The Iowa Board of Regents waived the requirement to submit either an ACT or SAT score to the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa for the fall 2021 semester. 

The Board of Regents President Michael Richards signed a waiver of Board of Regents policy and Iowa Administrative Code, which requires a standardized test score from any applicant to one of Iowa’s Regent Universities. The waiver is only in effect for applications during the upcoming admissions cycle.

“In this unprecedented time, we want to ensure that all students have the best opportunity to pursue higher education,” Richards said. “We know that many students have had difficulty taking a standardized test due to cancellations. This action will eliminate a potential barrier.”

Through the month of August, Iowa State University, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa will be providing on-campus ACT testing for 2020 and 2021 Iowa high school graduates. Test scores will only be valid at those three institutions, according to the release. 

“If they are able, we still encourage all students to take the ACT or SAT,” said Board of Regents Chief Academic Officer Rachel Boon in a news release Thursday. “But our universities are comfortable in making admissions decisions using all the other information available for this upcoming cycle, if students cannot submit a standardized test score. We hope this waiver will be helpful to students in this cohort.”

The tests will be on the campuses of Iowa State University, University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa, in addition to the UI’s Pappajohn Education Center in Des Moines and the Western Iowa Regents Resource Centers in Sioux City and Council Bluffs.