Quick Highlights:
- Iowa offers many accredited colleges, universities, and two-year programs.
- Students can find various scholarships and grants to reduce college costs.
- Scholarships are available for academics, community service, work experience, and personal achievements.
- Some Iowa colleges with notable scholarships include Abilene Christian University, Texas Christian University, and Texas Woman’s University.
- Applications typically require academic records, essays, and letters of recommendation.
Iowa residents who plan to attend school have plenty of options to choose from. The state has dozens of accredited colleges, universities, and two-year programs. Students also have a wide variety of scholarships and grants available to reduce the financial burden of paying for college. In their scholarship search, Iowa students of all backgrounds can find local and statewide awards to help pay for tuition, fees, books, or housing.
Some are awarded based on academic history, while others focus on community service, work experience, or other personal achievements. Check out our list of these 35 great scholarships.
1. Brian Pearson Memorial Scholarships
The Brian Pearson Memorial Scholarships is awarded to one male student and one female student who have participated in the Iowa Games. The scholarship committee considers applicants’ level of participation in the Games as well as their character and sportsmanship. To apply, students must submit a form listing their community service history, academic achievements, and athletic accomplishments. They also must submit two letters of recommendation and a two-page essay describing their educational and career goals. The scholarship is worth $1,000.
2. ICSAC Iowa Tuition Grants
The Iowa College Student Aid Commission provides Iowa Tuition Grants to students who are enrolled as undergraduates in Iowa colleges or universities. To apply, students must submit a copy of their FAFSA form. The monetary amount of each grant varies depending on the recipient’s financial need, but the maximum amount awarded is $6,000. The grants are renewable for up to four years.
3. ICSAC Iowa Vocational-Technical Tuition Grants
The Vocational-Technical Tuition Grants are awarded to students enrolled in Iowa community colleges. Applicants must be enrolled in at least three credit hours and demonstrate financial need. To apply, students must submit their FAFSA form, which determines the monetary amount of their grant, if awarded. The maximum amount is $1,200, and the grants can be renewed for a second year.
4. Herman Sani Scholarships
The Iowa Golf Association awards the Herman Sani Scholarships to graduating high school seniors in Iowa who have experience with golf. The recipients are chosen based on academic history, extracurricular activities, and leadership skills. To apply, students must submit their official high school transcript, two letters of recommendation, a statement of financial need, and an essay summarizing their accomplishments. The Iowa Golf Association awards several scholarships yearly, all of which are worth $8,000 and are distributed in $2,000 amounts over four years.
5. Iowa Financial Know-How Challenge
The Iowa Financial Know-How Challenge, hosted by Iowa Student Loan, provides $2,000 scholarships to 30 high school students every year. To compete for the scholarships, students must take two online financial literacy tutorials and complete an assessment. The students with the highest scores on the assessment will receive the scholarships, regardless of financial need, GPA, class rank, or extracurricular activities.
6. Des Moines Women’s Club Scholarships
The Des Moines Women’s Club awards 11 Iowa scholarships to graduating high school seniors, six scholarships to undergraduate students, and one scholarship to a graduate student each year. They award scholarships for specific majors and programs, including education, music, STEM, and literature. The scholarship amounts range from $1,000 to $2,000. To apply, students must submit their GPA, a letter of recommendation, and an essay about their educational goals. Students can only apply for one Women’s Club scholarship per year.
7. Iowa UMF Scholarships
The Iowa United Methodist Foundation awards several each year, ranging in amount from $570 to $2,150. Some scholarships are awarded to students planning on entering the ministry, and others are awarded based on financial need or college major. Applicants for each scholarship must be Iowa residents and members of a United Methodist church. Students must submit three letters of recommendation, their high school transcript, SAT or ACT scores, a financial need statement, and letters of recommendation from teachers, mentors, or church leaders.
8. Iowa UMF Seminary Scholarships
The Seminary Scholarships, provided by the Iowa United Methodist Foundation, are awarded to students who are enrolled in a degree at a seminary approved by the UMF. To apply, students must submit their high school transcript, a statement of financial need, and letters of recommendation from church leaders, teachers, or mentors. The UMF awards 14 scholarships each year, ranging in value from $300 to $7,500.
9. Matthew Shepard Scholarships
The are awarded to graduating high school seniors in Iowa who are openly members of the LGBTQ community. Recipients must have a GPA of at least 3.0, an ACT score of 22 or higher, and a history of activism and community service in the LGBTQ community. The scholarship committee also considers applicants’ moral character and leadership qualities. The Silver Award is worth $500 and can be renewed for up to four years. The Gold Award is worth up to $40,000 and is distributed in $10,000 amounts over four years.
10. PMI Eastern Iowa Chapter Scholarship
The Eastern Iowa Chapter of the Project Management Institute awards a $1,000 to a resident of eastern Iowa who is enrolled in a college or university in a degree related to project management. Priority is given to students who are children or stepchildren of PMI Eastern Iowa Chapter members, but the scholarship committee will consider all students in Iowa who are enrolled in higher education.
11. Robert D. Blue Scholarship
The Robert D. Blue Scholarship is awarded to an Iowa student who has a strong academic history and moral character. To apply, students must submit their official high school transcript, a statement of financial need, two letters of recommendation, and a 500-word essay about an individual who has demonstrated good citizenship. The scholarship amount ranges in value from $500 to $1,000.
12. Telegraph Herald Scholastic Journalist Award
The Telegraph Herald gives the Scholastic Journalist Award to graduating high school seniors in the Telegraph Herald Media coverage area. Applicants must participate in editorial work for newspaper journalism. To apply, students must submit a letter of recommendation from a journalism teacher or adviser, a portfolio of six published works with written commentary from the student, and an essay explaining how journalism has impacted them. The scholarship is worth $1,000.
13. Iowa National Guard Educational Assistance Grants
The National Guard Educational Assistance Grants are awarded to members of the Iowa National Guard who are enrolled in Iowa colleges or universities. Students must have completed Guard training and must be Guard members during each semester they receive the grant. The maximum amount awarded is $6,658. Recipients can renew their grants for up to 120 credit hours if they remain in academic good standing.
14. Horatio Alger Iowa Scholarship
The Horatio Alger Iowa Scholarships are awarded to graduating high school seniors who are enrolled in or plan to enroll in a college or university. Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 and a history of involvement in extracurricular activities. Students must also have overcome some sort of adversity in their life. Applicants’ families must have a yearly income of $55,000 or less to be considered for the scholarship.The scholarship’s value varies each year.
15. All Iowa Opportunity Grant
The All Iowa Opportunity Grant is available to students who are enrolled in Iowa colleges or universities. Applicants must have graduated from an Iowa high school with a GPA of at least 2.5 and must be enrolled for at least three credit hours. To apply, students must complete the FAFSA and the Iowa Financial Aid Application. They must have an Expected Family Contribution of $8,118 or lower. The grant amount varies depending on financial need, but the highest amount awarded is $8,118.
16. All Iowa Opportunity Foster Care Grant
The All Iowa Opportunity Foster Care Grant is available to students who aged out of the Iowa foster care system or who were adopted from the foster care system after the age of 16. To apply, students must submit the FAFSA and the Iowa Financial Aid Application. Recipients can use the grants for any college expenses, including housing, transportation, and living expenses. The maximum amount awarded is $9,010 per year.
17. Latinos Unidos Scholarship
The $1,000 Latinos Unidos Scholarship is awarded to a Latino or Latina student who plans to pursue higher education at an Iowa college or university. To apply, students must submit two letters of recommendation, proof of acceptance to a college or univer