Iowa Scholarship for the Arts Program

The Iowa Scholarship for the Arts is administered by the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). This scholarship program aims to support outstanding high school seniors in Iowa who have demonstrated excellence in the arts and intend to pursue an accredited educational program leading to a career in the arts. The scholarship awards $4,000 to assist with tuition expenses for the 2025-2026 academic year at accredited Iowa colleges or universities. Eligible applicants must be Iowa residents graduating from an Iowa high school during the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, they must be accepted as full-time undergraduate students at a fully accredited Iowa college or university with a declared major in music, dance, visual arts, theatre, folklife, or literature. Individuals with immediate family ties to IEDA board members, Iowa Arts Council board members, or IEDA staff are not eligible for this scholarship. Applications must be submitted online via the Iowa Arts Council’s SlideRoom portal by 11:59 PM on April 1, 2025. As part of the application process, students must submit an essay outlining their artistic vision, goals, and career aspirations, along with a letter of recommendation from a teacher or professional in their field of study. Applicants are also required to provide 3-5 work samples demonstrating their artistic ability in the relevant discipline. All applications are initially reviewed for completion and eligibility, and those deemed eligible proceed to a competitive panel review. The panel, composed of arts professionals, evaluates applications based on a scoring rubric. The highest-scoring applicants will be invited to a 15-minute personal interview with the review panel on or about April 24, 2025. Attendance at this interview is mandatory for scholarship consideration. Following the interview, funding decisions will be made by the IEDA Director, and applicants will be notified of the outcome within 30 days of their interview. Scholarship recipients must confirm their enrollment at an eligible Iowa college or university during the summer of 2025. The scholarship funds will be disbursed directly to the educational institution. Technical support for the online application process is available through the IEDA's Accessibility Coordinator, Elizabeth Ferreira, who can be reached via email or phone. For additional information, applicants are encouraged to review the program guidelines and contact the Senior Grants & Programs Manager, Jennie Knoebel, at jennie.knoebel@iowaeda.com.