Service and Safety Scholarship, we are proud to offer financial support to help these dedicated individuals advance their educational goals.”
Recognizing that full-time public servants balance demanding work schedules, UACCB structured the scholarship award to adapt flexibly to varying course loads each semester:
- 15 Credit Hours: Students enrolled in a full 15-credit load receive $1,250 for the academic year ($625 in fall, $625 in spring).
- 12 Credit Hours: Students taking 12 credit hours receive $1,000 annually ($500 fall / $500 spring).
- 9 Credit Hours: Part-time students taking 9 credit hours are awarded $750 annually ($375 fall / $375 spring).
- 6 Credit Hours: Students balancing 6 credit hours receive $500 annually ($250 fall / $250 spring).
Students have the freedom to alternate between credit hour tiers from semester to semester based on their schedule demands, provided they maintain a 2.50 cumulative GPA. The award is renewable for up to five consecutive semesters.
To take advantage of the scholarship, prospective students must complete UACCB’s standard admissions process, enroll in courses, and present proof of eligible full-time employment to the UACCB Welcome Center prior to the start of their first applicable term. Proof of employment must be re-confirmed each new academic year.
While the Public Service and Safety Scholarship cannot be stacked with other institutional scholarships, applicants are encouraged to complete testing, as students may qualify for higher academic award tiers depending on their ACT or Accuplacer scores.
