Program Could Cut Tuition By $1,000 For Some Iowa College Students

Iowans who attend the state’s three public universities could receive a permanent tuition discount of more than $1,000 if the Legislature creates a need-based grant program, according to an Iowa Board of Regents proposal released Wednesday.

The board, which oversees the universities, plans to ask the Legislature next year for $39.5 million to start a grant for Iowa undergraduates at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa who have financial need.

The proposal is part of a plan to eliminate, within five years, $150 million in scholarships paid for with other students’ tuition dollars.

The current policy, called tuition set-aside, earmarks about 20 percent of tuition paid by every student to scholarships for others.