Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** arkansas scholars FIRST program…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** arkansas scholars FIRST program (AR-FIRST) is holistically dedicated to supporting FIRST-GEN transfer students in bumpers college at the UA-fayetteville. AR-FIRST expands upon the already-existing transfer partnerships by leveraging the statewide university of arkansas system (8 two-year community colleges) to (a) increase the number of transfer students who pursue and (B) complete baccalaureate or D.V.M. Degrees in agricultural; (C) support successful transition into graduate education or employment opportunities; and will (D) expand the community of undergraduate agricultural leaders by creating a more welcoming culture for future students and scholars. The ultimate goal of this program is to increase the number of students pursuing agricultural degrees and entering the agriculture workforce in the state of arkansas. AR-FIRST aims to: (1) utilize the recruiting strategies already practiced by UA system partnerships to identify strong candidates from community colleges; (2) partner faculty mentors with scholars with academic, financial and social support; (3) provide scholars with educational and career training in their chosen fields within agricultural sciences through their enrollment in an agriculture major; and (4) provide scholars with research opportunities, internships, career development, and leadership training, service learning, and agricultural-centered experiences.