HF 96 establishes a tuition reimbursement program for Iowa teachers pursuing an advanced dyslexia specialist certification. It provides up to 75% of tuition costs (capped at two years) to teachers working in Iowa schools or area education agencies who are obtaining this specialized certification. The program, funded with $335,000 for fiscal year 2025-2026, requires annual applications and verification of current teaching status. Teachers must apply each year and complete the certification process to receive payments, with the first payment after year one and the second after year two. The College Student Aid Commission administers the program and reports annually on participation and outcomes.
HF 154 would waive undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees at Iowa's public universities for Iowa residents who achieve the highest possible score on the ACT or SAT college readiness assessments. It also provides a $5,000 semester stipend to qualifying students. To receive these benefits, students must submit score documentation and maintain satisfactory academic progress toward graduation. The bill directly affects high-scoring Iowa students at regents institutions, creating a new financial aid pathway tied to standardized test performance.
SF 250 creates a program to help rural Iowa counties and municipalities recruit attorneys by offering financial incentives. It targets areas with populations under 26,000 located more than 20 miles from a city of 50,000+ residents. Eligible attorneys receive annual tuition reimbursements (90% of University of Iowa law school costs) over five years, with counties covering 35% of the cost. The program limits participation to five attorneys and requires them to work full-time in the area for five years while providing legal services to low-income residents.
HSB 329 establishes a program to waive tuition and mandatory fees at Iowa's regent institutions and community colleges. This waiver is available to eligible peace officers and their legal dependents who are Iowa residents. Peace officers must be certified and pursuing a law enforcement-related degree, while legal dependents must agree to reside in Iowa for five years post-graduation. Both groups can receive the waiver for up to three years. The bill also creates a state fund to reimburse educational institutions for the cost of these waivers.
HF 516 creates priority access for residency and fellowship positions at the University of Iowa’s colleges of medicine and dentistry, directly affecting UI’s medical programs and their affiliated hospitals and clinics. The bill requires state-funded training programs to prioritize applicants from these UI institutions when filling medical residency and fellowship roles. Now law after Governor signed it on June 11, 2025, this policy change aims to strengthen UI’s medical education pipeline without altering broader admission standards for other institutions.
HSB 51, the "College Affordability Act," requires Iowa's regents institutions to implement several affordability measures for in-state undergraduate students. It caps annual tuition and mandatory fee increases for in-state residents at 3%, mandates that first-year resident tuition remain unchanged for subsequent years (for students starting in 2026 or later), and requires each institution to offer at least one bachelor's degree program completed in three years by 2027. The bill also establishes a "work plus" program where employers cover tuition and fees during part-time employment semesters, requiring a formal agreement between students, employers, and institutions. These provisions directly affect in-state undergraduate students at Iowa's public universities and aim to reduce long-term education costs.
SF 244 requires Iowa's regents institutions (public universities) to establish standardized general education requirements for undergraduate students. It mandates specific credit hours: six each for English composition, world language, math/stats, natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, plus three each for western heritage (e.g., Western civilization) and American heritage (e.g., American history or Iowa history), totaling no more than 40 credits. The bill prohibits courses from distorting historical events or teaching theories about systemic racism, sexism, or oppression as inherent in U.S. or Iowa institutions, while preserving academic freedom. Exceptions apply for three-year degree programs or complex majors, and anyone can report violations to the attorney general for enforcement. The requirements apply to students enrolling at regents institutions starting in academic years beginning July 1, 2027.
HF 437 establishes a Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa. The bill creates a formal unit within the university dedicated to supporting academic freedom, free expression, and open inquiry on campus. It directly affects the University of Iowa by requiring the institution to develop and maintain this center as part of its operations. The law was passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor on June 11, 2025, making it effective immediately.
HF 135 provides tuition and mandatory fee waivers at Iowa's regents institutions and community colleges for sanitation workers and their children. To qualify, a sanitation worker must have been employed for at least one year within the past five years by a county, city, township, or their contractor, with primary duties involving residential or commercial waste collection or transport. The waiver also covers the child of such a worker, though institutions may require documentation of the worker's employment. This policy directly affects eligible sanitation workers and their dependents seeking higher education in Iowa.
This bill, the "Syllabus Transparency Act," requires Iowa regents institutions to publish key syllabus details for every undergraduate course online. It mandates that each syllabus include the instructor's name, descriptions of major assignments/exams, required readings, and lecture topics. The information must be freely accessible without login, searchable, available on the institution's homepage within five clicks, and posted by the first day of each term - remaining online for at least one year. The law takes effect December 31, 2025, directly affecting public universities and their students and faculty.
