ASUMH Announces Dr. Roger Simons Promise Scholarship

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. — August 17, 2026 — Arkansas State University–Mountain Home (ASUMH) today announced the creation of the Dr. Roger Simons Promise Scholarship, a transformative investment that will expand access to higher education for graduates of four North Central Arkansas school districts.

The announcement was made Monday afternoon during a special event at the Vada Sheid Community Development Center. The scholarship is made possible through a generous gift from Dr. Roger Simons and will establish Promise scholarship opportunities for eligible graduates of Cotter, Flippin, Norfork, and Yellville-Summit High Schools who choose to attend ASUMH.

Beginning with the 2027 graduating classes, eligible students will receive scholarship support covering remaining tuition and mandatory fee costs after federal, state, and institutional financial aid has been applied.

“This is about much more than a scholarship. It’s about possibility,” said Dr. Bentley Wallace, Chancellor of Arkansas State University–Mountain Home. “There are talented young people across our communities with tremendous potential who want to become nurses, teachers, welders, business owners, first responders, healthcare professionals and skilled tradespeople. Too often, the greatest obstacle isn’t ability or determination—it is uncertainty about how to pay for college.”

The Dr. Roger Simons Promise Scholarship is designed to help remove that uncertainty and make postsecondary education a realistic and attainable next step for students in the participating school districts.

Eligible students will be required to enroll at ASUMH, complete the FAFSA and other available financial aid applications, and maintain satisfactory academic progress. The scholarship is intended to provide support for students pursuing up to an associate’s degree, including workforce certificates, technical programs and transferable associate degree pathways.

Promise scholarship programs have been adopted by communities across the country as a way to increase college access and educational attainment. By providing students and families with a clear financial pathway to higher education, Promise programs can encourage students to plan for college earlier, pursue postsecondary credentials and enter the workforce with valuable skills.

For North Central Arkansas, the initiative also represents an investment in the region’s long-term economic future.

“Our employers need skilled workers, healthcare professionals, technicians, tradespeople, educators, business leaders and entrepreneurs,” Wallace said. “The strength of our communities depends on developing local talent and creating opportunities for that talent to thrive right here at home.” The scholarship will help students pursue educational pathways aligned with both their individual goals and the workforce needs of the region.

“Locally, we have seen the wonderful success of the Mountain Home Promise, a partnership between Mountain Home Public Schools, the Mountain Home Education Foundation, and ASU-Mountain Home,” added Wallace. “Through that program, we have seen increases in the college-going rate and degree attainment. More students complete degrees and credentials. More students continue their education and enter the workforce prepared for successful careers.”

Dr. Simons’ gift also represents a significant investment in the people of North Central Arkansas and the future of the communities ASUMH serves.

“When Dr. Simons shared with us his desire to create a scholarship at ASU-Mountain Home that would bring significant change to the lives of students and their families, we began a conversation about impact and legacy,” Wallace said. “When we presented the idea of expanding Promise opportunities to these four districts, he immediately supported the idea and signed on to the project.”

The result, Wallace said, is an initiative that will extend well beyond the students who receive the scholarships.

“Dr. Simons could have chosen many ways to invest these resources. Instead, he chose to invest in people—young women and men he may never meet. And because of that decision, lives will be changed,” Wallace said.

The scholarship is expected to strengthen the region’s workforce pipeline while helping more students earn credentials that can lead directly to employment or continued education. “Employers will hire graduates whose educational journeys were made possible through this initiative, and communities will be stronger because someone believed in the power of education and chose to act on that belief,” Wallace said.

During Monday’s announcement, ASUMH also unveiled the new visual identity for the Dr. Roger Simons Promise Scholarship. Dr. Simons joined representatives from each of the four participating school districts for the unveiling.

School district leaders participating in the announcement included Jayme Jones of Cotter Public Schools, Richard Blevins of Norfork School District, Kelvin Hudson of Flippin School District, and Wes Henderson of Yellville-Summit School District. Dr. Todd Shields, President of the ASU System, also participated in the event.

The initiative represents a shared commitment among ASUMH, area schools and community leaders to ensure that students have a clear pathway to higher education and career success. “It is a promise of opportunity. A promise of access. A promise of a brighter future,” Wallace said. “And thanks to Dr. Simons, it is a promise we can keep.”

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