Cost & scholarships
Do you qualify for an SAU academic scholarship? See how it affects your cost.
Enter your GPA, and your ACT if you have one, to estimate the academic scholarship you could earn and what a semester at SAU would cost you after it.
Enter your GPA to see your estimated academic scholarship and what a semester at SAU could cost you.
An estimate for incoming freshmen, using SAU's published 2026-27 rates for 15 credit hours, mandatory fees, an average double room and the unlimited meal plan. Fees vary by major and by the courses you take, so your actual cost may differ. It isn't an offer of aid. Academic scholarships require admission to SAU and a scholarship application, and are awarded as funds allow; meeting the criteria doesn't guarantee an award. Books, travel, federal and state aid (such as Pell Grants or the Arkansas Academic Challenge) aren't included. Rates for the next academic year are set each spring.
More ways to pay
Scholarships are one piece.
Every SAU scholarship
Competitive, program and transfer awards, with deadlines and how to apply.
Financial aid and the FAFSA
Grants, loans and work-study, plus help with the FAFSA from SAU’s Financial Aid office.
Arkansas tuition for neighboring states
Students from six nearby states who live on campus pay the Arkansas rate.
How SAU compares
The total cost to live on campus at Arkansas's public universities
Each university’s published 2026–27 rates for one semester: tuition and mandatory fees for 15 credit hours, an average double room and its top meal plan, before any scholarships or aid.
Tuition, fees, room and board per semester · in-state, 15 credit hours, 2026–27 published rates at Arkansas’s 10 public universities
| University | Tuition | Fees | Room | Meal plan | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Arkansas University | $3,900 | $1,320 | $2,070 | $2,095 | $9,385 |
| UA Monticello | $2,978 | $2,004 | $2,092 | $2,575 | $9,648 |
| UA Pine Bluff | $3,299 | $1,582 | $2,240 | $2,594 | $9,715 |
| Henderson State | $4,125 | $1,290 | $2,409 | $2,045 | $9,869 |
| UA Fort Smith | $3,420 | $1,671 | $2,575 | $2,280 | $9,946 |
| UA Little Rock | $3,506 | $1,581 | $2,388 | $2,605 | $10,079 |
| Arkansas State | $5,055 | $370 | $2,730 | $2,660 | $10,815 |
| Arkansas Tech | $3,975 | $1,727 | $2,691 | $2,452 | $10,846 |
| Central Arkansas | $4,005 | $1,687 | $3,002 | $3,115 | $11,809 |
| University of Arkansas | $4,168 | $1,290 | $4,655 | $2,843 | $12,955 |
Room = average of on-campus double rooms; meal plan = each school’s top tier. Source: each university’s published 2026–27 rates.
Rates are read from each university’s own published tuition, fee, housing and meal-plan pages. Fees vary by major and by the courses you take, so your actual cost may differ. Scholarships and financial aid, such as grants and work-study, lower what you pay.
