Scholarship Eligibility

1. Applicant must demonstrate financial need as determined by filing the FAFSA.
   • In order to be considered for the Hixson Opportunity Award, your FAFSA must be verified as complete when application review begins (approximately January 1) 
   • A delay in meeting the deadlines below will affect your eligibility for the Hixson Award 
   • Complete the following by the suggested deadlines:
     • File FAFSA by January 3 (Iowa State University deadline)
     • Select IRS data porting option when filing FAFSA
     • Review and correct your Student Aid Report (SAR) promptly when returned from FAFSA or review the FAFSA status page at accessplus.iastate.edu
     • If selected for further verification, it is your responsibility to complete the process in time for application review (approximately January 1)
2. Applicant must have faced challenges of personal and/or financial hardship and demonstrate this information in the student essay, recommendation and FAFSA
3. Applicant must be a resident of Iowa
4. Applicant must be admissible to Iowa State University
5. Applicant must possess the potential to succeed