CHAPTER 8
ALL IOWA OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
283—8.1(261) Basis of aid. Tuition assistance available under the all Iowa opportunity scholarship program is based on the financial need of Iowa residents enrolled at eligible Iowa colleges and universities.
283—8.2(261) Definitions. As used in this chapter:
“Eligible college or university” means an Iowa community college, an institution of higher education governed by the state board of regents, or an accredited private institution located in Iowa that meets all eligibility requirements set forth in Iowa Code section 261.9. All eligible colleges and universities must submit annual reports which include student and faculty information, enrollment and employment information, and other information required by the commission as described in Iowa Code sections 261.9 through 261.16.
“Expected family contribution (EFC)” is the means by which the commission ranks the relative need of an applicant for financial assistance. Expected family contribution shall be evaluated annually on the basis of a confidential statement of family finances filed on a form designated by the commission. 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 expected family contribution. Relative need will be ranked based on the applicant’s expected family contribution (EFC) provided by the U.S. Department of Education. The FAFSA must be received by the processing agent by the date specified in the application instructions.
“Full-time” means enrollment at an eligible college or university in a course of study including at least 12 semester hours or the trimester or quarter equivalent.
“Iowa resident” means a person who meets the criteria used by the state board of regents to determine residency for tuition purposes as described in 681—1.4(262) or a person who meets the criteria defined by the Iowa department of education’s “Iowa community college uniform policy on student residency status.”
“Part-time” means enrollment at an eligible college or university in a course of study including at least three semester hours or the trimester or quarter equivalent.
283—8.3(261) Eligibility requirements.
	8.3(1) Applicants for the all Iowa opportunity scholarship program must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the date specified in the application instructions and any additional applications or documents required by the commission. In addition to completing the FAFSA, an applicant must be:
	a. 	An Iowa resident who begins his or her initial period of postsecondary enrollment within two academic years of graduation from high school;
	b. 	An Iowa high school student with at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent; and
	c. 	Enrolled for at least three semester hours, or the trimester or quarter equivalent, in a program eligible for federal student aid under Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act leading to an undergraduate degree, diploma, or certificate from an eligible college or university.
	8.3(2) To maintain eligibility, recipients must maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the eligible college or university.
	8.3(3) Individuals who have military obligations may delay the initial period of enrollment for up to four academic years beyond high school graduation or must begin postsecondary enrollment within two academic years of discharge. Exceptions for health or other personal reasons for delaying the initial period of enrollment will be reviewed by commission staff on a case-by-case basis.
[ARC 8333B, IAB 12/2/09, effective 1/6/10]
283—8.4(261) Awarding of funds.
	8.4(1) Selection criteria. All applicants who submit applications that are received on or before the published deadline will be considered for funding.
	8.4(2) Priority for grants. Only applicants with expected family contributions (EFCs) at or below the average tuition and fees for regent university students for the academic year for which awards are being made will be considered for awards.
	a. 	All eligible renewal applicants will be funded prior to new applicants. In the event that all renewal applicants cannot be funded, applicants will be awarded based on EFC and application date.
	b. 	Priority will be given to students who participated in federal TRIO programs or alternative programs in high school and to students who graduated from alternative high schools. Awards will be made to students in this category based on EFC levels within the parameters defined by the commission, with students in the lowest EFC levels awarded first and at increasing EFC levels until the maximum EFC level is reached.
	c. 	If sufficient funding is not available to make awards to all remaining eligible applicants, awards will be made only to those students whose EFCs combined with federal Pell grants, Iowa vocational-technical tuition grants, and Iowa tuition grants total less than the designated EFC level. Students will be awarded by EFC level beginning with the lowest EFC levels until all funds have been expended.
	8.4(3) Maximum award. The maximum award for full-time students will be the average tuition and fees for regent university students for the award year or the tuition and fees paid by the student, whichever is less. The maximum award for a full-time recipient will not be affected by the ranking system used to prioritize grants. A part-time recipient will receive a prorated award, as defined by the commission, based on the number of hours for which the student is enrolled.
	8.4(4) Awarding process.
	a. 	College and university officials will provide information about eligible students to the commission in a format specified by the commission.
	b. 	The commission will designate recipients until all funding has been expended.
	c. 	The commission will notify recipients and college and university officials of the awards, clearly indicating the award amount and the state program from which funding is being provided and stating that funding is contingent on the availability of state funds.
	d. 	The college or university will apply awards directly to student accounts to cover tuition and fees.
	e. 	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 will report changes in student eligibility to the commission.
	8.4(5) 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.
	8.4(6) Academic-year awards. All Iowa opportunity scholarships are provided during the traditional nine-month academic year, which is generally defined as September through May. Students attending eligible community colleges may receive no more than four semesters of full-time all Iowa opportunity scholarships or eight part-time semesters. Students attending eligible regent universities and other eligible colleges and universities may receive no more than two semesters of full-time all Iowa opportunity scholarships or four part-time semesters.
	8.4(7) Renewal. Applicants must complete and file annual applications (FAFSAs) for the all Iowa opportunity scholarship program by the deadline established by the commission. If funds remain available after the application deadline, the commission will continue to accept applications. To be eligible for renewal, a recipient must maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the eligible college or university and must not have exceeded the funding limit as described in 8.4(6).
283—8.5(261) 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 all Iowa opportunity scholarship 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 funding.
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code Supplement section 261.87.
[Filed emergency 6/14/07—published 7/4/07, effective 6/14/07]
[Filed emergency 7/19/07—published 8/15/07, effective 7/19/07]
[Filed 1/18/08, Notice 10/10/07—published 2/13/08, effective 3/19/08]
[Filed ARC 8333B (Notice ARC 8036B, IAB 8/12/09), IAB 12/2/09, effective 1/6/10]