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Fire academy in Arkansas

4 firefighter programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

2 schools offer these firefighter programs, and Arkansas has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Firefighters put out fires and answer emergencies that put people, property or the environment at risk. Most need a high school diploma, must pass written and physical tests and an interview, and then train for a few months at a fire academy run by a fire department or the state. Firefighters may also need EMT or paramedic certification.1

In Arkansas, all 4 programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent.

By kind, the 4 programs here are fire academy (Firefighter I and II, 2 programs), fire science certificate or diploma (1 program) and fire science (associate degree, 1 program).

See the 4 programs

How much does fire academy cost in Arkansas?

$1,317 to $10,860

from the lowest-priced program to the highest, if you pay yourself

In the typical program

Finished the program
Not enough data
1 program reports it; a typical figure needs 5
Working 6 months later
Not enough data
1 program reports it; a typical figure needs 5
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
1 program reports it; a typical figure needs 5
Length
Not enough data
3 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Arkansas may also offer fire academy training. How these figures are made

Is there free fire academy training in Arkansas?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 4 firefighter programs in Arkansas approved for WIOA funding

Filters
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Kind of program
School
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4 programs

  • Fire science certificate or diplomaHybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Fire & Emergency Response

    Southern Arkansas University (SAU) Tech

    Camden

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Southern Arkansas University (SAU) Tech, CamdenFire science certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$46,100
    Price if you pay yourself$1,317
    Program website, Fire & Emergency Response at Southern Arkansas University (SAU) Tech
    More details about Fire & Emergency Response at Southern Arkansas University (SAU) Tech
    Finished
    20%
    Working at 6 months
    70%
    Earned in a quarter
    $11,534
    Length
    15 weeks, 9 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $297
    Students counted
    228

    Listed 2 times in the state's file with differing results. Shown: the listing with the most students.

    Earned a year, estimated
    $46,100
    Price if you pay yourself
    $1,317
    Program website, Fire & Emergency Response at Southern Arkansas University (SAU) Tech

  • Fire academy (Firefighter I and II)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Firefighter Essentials CP

    BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)

    Pocahontas

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    BLACK River Technical College (BRTC), PocahontasFire academy (Firefighter I and II) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$3,439
    School website, Firefighter Essentials CP at BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
    More details about Firefighter Essentials CP at BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    16 weeks, 19 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $3,439
    School website, Firefighter Essentials CP at BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)

  • Fire academy (Firefighter I and II)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Firefighter Essentials TC

    BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)

    Pocahontas

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    BLACK River Technical College (BRTC), PocahontasFire academy (Firefighter I and II) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$5,611
    School website, Firefighter Essentials TC at BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
    More details about Firefighter Essentials TC at BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    32 weeks, 31 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $5,611
    School website, Firefighter Essentials TC at BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)

  • Fire science (associate degree)HybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Fire Science AAS

    BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)

    Pocahontas

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    BLACK River Technical College (BRTC), PocahontasFire science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$10,860
    School website, Fire Science AAS at BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
    More details about Fire Science AAS at BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    Not reported
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $10,860
    School website, Fire Science AAS at BLACK River Technical College (BRTC)

How to pay for fire academy training in Arkansas

WIOA funding can pay for fire academy training in Arkansas

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for fire academy training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.67

GI Bill for fire academy training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.8

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Other training in Arkansas

How fire academy training compares with the rest of public safety: First responder training in Arkansas

Where the Arkansas firefighter program numbers come from

Which Arkansas firefighter programs are on this list?

These are the firefighter programs Arkansas approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).9 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Arkansas offers.

How the prices and results of Arkansas firefighter programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about fire academy training in Arkansas

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Firefighters
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  8. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  9. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List