Students applying for an Iowa Tuition Grant will now have a little extra time to fill out their applications, thanks in part to a decision at the Iowa College Student Aid Commission meeting on Tuesday.

At the ICSAC meeting, the vote passed to move application deadlines for the Iowa Tuition Grant and Vocational Technical Tuition Grant from April 20 to June 1.

Gary Nichols, ICSAC executive director, said the deadline was moved “to make sure awards go to those who need them most.”

The commission hopes the extra time to submit applications will add several thousand more applications to the competition, he said.

The ICSAC also reviewed funding recommendations from Governor Terry Branstad for the next two school years.

Branstad recommended to increase funds for the Iowa Tuition Grant for students attending private colleges and universities.

He also recommended to fund a new National Guard Educational Benefits Program that would provide members of the Iowa National Guard with up to half their tuition at the state’s colleges and universities, Nichols said.

Nichols said the National Guard is anxious to have the resource because it will help them with recruiting efforts.

Surrounding states have similar programs for educational funding, enticing some students to join the National Guard in other states rather than Iowa to gain access to this funding, he said.

The Governor recommended an appropriation of $1.175 million for the National Guard Educational Benefits Program, Nichols said.

This funding would provide qualifying applicants with up to half of resident student tuition at a public institution or the equivalent of that amount at a private school.

In addition, Nichols also said a report by the Federal Department of Education read at the meeting that only 7.4 percent of students in Iowa default on their student loans, compared to a national average of about 11 percent.

Only 11 states have a better record.

Of the 7.4 percent that do default, Nichols said, half of those loans are recovered within another three to five years, Nichols said.