Financial Aid Offer

The estimated cost of attendance includes estimated billable costs (costs that may be billed through the university) and estimated non-billable costs (costs not billed to the student).

Estimated billable costs may include tuition, mandatory fees, food (university meal plans), housing (on-campus housing), and books, supplies, course materials, and equipment.

Estimated non-billable costs may include transportation and personal expenses.

The estimated cost of attendance is the maximum amount of financial aid a student can receive.

Learn more about the Cost of Attendance.

Grants and scholarships are free money to assist with covering educational expenses at Iowa State University.

Grants and scholarships are automatically accepted for students and will automatically apply towards a student’s university bill at the start of each term.

Federal Student Loans must be repaid, so students should make sure to borrow only what they need.

Federal Student Loans must be accepted each semester in Workday Student.

Subsidized loans do not accrue interest while you are enrolled at least half-time; unsubsidized loans start accruing interest at the time of disbursement.

Learn more about Federal Student Loans.

Students needing additional loans to cover outstanding educational costs have two options:

1. Federal Parent PLUS Loan – This loan is a loan a parent can take out in their name, and that the parent repays, to assist with their students education. Parents must apply for this credit-based loan annually online at studentaid.gov.
2. Private Education Loan – Private loans are offered by private lenders with no federal forms to complete. Eligibility for private student loans often depends on the applicant’s credit score.

If you were offered Work-Study, this will not apply directly to your U-bill. You must find a work-study eligible job and you will receive the funds as a bi-monthly paycheck. Learn more about Work-Study.

Students who are not offered Work-Study can still work on-campus. Check out the Student Job Board for on-campus employment.

The net price is calculated by taking the estimated cost of attendance minus free money (scholarships and grants). This calculates the net price (estimated out of pocket costs) to attend Iowa State University for a student. A student can utilize federal student loans to apply towards their net price to help finance their education (federal student loans will need to be repaid, once a student has left school).