$2B Powerball jackpot boosts Arkansas lottery’s fortunes to $58.5M in November, up $11.4M over year ago
The highest recorded average price of unleaded gasoline in Arkansas was $4.54 a gallon on June 14. About 1,097 of the lottery's 1.968 retailers are convenience stores that sell gas. The lottery has been selling tickets since Sept. 28, 2009. It has helped fund Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarships for more than 30,000 students during 11 of past 12 fiscal years. November is the fifth month of fiscal year 2023, which started July 1 and the amount raised for college scholarships in November are a record for the month.
$31.3 million in Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarships were awarded to 27,664 students in fiscal 2023. The Division of Higher Education projects awarding $78 million to students for fiscal 2022. Workforce Challenge Scholarship is funded by lottery proceeds and state general revenue. It provides up to $800 per year for students enrolled in programs that lead to qualifications in high-demand occupations. In fiscal 2019, the Legislature created the Concurrent Challenge program. In the fiscal 2020, it will distribute Workforces Challenge scholarships to 1,000 students and disburse $1 million.