Thank you for your interest in the Christina Hixson Opportunity Awards at Iowa State University. These awards are designed to demonstrate Iowa State University's commitment to the student potential that exists in various ways beyond the measures of class rank or standardized test scores.

Scholarship Eligibility

1. Applicant must demonstrate financial need as determined by filing the FAFSA.
   • In order to be considered for the Hixson Award, your FAFSA must be verified as complete when application review begins (approximately Feb 15).
   • A delay in meeting the deadlines below will affect your eligibility for the Hixson Award.
   • Complete the following by the suggested deadlines:
     • File federal income taxes by February 14.
     • File FAFSA by Feb 4 (Iowa State University deadline).
     • Review and correct your Student Aid Report (SAR) promptly when returned from FAFSA or review the FAFSA status page on Workday.
     • If selected for further verification, it is your responsibility to complete the process in time for application review (approximately Feb 15).
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.

This scholarship is available to high school seniors graduating in 2025 who will be entering first-year students at Iowa State University in Fall 2025. This program will provide 100 undergraduates with a $20,000 scholarship, divided over eight semesters. Selection is based on the student's county, eligibility and potential as demonstrated through the application, letter of recommendation, and financial need analysis. Students may major in any curriculum and must maintain a 2.00 cumulative grade point average for renewal. Recipients will be notified by May 1.

One award per county. The county corresponds to the student's residence at the time of high school completion, which may be different from the county in which the high school is located. If a county has no suitable applicants, an award will not be made for that county.

Online Application Process

Please complete this online application. Your data is securely stored and transmitted privately. You can complete the application over multiple sessions from any location. Nothing you enter on this site is sent to the Hixson Program until you submit the application. That means you can set up your application, complete the information on the form, change it, and save it without worry of disclosing information to the scholarship committee before you're ready.

• Complete the online application. Priority deadline is February 1.
• Complete the ISU admission process by February 1.
• Applicant must demonstrate financial need as determined by filing the FAFSA.
• Apply for on-campus housing. First-year Hixson Scholars are required to live on campus or in Iowa State's Greek community.