Iowa Communications Alliance Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Iowa Communications Alliance

Introduction
The Iowa Communications Alliance (ICA) seeks to support students from Iowa’s rural communities by offering financial aid to pursue postsecondary education and encouraging graduates to remain in rural Iowa. ICA is awarding two scholarships of $2,500 each to qualified applicants.

Who may apply
To be eligible, applicants must meet every item below:
- Be either a graduating high school senior or a current full‑time undergraduate student who will continue undergraduate studies in the 2026–2027 academic year.
- Have a parent, grandparent, or guardian who is currently employed by or serving as a director of — or be a current employee of — an Iowa Communications Alliance “Voting Member” Company (as defined in the ICA bylaws).
- Be an Iowa resident.
- Be accepted to or enrolled in an accredited two‑year or four‑year college/university or an accredited vocational/technical school.
- Hold a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.0 on a 5.0 scale).
- Indicate an intention to live and work in a rural community after graduation.

How to apply
- Complete the online application at www.iacommunicationsall.org/ica-scholarship-programs. Applications must be submitted electronically.
- Fill out every field of the application; incomplete submissions will not be considered.
- Write responses to two of the three essay prompts below. On your document, list each chosen question followed by your answer. Each response may be no longer than 400 words. Upload your essay file as a PDF in the online form.
1. Describe a time you encountered an obstacle or adversity and explain how you overcame it.
2. In what ways have you impacted others in your community?
3. How would you define “success” in your career after college?
- Include your most recent academic transcript (mask your social security number).
- Do not attach or include any photographs.
- Applications must be submitted by March 2, 2026.

Selection, award delivery, and conditions
- A Scholarship Committee appointed by the Iowa Communications Alliance Board of Directors will review applications and select recipients.
- Two scholarships will be awarded annually.
- Awards are disbursed after proof of enrollment is provided: 50% of the award for the Fall term and 50% for the Spring term. Payments will be sent directly to the student’s institution in the student’s name.
- Scholarships are one‑time awards and are not renewable; previous recipients are not eligible for future ICA scholarships.
- Selection is made without regard to race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, or disability.
- Applications missing required items will be disqualified. Use the checklist on the online form to confirm all components are included.
- Scholarship recipients will be selected and notified by May 1, 2026.

Privacy
All identifying information on applications will be kept anonymous to the Scholarship Committee during the review process.

For questions or technical assistance with the online application, visit www.iacommunicationsall.org/ica-scholarship-programs.