Governor Sanders, ADE Launch Arkansas ACCESS Portal

New platform streamlines admissions, creating one universal application for high school seniors

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.- Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders alongside the Arkansas Department of Education today announced the statewide launch of the Arkansas ACCESS Portal, creating a streamlined universal college application system for Arkansas high school seniors to apply to higher education institutions with one form, one login, and no application fees for up to five colleges.

"I signed Arkansas ACCESS last year to rebuild our higher education system so that every Arkansas high school student is prepared for the in-demand careers of the future - whether by enrolling, enlisting, or becoming employed," said Governor Sanders. "I'm proud to see the Arkansas Department of Education taking massive steps forward to make quality education more accessible and prioritizing a system geared towards students."

"The Arkansas ACCESS Portal takes what used to be a confusing, repetitive college application process that would overwhelm students and families and streamlines it into a simple process," said Arkansas Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva. "With one application and one login, students can reach nearly every campus in Arkansas without fees or barriers. Now, every student in Arkansas can learn about different pathways and directly connect with the institution to help them reach their goals."

The Portal builds on one of Arkansas ACCESS' key pillars, eligibility, establishing more uniform and efficient admissions policies. Rather than duplicative applications and processes for college admissions, Arkansas ACCESS directed the state to replace that system with one, uniform application through the ACCESS Portal. Students that meet participating institutions' baseline admissions requirements will then be granted provisional admission.

Students may apply up to five participating institutions at no cost and will subsequently receive details outlining future directives and provisional admission, if applicable, from each institution. Additionally, the Arkansas Department of Education's Electronic Transcript System will automatically populate students' transcripts, including their coursework, grade point average, and test data. With data immediately uploaded in the system, families will only have to enter information once, rather than for each application.

The Arkansas Department of Education developed the ACCESS Portal in-house within 12 months of being signed into law, securing full participation from Arkansas' four-year and two-year colleges and 50 percent of the state's private institutions. Rollout of the Portal will be led by school counselors and career coaches through various introductory programs to ensure every senior submits at least one application before priority deadlines, including senior advisories, FAFSA nights, and application days.

Governor Sanders signed Arkansas LEARNS into law in 2023 to bring a transformative overhaul to the state's K-12 educational system. Following its progress, the Governor signed Arkansas ACCESS into law in 2025 to continue improving education and student outcomes into higher education so that every Arkansas high school student is ready to enroll in post-secondary programs, enlist in the military, or be employed upon graduation.

The ACCESS Portal is live and seniors, parents, counselors, and career coaches can get started at this link.

More information about the Portal's guides, FAQs, participating institutions, and key dates is available in the INFO Center here.

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