First-year Student Awards

Fall 2025 Automatic First-year Student Merit Awards

Start by applying for admission, and you will be considered for our special awards! For qualified students, the Generations Award requires an application. Students who receive a full tuition scholarship are not eligible for these merit awards from the Office of Admissions. We have an exceptional opportunity in store for high-achieving and highly motivated students like you! Explore your scholarship opportunities now. Select your state below to review all of the awards available to you through the Office of Admissions.

Iowa Resident National Merit Full Tuition Scholarship

Iowa residents who are named National Merit Scholars by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation will qualify for a full tuition scholarship available for four years (eight semesters) of undergraduate coursework at Iowa State University. To renew this award, the student must remain continuously enrolled at Iowa State University on a full-time basis as an Iowa resident in good academic standing and maintain a minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average. This award is available during fall and spring semesters only, not during the summer session. Students who receive the full tuition scholarship are not eligible for other merit awards from the Office of Admissions including the Loyal Scholar, Forever Scholar, and True Scholar for Iowa students.

Requirements

• Complete the Preliminary SAT®/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
• Apply and be offered admission to Iowa State University as an incoming first-year student.
• Notify the National Merit Scholarship Corporation that Iowa State University is your "first choice college."
• Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Be named a National Merit Finalist and Scholar.

Recognition Awards for Iowa Students

NOTE: The minimum cumulative high school GPA must be met to earn each award. Students will be expected to meet the minimum GPA paired with the ACT or SAT score for the Loyal Scholar and the Forever Scholar. The awards are not stackable. We accept weighted GPA.

Important Scholarship Information

Iowa State offers recognition awards to Iowa students who fulfill specific academic requirements. The awards are automatically awarded to Iowa students who have been offered admission to Iowa State.

• Grade Point Average (GPA): Minimum cumulative high school GPA (4-point scale) rounded to the nearest hundredth or second decimal place. We accept weighted GPA, provided the school’s weighted grading system does not award more than one additional quality point to the grade earned in weighted courses. Use our GPA Calculator to convert a GPA to a 4-point scale.
• Test score: Minimum ACT composite or minimum SAT Total (Reading and Writing+Math) is used. We accept a student’s best score, including ACT provided superscore.
• Deadline: Students must be admitted by March 1, 2025, as a first-year student entering directly from high school. Awards may be made after March 1 contingent upon the availability of funds. These awards are specifically available to students enrolling for the Fall of 2025. Scholarships are reviewed annually and are subject to change for future enrolling classes.
• Final Transcript and Test Score: Awards are offered based on preliminary or self-reported academic information, but all awards are contingent upon receipt of the official, final high school transcript and test score verifying the requirements have been met. The award will be withdrawn if all requirements have not been fulfilled. Students will be offered the highest award value they qualify to receive based on their cumulative GPA to the second decimal. Awards can be updated during the year if their GPA or test score improves. An award will be adjusted if the final GPA changes from the GPA reported at the time of admission/application. Awards could be increased or decreased.
• First-year Student Status: A student must enroll at Iowa State University for the fall semester immediately following high school graduation to qualify for a first-year student award; a student who has attempted college coursework following high school graduation (with the exception of the summer term) is not eligible for first-year student awards. Students enrolling for spring term can be eligible as long as they have not taken college courses after high school graduation. A student must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, refugee, or asylee to qualify.
• Eligibility for other awards: These awards are not tuition specific. They can be used toward a student’s total University bill and be combined with scholarships offered by an undergraduate college, department, or the Office of Student Financial Aid. Awards may be reduced or eliminated if the total award amount from all sources of aid exceeds the cost of attendance. Students who receive a full tuition scholarship like the National Merit Tuition Scholarship, George Washington Carver Scholastic Leadership Award, First Cyclones Scholarship, or Science Bound Scholarship are not eligible for merit awards from the Office of Admissions including the Recognition Awards for Iowa students.

Renewal Requirements:

To renew these awards the student must remain continuously enrolled at Iowa State University on a full-time basis in good academic standing with a minimum of 12 credits per semester, be assessed resident tuition and maintain a minimum 2.50 cumulative grade point average. These awards are available during fall and spring semesters only, not during the summer term. The value of the award(s) is fixed and will not change for the student in future terms.