Iowa Scholarship for the Arts Program

The Iowa Scholarship for the Arts is administered by the Iowa Arts Council, which operates under the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). This scholarship initiative aims to support and encourage Iowa high school seniors who demonstrate exceptional artistic ability and plan to pursue post-secondary education in the arts. The scholarship is part of the state's broader commitment to cultivating a strong creative sector by investing in the educational development of emerging artists. Awards of $5,000 are provided to assist with tuition costs for the 2026–2027 academic year at fully accredited Iowa colleges or universities. The program supports students with artistic achievements in disciplines such as music, dance, visual arts, theatre, folklife, and literature. To qualify, applicants must be current Iowa residents who will graduate from an Iowa high school during the 2025–2026 academic year and have been accepted as full-time undergraduate students with an arts-related major at a qualifying Iowa institution. Family members and dependents of IEDA staff or board members, including those affiliated with the Iowa Arts Council, are ineligible. The application process is conducted through the Iowa Arts Council’s SlideRoom platform, which houses all submission requirements and application forms. Interested applicants must submit their materials online; no other formats are accepted. The application components include an artist vision and goals essay, 3–5 work samples, and a letter of recommendation from a qualified arts educator or professional. The scoring rubric evaluates the applicant's clarity of vision, post-secondary goals, writing quality, artistic abilities, and relevance of the recommendation. Following submission, eligible applications undergo a two-tier review process. Initially, IEDA staff review applications for completeness and compliance. Applications that meet the criteria advance to a competitive panel review conducted by experts in the arts. The highest-scoring applicants are then invited to a 15-minute interview scheduled around April 23, 2026. Interview attendance is mandatory for award consideration. Final decisions are made by the IEDA Director, and applicants are informed of the outcomes within 30 days of their interview date. The application deadline is April 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM. Award recipients must confirm their enrollment during the summer of 2026, after which the scholarship funds are paid directly to the student's Iowa college or university. While the current cycle is specific to the 2026–2027 academic year, the program is expected to continue annually, with similar timelines likely for future rounds. For inquiries, applicants are encouraged to contact Brooke Rogers, Arts Program Coordinator, at brooke.rogers@iowaeda.com or call 515.348.6326. Reasonable accommodations for accessibility are available through Elizabeth Ferreira, Accessibility Coordinator, at elizabeth.ferreira@iowaeda.com.

Follow rubric closely; ensure work samples align with artistic goals; recommendation must speak directly to artistic ability