The University of Iowa is announcing a plan that credits Iowa high school students for such things as good grades and community service with eventual scholarship money.
The UI is partnering with 99 Iowa school districts in a pilot program that accumulates up to 12-hundred dollars in what’s called a “micro-scholarship”.
The UI’s vice president for Student Services, Tom Rocklin, says such things as a “B”-grade in math courses earns $25, $75 for a year’s perfect attendance, and $100 for four-years of a foreign language.
“As the students accumulate the money, they’ll see the progress they’re making. And when they arrive at the University of Iowa, we’ll award that money as a scholarship,” he says.
The UI is piloting the micro-scholarships throughout the state’s 99-counties, in districts with the most free and reduced-price lunches. One of them is Cedar Rapids.
“Students making that decision: ’Should I do that fourth year of band, and I think, why not, and I’ll also get a micro-scholarship as a part of that,’” says Brad Buck, Cedar Rapids School Superintendent, “That’s just one of the great outcomes we’d be hoping for.”
Five other Iowa colleges: Cornell, Clarke, Drake, Buena Vista, and Dordt are offering similar micro-scholarship credits.