To apply for financial aid, students must follow the application procedures provided in our Step-By-Step Process web page. A student must be admitted to a University of Iowa (UI) degree program and enrolled at least half-time (six hours for an undergraduate and five hours for a graduate student) at the UI in order to be eligible for federal financial aid.
However, federal financial aid regulations allow a once-in-a-lifetime exception. Non-degree students enrolled in pre-requisite courses may be eligible for a Federal Direct Stafford Loan and/or Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan for one consecutive 12-month period. Once the student receives a loan, the 12-month countdown begins regardless of academic level (undergraduate/graduate).
Non-degree students are not eligible for scholarships offered through Admissions or the Office of Student Financial Aid.
Non-degree students may be eligible for a Federal Direct Stafford Loan and/or Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan if they meet the following:
- follow the financial aid application procedures outlined on our Step-By-Step Process web page
- be admitted or currently enrolled as a UI non-degree student
- be registered for University of Iowa pre-requisite courses in order to be considered for admission to a degree program (the pre-requisite courses cannot be required courses for the intended degree program)
- be registered in pre-requisite courses that total at least half-time status (five hours for graduate students, six hours for undergraduate students)
- complete and submit the
Non-Degree Student Status Form to the Office of Student Financial Aid
Non-degree students enrolled in University of Iowa courses that are documented as pre-requisites for a degree program at another institution may be considered for financial aid.
The annual loan maximum for non-degree students taking pre-requisites for an undergraduate program is $2,625 for dependent students and $8,625 for self-supporting students.
The annual loan maximum for non-degree students taking pre-requisites for a graduate program is $5,500 for dependent students and $12,500 for independent students.
The following non-degree students are not eligible to receive financial aid:
- graduate students who are not admitted to a UI degree program because they have not completed the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or have missed the application deadline
- students taking courses to raise their grade point average for admission consideration
- students taking courses that will apply toward the intended degree
- students enrolled in non-degree courses at an institution other than the University of Iowa