Monday, July 16, 2007
All Iowa Opportunity Scholarship Programs to Increase College Access in Iowa
$1.5 million in State funding will make dreams of a college education affordable
(Des Moines)- Governor Chet Culver today announced the availability of All Iowa Opportunity Scholarships and Grants aimed to increase college access for low-income students and youth in foster care.
“Students in Iowa graduate from college with some of the highest debt loads in the nation, yet they do not have nearly enough access to needs-based financial aid. That is why I am pleased to announce that the new All Iowa Scholarship Programs are now available,” said Governor Culver. “By making it easier for college-bound students to achieve their educational goals, we are once again demonstrating our commitment to our children. And we are taking one more step to helping Iowa’s children reach their full potential.”
The All Iowa Opportunity Scholarship will provide awards up to $6,269 to nearly 200 students who graduated from Iowa high schools with 2.5 GPAs and enroll in Iowa colleges or universities.
“We are seeking out students who want to go to college, but just don’t feel like it is an option,” said Karen Misjak, Executive Director of the Iowa College Student Aid Commission, the state agency administering the program. “We will be working with educational outreach programs, such as TRIO, officials from alternative high schools, and with the Department of Human Services to identify first-generation students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds or who are homeless but want to go to college.”
“We know that approximately 1,300 students with family adjusted gross incomes of $24,000 or less meet this criterion. We just need to find them,” said Misjak.
The All Iowa Opportunity Foster Care Grant, which also was enacted by the 2007 Iowa General Assembly, joins the federal Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program in funding youth who were in foster care or who were adopted from foster care after their 16th birthday. An applicant must be between 18 and 23 years of age, have graduated from high school or attained a general equivalency diploma (GED) and be a resident of this state. The All Iowa Opportunity Foster Care Grant will provide grants up to the full cost of attendance to youth in foster care beginning in the fall of 2007. “College is difficult enough without having to worry about tuition, fees, and living expenses,” said Governor Culver. “It’s hard to imagine facing this challenge alone, which is how approximately 450 youth who age out of Iowa foster care feel each year,” noted Culver. “The State of Iowa is dedicated to helping its youth succeed, especially those who need us most.”
To apply for the All Iowa Opportunity Scholarship or Grant programs, applicants must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and complete program-specific applications. For more details about each of these programs, visit the Iowa College Student Aid Commission’s website www.IowaCollegeAid.gov, email us at info@IowaCollegeAid.gov , or call an Information Service Center Specialist at 877-272-4456. Governor Culver encourages all Iowa students to work hard in high school to ensure that they achieve the minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA to be eligible to apply.