Undergraduate Scholarships and Other Aid for UI Students

At The University of Iowa, no more important task exists than preparing our students for success in an increasingly competitive and global economy. That task begins by bringing the best and most deserving students to the UI by offering the financial assistance they need to succeed through merit- and need-based aid.

Consider these financial aid facts:

• More than 80 percent of UI undergraduates receive some form of financial aid today, and a significant number of them are juggling classes, work schedules, and family obligations all at once.
• The UI's tuition remains one of the lowest in the Big Ten, and yet, when combined with books, fees, and living expenses, college costs (which are rising much faster than inflation) are still beyond many students' own resources.
• Although 68 percent of the UI's institutional scholarships and grants administrated by the UI Office of Student Financial Aid support need-based undergraduate scholarship and loan programs, the average indebtedness of a graduating senior today is more than $20,000. That's a far heavier burden than these future leaders should have to bear.
• In a 1999 survey of top scholars who were recruited by the UI but did not enroll, the primary factor cited for choosing to go elsewhere was the perception of a lack of financial assistance available for top scholars at the UI.
• The UI awards 20 new Presidential Scholarships (our most prestigious merit-based award) to entering students each year; 150 more are renewed each year for upperclass students who continue to qualify. But the UI receives more than 500 new qualified applicants for Presidential Scholarships each year.

Privately funded scholarships are critically important, not only to the University, but for preparing a new generation of leaders to guide our nation's future.

Contact Information

If you would like additional information about supporting student aid, please contact:

Derek Pendergast
Director of Development,
Major Gifts and Special University Initiatives
The University of Iowa Foundation
P.O. Box 4550
Iowa City, Iowa 52244-4550
(319) 335-3305 | (800) 648-6973
derek-pendergast@uiowa.edu