Cornell College offers Iowa students $30,000 scholarships

October 21, 2020

Cornell College is increasing its Iowa Promise Scholarship to offer a minimum of $30,000 to all first-time students from the state of Iowa who are accepted for admission.

This move puts Cornell College’s cost of attendance in line with Iowa’s three state universities and offers the opportunity for more Iowans to choose an affordable private college education. Used in collaboration with the Iowa Tuition Grant—state aid that is available only to students attending private colleges—the cost of attendance is comparable to all three institutions.

“We revamped our well-established Iowa Promise Scholarship program to provide even greater transparency regarding the cost of higher education,” Cornell College Vice President for Enrollment Management Wendy Beckemeyer said. “Now Iowans who would like to consider a private college in addition to the public schools in Iowa can compare the costs more easily. We want to ensure that the kind of personalized education students receive at a private college is financially attainable for every Iowa student. We know many students seek the personal attention, small class sizes, and direct faculty mentorship that Cornell College offers with our nationally known One Course At A Time schedule.”

This new funding model is in place now for students applying for enrollment in the 2021–2022 academic year. It is renewable for up to four years.

Requirements include: 

  • Iowa residency
  • First-time Cornell student status (transfer students do not qualify) 
  • On-campus living

Cornell College students learn in a highly desirable format, also known as One Course At A Time. They fully immerse themselves in a single course with a single professor for 3 ½ weeks before moving on to the next course. Cornell students complete the same number of courses each semester as would typically be true at an institution where all of the courses are taken at the same time. 

“We’ve heard time and time again how much our One Course At A Time calendar and the experience Cornell provides allow students to accomplish amazing things and lead to successful careers,” Beckemeyer said. “We can’t wait to share our school with more Iowans as we provide this higher level of funding for in-state students.”

High-achieving scholars and students engaging in the fine arts or esports can also qualify for additional scholarships that will exceed $30,000.

For more information students and families can email iowapromise@cornellcollege.edu.