One of the main concerns with students and their parents at the beginning of one’s college career is the cost of tuition, where those dollars are going and how to pay for everything.

2013-2014 Tuition and Fees

For the 2013-2014 school year, undergraduate resident tuition is $3,324 to $4,407 per semester depending on the student’s major and year. Undergraduate non-resident students pay anywhere from $9,600 to $10,642 per semester. The tuition per semester for resident graduate students ranges from $3,924 to $4,764 and non-resident tuition ranges from $10,079 to $10,920.

For the first three years, resident students at the College of Veterinary Medicine pay $9,576 per semester and non-resident students pay $21,420. Fourth-year students pay lower tuition – $9,436 for residents and $17,153 for non-residents.

These numbers do not include the various fees students are also charged. These fees include Activity, Services, Building and Recreation Fee, Health Facility Fee, Health Fee and Technology Fee. The technology fee is different for certain majors.

Tuition Breakdown

Darin Wohlgemuth, Director II in Enrollment Services, said tuition and fees are deposited in the General Fund so it’s hard to say exactly which expenditures and transfers this money is put toward as state and federal appropriations are also deposited in the General Fund.

The total revenue from 2011-2012 was $1,126,496. Revenue comes from state and federal appropriations, tuition and fees, contracts and grants, auxiliary enterprises, independent operations, sales and interest income.

Some of the expenditures and transfers at Iowa State University include instruction, research, public service, academic support, student services, institutional support, operations and maintenance, scholarships, auxiliary expenses, independent operations, mandatory transfers out (education and general) and non-mandatory transfers out.

Financial Aid

Students have many financial aid options available to them including scholarships, loans, grants and work study. The Financial Aid website, financialaid.iastate.edu, has tools and information for students trying to pay for their education.

The first step toward figuring out financial aid is to fill out the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, by March 1. The information from the FAFSA will be sent directly to the university.

Scholarships come in many shapes and sizes. Students can search for scholarships based on a plethora of criteria including sex, race, religion, major, background and clubs or organizations they or their parents belong to – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Iowa State’s website and Fastweb are two good places to find the right scholarship(s).

Student loans and grants can be applied for through the Financial Aid office here at Iowa State University. This office is found at 210 Beardshear, just to the south of the help desk. No appointment is necessary and the office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For those that qualify, work study is a good way to occupy your free time while helping pay for your education. A good place to look for work study jobs is the Student Job Board on AccessPlus.

The Iowa State University Fact Book can be found at ir.iastate.edu/factbk.html and has a link to the Finances and Facilities documents, as well as other information students and parents may need.