ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Arkansas A.C.C.E.S.S. Portal
Arkansas ACCESS · Building on the Success of
Arkansas LEARNS
ADE COMMISSIONER'S MEMO
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MEMO #
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OIT-27-002
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TO
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LEA* Superintendents; LEA* School Counselors; High School
Principals — for distribution to High School Senior
Students & Families
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FROM
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Office of the Secretary, Arkansas Department of Education | ADE
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DATE
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July 24, 2026
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MEMO TOPIC
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Communications Plan — Launch of the Arkansas A.C.C.E.S.S.
Portal for LEA Counselors and High School Seniors,
2026–2027
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AUTHORITY
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LEARNS Act 237 of 2023; Act 340 of 2025 (Arkansas ACCESS —
Eligibility)
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* LEA - Local Education Agency
Purpose
The Arkansas Department of Education is pleased to announce the launch
of the Arkansas A.C.C.E.S.S. Portal, a single, statewide universal
college application that fulfills the Eligibility pillar of Arkansas
ACCESS. Arkansas Access Poral grants provisional admission to students
who meet the baseline admissions requirements of participating in
Arkansas institutions of higher education (IHE) replacing multiple,
repetitive applications with one streamlined process.
This memorandum in the form of ADE Commissioner’s Memo directs LEA
school counselors and provides the communications plan for reaching High
School Senior Students and their families ahead of the 2026–2027
application cycle. Counselors are the front-line guides for this
rollout, and their early engagement is essential to a smooth,
stress-free experience for every Arkansas senior.
Action requested: Superintendents and principals are asked to route this memo to all high
school counseling staff and to support the student communications.
Key Dates for K-12
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Timing
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Message / Content
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Channel & Owner
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Phase I
Aug 1, 2026
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Counselors may log on early to review Student Rosters and
Alignments and get acclimated to the portal before students
arrive.
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LEA Counselors
LEA/District Coordinators
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Phase II
Aug 17 – Sep 30, 2026
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AR ACCESS Portal opens for High School Seniors & Counselors:
registration, profile creation, Trust Center / Triand handshake,
and My Backpack document uploads. (Early release this year to ease
the first-time rush.)
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Counselors + Students
AR ACCESS Program Office
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Oct 1, 2026
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Students begin submitting their My AR ACCESS Portal application to
their chosen institutions.
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Students
AR ACCESS Program Office + IHEs
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Customizable Close-Day
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Each institution sets its own AR ACCESS application closing date
to match its deadlines; counselors should track each college's
Close-Day with their students.
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Counselors + Students
Each IHE: Institute of Higher Education
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Audience 1 — LEA School Counselors + Career Coaches
Primary objective: Equip counselors to guide seniors through registration, the Trust
Center / Triand handshake, and document uploads — positioning them
as the trusted, front-line support for students.
Core Messages
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You get early access. Log on as early as August 1, 2026, to review
your Student Roster and Alignments and get comfortable before
students arrive.
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One application, less paperwork. AR ACCESS Portal replaces multiple
separate applications with a single statewide universal application,
with automated transcript handling.
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You're the guide. Help seniors complete the 7-Step Game Plan —
from registration through the Trust Center identity claim to a
completed My Backpack.
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Early Phase I this year. The window opens August 17 — earlier
than usual — specifically to ease the first-time rush and
spread-out support demand.
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Fee relief to your students. Application fees are waived for up to 5
State-approved applications, easing cost barriers for Arkansas
families.
Channels & Tactics
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Timing
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Message / Content
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Channel & Owner
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Pre-launch (early Aug)
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Counselor onboarding kit: quick-start guide, 7-step student
walkthrough, Trust Center / Triand FAQ, and a printable 10 Point
Checklist for Counselors
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Email via LEA/district counseling coordinators
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Aug 1
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Early-access announcement: log in, verify Student Rosters and
Alignments, and resolve data issues early.
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Email + AR ACCESS Portal INFO Center + Resources tab
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Aug 17 – Sep 30
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Weekly office hours and a counselor helpdesk; classroom-ready
flyer and a step-by-step student handout for advisory sessions.
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Webinars/Video Resources + downloadable Resources
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Oct 1 onward
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Submission-window reminders and nudges for students with
incomplete My Backpacks; Close-Day tracking per college.
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Email + counselor dashboard
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LEA Career Coaches*
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School-level Career Coach can now access AR ACCESS Portal. They will
need to be coded correctly as AR ACCESS Coordinator on ADE Statewide
Information System (SIS) Portal.
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Additionally, LEA Insights: Career Coach Module can be leveraged to
send invite-based access for Career Coaches by LEA.
Call to Action
Audience 2 — High School Senior Students & Families
Primary objective: Drive on-time registration and complete submission-ready applications,
communicated in a plain, encouraging, student-friendly voice.
Core Messages
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One application. Many colleges. Apply once through AR ACCESS Portal
and reach multiple Arkansas colleges — no repeating the same
forms.
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Save on fees. Application fees are waived for up to 5 State-approved
applications.
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A stress-free, 7-step game plan: (1) Register, (2) Build your
Profile, (3) Claim your identity in the Trust Center, (4) Review
& complete My AR ACCESS application, (5) Explore Colleges, (6)
Add documents to My Backpack, (7) Submit.
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Your info is protected. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) secures
your account, and transcripts are handled automatically.
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Faster answers. Direct application means faster admission processing
and notifications.
Channels & Tactics
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Timing
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Message / Content
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Channel & Owner
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Aug 17 launch (Phase II)
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"Apply once, reach many" launch campaign — kickoff assembly
announcement, social graphics, and a short how-to video:
Resources.
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Counselors + school social media + AR ACCESS Portal Resources
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Aug 17 – Sep 30
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Step-by-step prompts guiding registration, Trust Center claim, and
My Backpack uploads; peer + family FAQ.
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In-portal guidance + INFO Center + email/SMS reminders
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Countdown (late Sep)
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"Submissions open Oct 1" countdown; checklist to confirm the
application is submission-ready.
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Social + counselor advisories + portal banner
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Oct 1 onward
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"Submit your My AR ACCESS application" reminders; nudges for
incomplete Backpacks up to each college's Close-Day.
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Email/SMS + portal notifications
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Call to Action
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Register and complete Steps 1–6 between August 17 and
September 30, 2026.
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Submit your My AR ACCESS application starting October 1 —
and check each college's (IHEs) Close-Day.
Shared Resources & Coordination
Key links
Coordination Principles
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Consistency: counselors and students receive the same facts,
tailored in tone and depth to their role.
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Sequencing: counselors first (Aug 1), students at Phase II (Aug 17),
submissions Oct 1, closing on each college's custom Close-Day.
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Single source of truth: the INFO Center and Resources tabs host the
authoritative guides, FAQs, and downloadable materials referenced
across all channels.
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Feedback loop: the Program Office support desk collects issues from
counselors and students and feeds fixes back into portal content and
FAQs.
Questions regarding this Commissioner’s Memo may be directed to
the AR ACCESS Program Office (Team) via the INFO Center or via E-mail:
ARaccessportal@ADE.Arkansas.Gov
Issued by the ADE Office of the Secretary/Commissioner
Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Higher Education
Arkansas A.C.C.E.S.S. Portal