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Home Student Philanthropy and Grants Opportunities Student Impact Grant

Student Impact Grant

Student Impact Grants provide funding for a variety of University of Iowa undergraduate and graduate student activities outside the classroom, such as research, travel, and service projects. The goal is to enable students to pursue opportunities that might not otherwise be possible without financial assistance.

The President's Office has generously allocated $7,000 per semester to help enhance the student experience through these grants. The designated funds come from generous philanthropic gifts made by alumni and friends who have chosen to provide unrestricted support to the university.

Grants are awarded twice a year. Applications are typically accepted for the summer/fall semester beginning in January and for the winter/spring semester beginning in September.

Read the stories of previous recipients.

The grants are made possible by a partnership between the Office of the President and Student Advancement Network (SAN).

GRANT GUIDELINES

Award Application Process

Applications will be considered for funding based on the timeline below. An online form will be available for students and student groups to use when the application period opens. A maximum of $7,000 in total grants will be awarded. Grant amounts will range from $100-$1,000 awards.

Winter 2025 and Spring 2026 Semester Award Grant Cycle

  • September 2: Application opens
  • September 26: Application deadline (5 p.m.)
  • November 20: Grant recipients will be notified about funding requests for winter or spring semester.
  • December 3: Summer/Fall 2025 grant recipient presentations detailing how the funds were used and how the grant enhanced the recipient’s Iowa experience. This event is open to the public.
  • December 4: Signed recipient agreement form due
  • December 22: Award transfers/payments for summer projects
  • January 20: Award transfers/payments for fall projects
  • April 28: Winter 2025/Spring 2026 grant recipient presentations detailing how the funds were used and how the grant enhanced the recipient's Iowa experience. This event is open to the public.

Student Eligibility Requirements

  • Applicants must be enrolled full time as a University of Iowa undergraduate or graduate student for the fall 2025 semester and be in good standing as defined in the University of Iowa Code of Student Life.
  • Student groups or organizations must be recognized by the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership or by a University of Iowa department.
  • If your program is funded in full by other programs or funding methods your program is not eligible.
  • Program/experience must abide by all university guidelines. Grant funding does not permit activities that conflict with these guidelines.
  • Program/experience must abide by all university research guidelines. Grant funding does not permit activities that conflict with Institutional Review Board (IRB) guidelines. Funding does not provide IRB permission for the project.
  • Funding requests must be shown to improve or enhance the student experience and may not be used to reimburse research subjects. Recipients will share about this outcome during a biannual Student Impact Grant Presentation event.
  • Once a student receives a grant, they are not eligible for another University of Iowa Center for Advancement student grant within the next three years.
  • Grants are not renewable.
  • Recipients must present during the Winter/Spring grant recipient presentation detailing how the funds were used and how your Iowa experience was enhanced because of this award. Presentations will be held on April 28, 2026.
Apply Now

Review Process

Members of the University of Iowa Student Advancement Network will review all submissions and make a recommendation. A University of Iowa Center for Advancement employee will oversee the scoring and review process. After review, recommendations will be sent to the Office of the President, which will make the final decision on all grant awards.

Awardees will then be notified of their selection to receive a grant, and payment will be provided by the Office of the President through a transfer to the student's U-Bill or student organization's account. The University of Iowa Office of Student Financial Aid will be consulted to ensure that funding does not affect other financial aid that a student may receive.

If you have questions, please contact Hannah McClintock at hannah.mcclintock@foriowa.org.

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From the Vikings to Vodka: Life After the NFL for Chad Greenway

When former Hawkeye great Chad Greenway retired from the NFL in 2017, his focus was on being a parent. Then a former Iowa teammate connected him with a new business venture in the Twin Cities. Chad Greenway When Chad Greenway (05BA) announced his retirement from the NFL in 2017, he wasn't sure what was next. He had just finished a successful 11-year career with the Minnesota Vikings, where he earned two Pro Bowl selections and helped the Vikings to three NFC North titles. "We had just had our fourth kid," says Greenway. "I just really wanted to focus on being a dad." But when former Hawkeye football teammate Sean Considine (04BBA) connected Greenway with a group of investors in the Twin Cities who were starting a vodka company, it proved to be too good to pass up. "The brand's concept was Gray Duck because of Minnesota's fondness for the kids game Duck, Duck, Gray Duck?rather than Duck, Duck, Goose," says Greenway. "It's a very Minnesota-specific thing; my kids play it. The concept around the company really was unique, but what appealed to me was that they wanted to be community based and give back. While it's a for-profit business, they also wanted to do things the right way. That was really important to me?with the work I've done in the community." That's why Greenway decided to join the ownership group of Gray Duck in 2018, where he handles marketing, public relations, and community events. He's proud to be the public face of a company that keeps everything local?whether it's buying its corn from a co-op in west central Minnesota or raising money for organizations such as the Masonic Children's Hospital at the University of Minnesota or Toys for Tots. Gray Duck has grown immensely since its inception, doubling sales last year and launching a new seltzer line. Through it all, Greenway has used his experiences?whether it be on the farm in South Dakota, at the University of Iowa, or with the Minnesota Vikings?to learn and grow. "What I lean most into from my life is forming relationships and relationship building," says Greenway. "And that's been important in the business world?building relationships with your vendors, partners, or the people you meet when you're signing a bottle." It's also been important for Greenway and his wife, Jennifer Capista Greenway (05BBA), a former UI women's track star, to give back. The couple started Chad Greenway's Lead the Way Foundation in 2008, which provides daily support and life-changing experiences to seriously ill and physically challenged children throughout the Midwest. In 2018, through the foundation's Chad's Locker program, they donated a mobile entertainment cabinet packed with iPads, laptops, movies, and video games intended to lift the spirits of patients and their families at UI Stead Family Children's Hospital. The Greenways have also given back to Hawkeye athletics through the Greenway Family Athletics Excellence Fund, which provides yearly support to a Hawkeye athletic program or initiative of their choosing. For Greenway, his time at Iowa was incredibly successful?two All-American and first-team All-Big Ten honors and two co-Big Ten Conference titles?and he's proud to help other Hawkeyes find success. "I met so many people at Iowa who grew up differently than me and had different opinions and viewpoints," says Greenway. "It was a great place to learn and grow. I'm proud to be part of the Iowa program forever, and the memories I made are those I'll never forget."

Dance Marathon Alumni Group (DMAG)

Past Dance Marathon participants who spent 24 hours on their feet For The Kids (FTK) are invited to join the Dance Marathon Alumni Group (DMAG).

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NOTICE: The University of Iowa Center for Advancement is an operational name for the State University of Iowa Foundation, an independent, Iowa nonprofit corporation organized as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, publicly supported charitable entity that works to advance the University of Iowa. Please review its full disclosure statement.

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