Arkansas Lottery Sets New Record in Proceeds for Scholarships

July 16, 2024 | Lottery News

 

LITTLE ROCK, ARK. (July 15, 2024) — The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL) announced today that, based on unaudited results, it raised a record $129,179,283 in net proceeds for fiscal year 2024, which ended June 30. The previous record for net proceeds was in fiscal year 2023, with $113,091,393 raised. Since its inception in 2009, ASL has raised more than $1.4 billion for scholarship funding.

Fiscal year 2024 was also the second-highest financial year in sales at $612,959,721. Fiscal year 2021 is the highest sales year to date at $631,934,927.

“We are committed to providing quality entertainment while remaining dedicated to our primary goal of supporting Arkansas students in their pursuit of higher education,” said Sharon Strong, ASL Executive Director. “We believe that our mission will continue to contribute to the long-term economic growth and prosperity of our state.”

Lottery proceeds help fund four scholarships awarded by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education:

  • The Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship provides tuition assistance for Arkansans at two- and four-year public and private colleges.
  • The Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship is available for students applying for certificate programs in high-demand occupations.
  • The Arkansas Concurrent Challenge Scholarship provides financial assistance to eligible students in the state who want to take college courses while still in high school.
  • The Arkansas Challenge Plus Scholarship provides additional funding for students with an Academic Challenge Scholarship based on their financial needs. Challenge Plus will start accepting students this upcoming fall.

Arkansas Lottery players and retailers were also winners during fiscal year 2024. Players won $419,987,383 in prizes, with seven players winning a million dollars or more. These sales generated approximately $34,544,207 in retailer commissions.

Executive Director Strong commended the ASL staff for their hard work, contributing to the record year.

“Under the leadership of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the Department of Finance and Administration, our dedicated team of professionals worked diligently this year to achieve a record-breaking year in net proceeds,” she said. “We will continue to operate as efficiently as possible and maximize every opportunity to enhance revenues responsibly.”

About the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery

The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL) creates winning people, winning futures, and winning moments. Since 2009, the ASL has sold over $7.4 billion and returned more than $1.4 billion for scholarships to benefit Arkansas students. More than 770,000 college scholarships distributed by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education have been awarded to Arkansans. The lottery has awarded more than $5 billion in prizes to players, more than $421 million in retailer commissions, and provided more than $177 million in state and federal tax revenue.

Follow the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery on Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram. Visit MyArkansasLottery.com for more information on scholarships, winners, games, odds, promotions – and to join The Club for free. To get help with problem gambling, contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

SOURCE: Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL).

 

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