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Arts & Culture Programs
Arts & Culture Initiatives

The Iowa Scholarship for the Arts supports the development of outstanding high school seniors who excel in the arts and are enrolled in accredited educational programs leading to careers in the arts. 

Iowa Scholarship for the Arts callout

Scholarships in the amount of $5,000 are awarded to support 2026-2027 academic year tuition expenses at Iowa colleges or universities.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  1. Current Iowa resident who will graduate from an Iowa high school during the 2025-2026 school year and has displayed proven artistic ability in the areas of music, dance, visual arts, theatre, folklife or literature; and
  2. Accepted as a full-time undergraduate student at a fully accredited Iowa college or university with a major in at least one of the following areas of study: music, dance, visual arts, theatre, folklife, or literature.

Immediate family members or dependent children of IEDA board members, Iowa Arts Council board members or IEDA staff are not eligible.

Application Process

  • Please review the Program Guidelines found in the resources section below for additional information on application requirements and the review process.

Apply Now

Timeline

  • April 1, 2026 | Fiscal Year 2025 Application Deadline
    The deadline to submit an online application is 11:59 PM on April 1, 2026.
  • April 23, 2026 | Finalist Applicant Interviews
    The review panel will interview the top scoring applicants on or about April 23, 2026.
  • May 12, 2026 | Award Notification
    Applicants will be notified of funding decisions within thirty (30) days of their interview date.

Resources