Following Summer 2018, the Summer Hawk Tuition Grant III will no longer be offered, the UI announced Thursday.
According to an email from Kari Yankey, administrative services coordinator in the Academic Advising Center, due to state budget cuts, this is the last summer that the grant will be offered. Students eligible for the grant may apply it for a maximum of six semester hours of UI courses this summer.
The grant awards Iowa residents a scholarship to cover tuition for up to six semester hours of summer courses and nonresidents registered for more than four semester hours receive the difference between resident and nonresident tuition. Nonresidents are already charged the resident tuition rate if taking four or fewer semester hours.
This adjustment came earlier this year after the UI reduced the number of hours students could take using the Summer Hawk Grant after state budget cuts. In the spring 2017 semester, the state Legislature made budget cuts to higher education, including a midyear reduction of about $15 million for fiscal 2017.
Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education Lon Moeller said in the UI announcement that the program was launched to help students graduate on time. According to the UI, in summer 2017, the institution provided $6,201,921 in grants to 2,161 students.
“Unfortunately, after four years, we’re finding that there are many factors that impact time to graduation that are not specifically addressed by Summer Hawk, and with diminishing resources from the state, we have to channel our efforts to where we can have the greatest positive impact on improving graduation rates,” he said.
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The four-year graduation rate of the Class of 2017 was consistent with the rates of past years, coming in at 54 percent. The rates for the previous two classes were 53 percent and 54 percent, respectively, according to the announcement.
UI Student Government President Jacob Simpson said in the announcement it is important the UI direct its limited resources toward the most impactful initiatives for students.
“We look forward to working with Associate Provost Moeller and other campus partners to invest the Summer Hawk resources into efforts that improve the retention and graduation rates for students, particularly first-generation, underrepresented minority, and low-income students,” Simpson said.
As long as a student pays full-time tuition for both fall 2017 and spring 2018 semesters, they could potentially use the grant for UI courses offered during the 2018 summer session. Final eligibility for the grant will be determined after the second week of spring classes. Eligible students will also receive an email about the grant. Students can also check their eligibility in MyUI under the Financial Aid tab.
Early registration for summer 2018 will occur March 5-9. Yankey encouraged students to be sure to register during March to maximize the chances that courses will be available to them.
Students have until July 2, 2018 to declare their intention to use the Summer Hawk Tuition Grant III this summer. Students can find the form to declare their intention to use the grant is on MyUI.
The announcement comes after the state Board of Regents approved state appropriations requests for fiscal 2019 in September. The request also included $5 million designated for resident undergraduate financial aid at the UI. In light of tuition increases, UI President Bruce Harreld has said it is a priority to increase financial aid offerings for those who need it.
Tuition rates for the next academic year have yet to be set by the regents and will not be discussed until the spring semester. Regent President Mike Richards has maintained his stance that the regents plan to set rates once rather than having a second vote to hike tuition during the summer months in an effort to increase predictability for students and their families as they plan their educational expenses.
The grant’s eventual demise sparked mixed emotions on campus, many from students who have used the program. Some students worried about the grant’s termination, and they were concerned about the effects it will have on students’ budgets.