Scholarships
IAD Board Essay Scholarships
Each year TWO $500 scholarships are available to Iowa Academic Decathlon students: one for a large school student and one for a small school student.
Deadline: All submissions must be received by midnight, February 20, 2024, to be considered.
Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony of the State Tournament.
The Essay:
Describe how participating in Academic Decathlon has benefited you as a student and as a person. Include all personal benefits to participating, any value of decathlon beyond winning, if you have moved up a gpa division and why, if you have recruited others to the program, and if you have taught curriculum to others on the team.
Your essay should be written in first person, be one page in length, single spaced, and be free of any major grammatical errors.
Introduction must include the student’s GPA category (Honors, Scholastic, or Varsity) and number of years participated.
Please DO NOT include your name and school within the essay. They can be in a header, not within the essay.
Submission:
All essays must be submitted electronically to statedirector@iowaacdec.org. Students may share it within google drive or attach a Word or pdf file to an email.
All essays must include the student’s full name and school name as a header.
State Competition Scholarships from Iowa Colleges & Universities
Briar Cliff
Buena Vista University
Cornell College
Drake University
Graceland University
Grand View University
Iowa State University
Loras College
Morningside
Mount Mercy
Northwestern College
St. Ambrose University
University of Iowa
University of Northern Iowa
Waldorf University
Wartburg College
details below...
State Competition
Scholarships from Iowa Colleges & Universities
Briar Cliff
Highest scorer: $3,000
Second highest scorer: $2,500
Third highest scorer: $2,000
Renewable for four years with a 3.00 cumulative gpa.
Buena Vista University
$2000 to high scoring students
Renewable for four years with a 2.50 cumulative gpa or higher
Replaces any other value-added funds offered
Cornell College
Cornell also offers a $2000 scholarship for the top three scoring seniors at the state competition.
This is renewable for three years.
Cornell offers three full tuition scholarships per year to high achieving students from Iowa. Interested students can find out more at http://www.cornellcollege.edu/financial-assistance/cornell-scholarships/index.shtml.
Drake University
Scholarship assistance for the students with the three highest point totals.
Renewable for three additional years.
Must be full-time student and remain in good academic standing.
Graceland University
While Graceland does not offer scholarships based specifically on decathlon performance, Graceland does offer three Prestigious Honors full-tuition scholarships annually to distinctly accomplished students, encouraging their continued growth through education. In addition, generous academic merit scholarships ranging from $10,500 - $16,500 are awarded to those who qualify and are renewable for four years. Interested students can find out more at http://www.graceland.edu/financial-aid//grants-loans-scholarships
Grand View University
$2,500 scholarship to the top three individual overall high scores in both large school and small school categories.
Renewable for up to three additional years with a 3.00 cumulative gpa and full-time day enrollment
Iowa State University
$2,500 scholarship to the top three individual overall high scorers in both large and small school categories.
Renewable for up to three additional years with a 3.00 cumulative gpa.
Loras College
$2,500 to the top scorer.
Renewable for up to three years and awarded by the Director of Financial Planning.
Mount Mercy
$3,000 to the top scorer
$2,500 to the second highest scorer
$2,000 to the third highest scorer
Renewable for three additional years provided student maintains a 3.00 cumulative gpa.
Northwestern College
$2,500 to the top scorer
$2,000 to the second highest scorer
$1,500 to the third highest scorer
Renewable for three additional years provided the student maintains a 3.00 cumulative gpa.
St. Ambrose University
Two $1,000 scholarships to the two highest scoring state decathletes who have been admitted to St. Ambrose University.
Freshman year only; not renewable.
University of Iowa
Scholarship to students with the four highest point totals as follows:
$3,000 to highest
$1,000 to each of the second, third, and fourth highest point scorers
Freshman year only; not renewable.
University of Northern Iowa
$2,500 for the top point scorer in each Varsity, Scholastic, and Honor Categories, regardless of school-size division.
Renewable for three additional years providing a 3.0 gpa is maintained.
Waldorf University
Four-year scholarships to the following:
Full tuition scholarship to the first place finishers in each Varsity, Scholastic, and Honors Categories regardless of school-size division.
$19,000 for the second and third place finishers in each Varsity, Scholastic and Honors Categories regardless of school-size division.
$16,000 for all students who were not in the top three finishing placements regardless of school-size division.
All scholarships are renewable for three additional years providing they are enrolled as a full-time student at Waldorf University and maintain a 3.0 GPA.
Wartburg College
$3,000 scholarship assistance for students with the highest point totals in each of Varsity, Scholastic, and Honors categories.
Renewable for three additional years if student remains in full-time status and maintains a 3.00 cumulative gpa.
* Thrivent Financial Members:
You can support Iowa Academic Decathlon by donating your Choice Dollars!