Federal and State Grants

The FAFSA is filed online at studentaid.gov. A student must first get an FSA ID, which serves as your electronic signature. Dependent students must also get an FSA user ID for one parent, who will be considered a contributor on the student’s FAFSA. When filing the FAFSA, be sure to list Simpson College, federal school code 001887.

The FAFSA is the only application required to determine eligibility for most state and federal assistance programs.

The information provided on the form will be analyzed at the processing center and a report of the financial need of the student and his/her family will be sent to the College in 3-5 business days. Financial aid notices are made as soon as the applicant has been accepted for admission and the results of the FAFSA has been forwarded to the College.

Iowa applicants must have their FAFSA to the processing center by July 1 in order to be eligible for State of Iowa funds.

Federal Awards

Federal Pell Grants are awarded to help high-need undergraduate students pay for their post-secondary education. This grant provides a maximum of $7,395 in grant money for the academic year.

Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (SEOG) are given to undergraduate students with exceptional financial need, as determined by Simpson College. Simpson packages $833 in SEOG, to students enrolled full-time with a -$1,500 student aid index until all funds are depleted, which is typically by February 15th.

Federal TEACH Grant Program: The Teacher Education Aid for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program provides grants of up to $4,000 per year (prorated for part-time enrollment) to students who intend to teach in a public or private elementary or secondary school serving students from low-income families in designated shortage teaching areas. The Grant becomes a Fedeal Direct Unsubsidized Loan with interest accruing back to the date of initial disbursements if the student fails to meet the forgiveness requirements. To be eligible, students must maintain a minimum 3.25 college cumulative grade point average or meet certain ACT benchmarks.

Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship: Effective with the 2024-2025 award year, as part of the FAFSA Simplification Act, a student whose parent or guardian died in the line of duty while serving on active duty as a member of the armed forces on or after September 11th, 2001 or actively serving as a public safety officer is eligible to receive maximum Pell Grant for the award year provided the student has not reached their 33rd birthday as of the 1st of January of the FAFSA processing year. Students will self-certify on the FAFSA if their parent was killed in the line of duty.

Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant OR Additional Federal Pell Grant Funds:Effective with the 2024-2025 award year, as part of the FAFSA Simplification Act, a student whose parent or guardian died in the line of duty while serving on active duty as a member of the armed forces on or after September 11th, 2001 or actively serving as a public safety officer is eligible to receive maximum Pell Grant for the award year provided the student has not reached their 33rd birthday as of the 1st of January of the FAFSA processing year. Students will self-certify on the FAFSA if their parent was killed in the line of duty.

State Awards

The State of Iowa administers a variety of programs designed to help Iowa resident college and university students attend the institutions of their choice. Some programs are based upon scholarship, and others are based upon individual need. For a listing of Iowa programs administered by the Bureau of Iowa College Aid, you may visit their website at https://educate.iowa.gov.

Iowa Tuition Grant Program
The Iowa Tuition Grant is based on financial need, with priority given to the neediest applicants. The maximum grant is $8,500 for each year of full-time undergraduate study (12 or more semester hours). The Iowa Tuition Grant is pro-rated to students who are attending less than full time.

To apply for an Iowa Tuition Grant, a student must be:

• A resident of Iowa as defined by the State Board of Regents.
• A United States citizen or residing in the United States on a permanent visa.
• Currently enrolled or planning to enroll in an undergraduate program at an Iowa private college.

The FASFA must be at the processing center by July 1 in order to qualify for the Iowa Tuition Grant. Simpson College should be listed on the FAFSA.

Education and Training Voucher Program
Iowa’s Education and Training Voucher Program (ETV) provides grants of up to $5,000 per year to Iowa students who age out of Iowa foster care and students who are adopted after the age of 16. Grant awards can be used tuition/fees, housing/food, books/supplies and personal/living expense. Grants are renewable for education or training programs that extend beyond one year. Grants may be used for a range of career-training programs beyond traditional campus programs leading to academic degrees.

To apply, you may use the application specific to the ETV program. Applications are available from the “Scholarships & Grants” section of the Iowa Department of Education website: https://educate.iowa.gov or by calling 877-272-4456, option 3.

Iowa National Guard Service Scholarship
This grant provides annual awards to Iowa National Guard members who attend eligible Iowa colleges and universities. Maximum individual awards cannot exceed the resident tuition rate at Iowa Regent Universities. For the 2024-25 academic year, the average tuition rate for full-time students at Iowa Regent Universities is $9,034. The Iowa Adjutant General determines eligibility.

All Iowa Opportunity Scholarship
Students attending eligible Iowa colleges and universities may receive awards of up to $5,198 for the 2024-25 academic year. Priority will be given to students who participated in the Federal TRIO Programs, graduated from alternative high schools and to homeless youth.

Teach Iowa Scholar Program
The Teach Iowa Scholar Program provides qualified Iowa teachers with awards of up to $4,000 a year, for a maximum of five years, for teaching in Iowa schools in designated shortage areas. Qualified teachers are those currently teaching in designated shortage areas who meet all of the eligibility criteria. To see all information regarding the Teach Iowa Scholar Program, please visit https://educate.iowa.gov.