Yes, the application fee for nondegree applicants is $40. Beginning with the Fall 2024 entry term, this fee will increase to $55. The fee is nonrefundable. PSEO applicants are not charged an application fee.

If you wish to return to study at the same level you previously studied at (undergraduate or graduate) you should not fill out an application. Contact the Office of the Registrar to complete the reentry process.

If you wish to study at a different level (i.e. you attended Iowa State as an undergraduate student and now want to study as a nondegree graduate student) then you do need to complete the application.

Nondegree undergraduates may take 15 semester credits without submitting an academic record (unless they are applying to take engineering courses). If you want to take more than 15 semester credits, you must obtain an official copy of your transcript from the last school you attended and submit it to your college. The college will then decide if you may continue to take classes.

Nondegree graduate students may take as many credits as they choose. However, a maximum of nine semester credits may be accepted into a degree program at Iowa State University.

You are required to meet any prerequisite course requirements for the course(s) you select. Some courses or sections are restricted to students who meet specified criteria including curriculum/major, college, and/or year in school.

Degree-seeking students are given first priority for course selection, so in some cases the course you want to take may have already reached its capacity and be closed to additional enrollment.

Yes! As long as you are an enrolled student at Iowa State University, you are eligible to live in university housing.

Federal and university student financial aid (including work-study and student loans) is not available to nondegree students. Exceptions are made for teacher certification. If you have questions about financial aid, please contact the Office of Student Financial Aid.

If you are admitted as a degree-seeking undergraduate, your academic advisor will determine how courses taken on a nondegree undergraduate basis will apply to the specific undergraduate degree program you choose.

There is no limit to the number of undergraduate semester credits that may be accepted at the undergraduate level. However, you should not take graduate courses as an undergraduate nondegree student, because those courses will not be accepted into a graduate degree program.

To enroll as a degree-seeking undergraduate, submit an application for undergraduate admission, application fee, and official transcripts from your high school and all colleges and universities attended.

If you are admitted as a degree-seeking graduate, your program of study committee will recommend to the Graduate College which of your nondegree graduate courses (if any) will count toward your degree program, up to a maximum of nine semester credits.

To enroll as a degree-seeking graduate, submit an application for graduate admission, application fee, official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, and proof of any degrees earned.

You should submit an official high school transcript and letters of permissions from your parents and your high school guidance counselor. You must rank in the top half of your current high school class.

It is expected that you will have completed all courses in that subject taught by your high school. Please check with your high school guidance counselor to determine whether you are eligible to take courses under the Post-Secondary Enrollment Option Act (PSEOA), under which part of your tuition and fees is paid by your high school.

Nontraditional applicants are given consideration on an individual basis. Just explain your situation on the application.

If you wish to take only undergraduate classes, you may apply as a nondegree undergraduate.  If you wish to take a mix of undergraduate and graduate courses, or only graduate courses, you must apply as a nondegree graduate.

Please contact the Office of Admissions to discuss your case on an individual basis.

Undergraduate applicants who have been denied admission to the university will not be considered for admission as nondegree undergraduates unless they have met admission requirements since their initial denial. For example, if you were denied on the basis of your high school record, but have since successfully attended another accredited college or university full time for at least a year, you may qualify for admission as a nondegree student.

Graduate applicants who have been denied admission for a degree program are not considered for admission on a nondegree basis unless the graduate department that denied the degree application agrees to accept the student into their classes as a nondegree student.

Disclosure of your Social Security Number ("SSN") is requested for the student records system of Iowa State University. Federal law requires that you provide your SSN if you are applying for financial aid.

Although an SSN is not required for admission to Iowa State, your failure to provide an SSN may delay the processing of your application. Your SSN is maintained and used by Iowa State for financial aid, internal verification, and administrative purposes, and for reports to federal and state agencies as required by law. The privacy and confidentiality of your SSN is protected by federal and state law, and Iowa State will not disclose your SSN without your consent for any other purposes except as allowed by law.

Iowa State University requests the information on this application for the purpose of making an admission decision. No information from the application is routinely provided to persons outside the university except those items which are defined as public information. Responses to items marked "optional" are optional; responses to all other items are required. If you fail to provide the required information, the university may not consider your application.