Section 283.12.1. Tuition grant based on financial need to Iowa residents enrolled at eligible private institutions of postsecondary education in Iowa.

         12.1(1) Financial need. The need of an applicant for financial assistance under this program shall be evaluated annually on the basis of a confidential statement of family finances filed on a form designated by the commission. For the purposes of determining financial need, the commission has adopted the use of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a federal form used to calculate a formula developed by the U.S. Department of Education, the results of which are used to determine relative need. The FAFSA must be received by the processing agent by the date specified in the application instructions.

         12.1(2) Tuition and mandatory fees. Tuition and mandatory fees shall be defined as those college costs paid annually by all students enrolled on a full-time basis as reported annually to the commission by each participating college or university. Each college or university also will provide annually its rates for part-time tuition and fees to the commission.

         12.1(3) Student eligibility. A recipient must be an Iowa resident enrolled for at least three semester hours, or the trimester or quarter equivalent, in a program leading to a degree from an eligible Iowa college or university. “Iowa resident” means an individual who meets the residency requirements established in 283—Chapter 10.

Iowa tuition grants are provided during the traditional nine-month academic year generally defined as September through May. Students may receive no more than eight semesters of full-time Iowa tuition grants or 16 part-time semesters.

A recipient may receive this grant for summer enrollment if the recipient is enrolled in a commission-approved accelerated program that integrates summer attendance. The purpose of restricting summer Iowa tuition grants is to ensure that students who take classes during the summer do not exhaust Iowa tuition grant eligibility prior to completing four-year degree programs.

         12.1(4) Priority for grants. Applicants are ranked in order of the estimated amount which the family reasonably can be expected to contribute toward college expenses, and awards are granted to those who demonstrate need in order of family contribution, from lowest to highest, insofar as funds permit.

         12.1(5) Award notification. A grant recipient is notified of the award by the college or university to which application is made. Each award notification must clearly indicate award amounts, the state programs from which funding will be received, and that funding is contingent upon the availability of state funds. Any award notification provided by a college or university on probation with the accrediting agency must be made contingent upon the college’s or university’s maintaining affiliation with the accrediting agency. The college or university is responsible for completing necessary verification and for coordinating other aid to ensure compliance with student eligibility requirements and allowable award amounts. The college or university reports changes in student eligibility to the commission.

         12.1(6) Award transfers and adjustments. Recipients are responsible for promptly notifying the appropriate college or university of any change in enrollment or financial situation. The college or university will make necessary changes and notify the commission.

         12.1(7) Restrictions. A student who is in default on a Stafford Loan, SLS Loan, or a Perkins/National Direct/National Defense Student Loan or who owes a repayment on any Title IV grant assistance or state award shall be ineligible for assistance under the Iowa tuition grant program. Eligibility for state aid may be reinstated upon payment in full of the delinquent obligation or by commission ruling on the basis of adequate extenuating evidence presented in an appeal under the procedures set forth in 283—Chapters 4 and 5. Credits that a student receives through “life experience credit” and “credit by examination” are not eligible for tuition grant funding.

[ARC 2205C, IAB 10/28/15, effective 12/2/15]