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Grants and Scholarships

The Last-Dollar Scholarship was created in 2018 as part of the Future Ready Iowa Act, and is designed to help fill gaps in tuition for Iowans who are pursuing a successful career. The program helps to pay the cost of tuition up to an associateā€™s degree for training in high-demand occupations at any community college. 

The scholarship functions, as the name implies, to provide the ā€œlast dollarā€ necessary to close any gap between the cost of postsecondary education and the financial resources available to eligible Iowans pursuing high-demand careers. In this way, the program eases the path for Iowans seeking to enhance their job skills while also expanding the number of qualified workers in areas where skilled workers are most needed. Once applicants have exhausted any applicable state and federal grants/scholarships, LDS covers remaining tuition and qualified fees for any eligible student seeking to obtain a postsecondary certificate or diploma in one of the designated ā€œhigh-demandā€ career fields (View More: High-demand Occupations for Academic Year 2024-2025).

By the Numbers: Last-Dollar Scholarship Impact (Fiscal Year 2024)

8,021

Total Last-Dollar Scholarship Recipients 

$18.3M

Total Awarded in Scholarships (Millions)

$2,288

Average Scholarship Amount Received

Important date: Current Deadline

March 31, 2025: FAFSA deadline for 2024-2025 School Year

Eligibility and Instructions for Last-Dollar Scholarship

Click on the plus sign (+) to expand the sections below and learn how to apply for the Last-Dollar Scholarship program to help advance your career!

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List of Eligible Programs in Iowa

Last-Dollar Scholarship

Eligible programs for Last-Dollar Scholarship (LDS) are based on job demand and may change from year to year. Visit the following link to learn about all LDS-eligible programs in Iowa.