Iowa students enrolled in Iowa Central Community College’s Fall 2019 semester are encouraged to apply for Future Ready Iowa’s Last-Dollar Scholarship before the Aug. 1 deadline. This unique scholarship assists eligible students with any remaining tuition and fee gaps that were not covered by federal or state grants/scholarships. The goal of this new program is to connect Iowa students with education and training opportunities in high-demand career fields.

To qualify for the Last-Dollar Scholarship, students must be an Iowa resident, applied for the 2019-2020 FAFSA, be enrolled in an eligible field of study, and fall into one of two student categories (high school graduate or adult learner). Eligible high school graduates applying for this program have to be enrolled as a full-time student in a qualified field of study. Adult learners must be 20 years of age or older and will need to be registered as a full-time or part-time student in a participating program of study.

Iowa Central offers nearly two dozen programs of study that meet the high-demand job requirements designated by the Iowa Workforce Development Board. This includes Iowa Central programs for a two-year Associate of Applied Science degree and one-year post-secondary diploma.

“The Last-Dollar Scholarship is a great program that helps eliminate financial uncertainty for students as they pursue a college education,” said Dr. Dan Kinney, president of Iowa Central Community College. “This will have a big impact on the lives of our students. It is also going to be beneficial to communities throughout the state that are in need of a highly trained and educated workforce.”

Future Ready Iowa is an Iowa Workforce Development initiative whose goal is to have 70% of Iowa’s workforce prepared with necessary training and education beyond high school by 2025. Since over half of all Iowa jobs require post-secondary training and education, this scholarship is an important step in helping Iowans succeed in attaining high-demand jobs.

Iowa Central students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. More information about the program requirements and application process can be found by visiting iowacentral.edu/lastdollar/.