When members of the Arkadelphia High School Class of 2011 received their diplomas in May, a record number of seniors said they were bound for college as the first students to receive the benefit of the Arkadelphia Promise scholarship, which pledges to pay for tuition for qualifying students. The offer of the Promise scholarships for Arkadelphia students is pledged for another 17 years by the Ross Foundation, along with Southern Bancorp, both institutions headquartered in Arkadelphia.