The Full Ride Lois Dale Scholarship Award | UPDATED

The Lois Dale Scholarship is a need and merit-based grant established in 2015 and designed to help ensure that a selected number of outstanding Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) high school seniors have the financial means to complete a two-year or four-year college education without debt.

Lois and H. Dale Bright funded the H. Dale and Lois Bright Foundation in 1957; the Foundation has quietly contributed millions of dollars to Iowa organizations, charities, and educational institutions.

Over the years, many worthy organizations and individuals have been recipients of Bright Foundation awards. In 2012 the Foundation made its first Bright Scholars of Iowa Awards.

These four-year renewable scholarships are designed to make higher education at Iowa universities and community colleges possible for talented young Iowans who may not otherwise have the means to get a college education.

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About Lois Dale Scholarship Award

In 2015, the Bright Foundation funded five scholarships to graduates of East High School in Des Moines. The Bright Foundation has focused its scholarship programs on supporting more young Iowans students attending and completing college in Iowa.

While many worthy and complementary programs exist in the community, unsolicited proposals are not accepted for funding. Nine more were awarded in 2016. Additional scholarships are planned ahead to support graduates of other DMPS high schools in addition to East High School.

The amount of the scholarship is equal to the resident cost of attendance, less other gift aid (including Pell Grants, institutional grants and scholarships, and private scholarships).

This award is renewable for up to three additional years, provided the student maintains a 2.50 cumulative GPA and full-time enrollment.

The award amount each subsequent year is based on the same formula as the initial reward; renewals are not guaranteed. Award recipients will submit a summary of their college experience to the Bright Foundation at the end of each academic year, along with an unofficial copy of their transcript.

In 2012 the Foundation made its first Bright Scholars of Iowa Awards, and over the years, many worthy organizations/individuals have benefited from this scholarship.

These four-year renewable scholarships are designed to make higher education at Iowa universities and community colleges possible for talented young Iowans who may not otherwise have the means to get a college education.

Board of Directors and Staff Members

Lois and H. Dale Bright, with guidance from Daniel Kelly, their financial advisor, and Wendy Carlson Waugaman, their attorney, funded the H. Dale and Lois Bright Foundation in 1957. Since its inception, the Foundation has quietly contributed millions to Iowa organizations, charities, and educational institutions.

Helping today to carry out the Brights’ vision is the Board of Directors of the Bright Foundation, including Dale Andringa, Beverly Apel, Jerry Deegan, Chuck Haas, Fred Lock, Tom Press, Wes Ritchie, and Stacy Wanderscheid. In 2016, the Board of Directors hired their first staff member Meredith Dohmen to serve as the Director of Scholarships.

What You Need To Know About The Lois Dale Scholarship

Level/Field of Study:

The Bright Foundation has focused its scholarship programs on supporting more young Iowans students attending and completing college in Iowa. There is no Discipline restriction to the Scholarship.

Host Nationality

The Scholarship is hosted in the United States of America

Eligible Nationality

The Scholarship is open to College Students from Iowa.  Are you a Student pursuing a college degree in Iowa? This opportunity is solely for you.

Scholarship Worth

The Scholarship Amount is equal to the Cost of Attending College. The Scholarship is a Full Ride Scholarship for Iowa Students.

Lois Dale Scholarship Requirements:

To be eligible for a Lois Dale Scholarship, the applying student must be accepted by one of the three state universities (Iowa State, Iowa, UNI) or these three community colleges (DMACC, Indian Hills, Southwestern Iowa) and also meet the following criteria:

  • A minimum 2.5 cumulative high school GPA
  • Have significant financial need
  • Be an involved community member with a strong potential for success in the college setting.
  • Able to articulate a plan for their education/career goals.
  • Applicants must complete an application form, including an activity summary, an essay, and a letter of recommendation from a teacher.

How To Apply for Lois Dale Scholarship:

Applications are available through the high school counseling office and should be returned when completed. Applications are typically available in October and due in mid-December, as the scholarships are awarded in early March. The following information will need to be submitted with the application form:

  • Completed application with community involvement summary
  • Letter of recommendation
  • Essay

Application Link

Application Deadline:

All applications with the required documents must be submitted before mid-December 2024.

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Bright Scholars of Iowa

The H. Dale and Lois Bright Foundation provides the Bright Scholars of Iowa award to entering freshmen who will graduate from an Iowa high school and demonstrate financial need.  Preference is given to students whose parents have not graduated from an accredited four-year college or university.

This scholarship is equal to the total cost of attendance minus all other gift aid (including Pell Grants, institutional grants and scholarships, and private scholarships).  The cost of attendance is equal to tuition & fees, room & board, and books.

This award is renewable for an additional three years provided the student maintains a 2.50 cumulative GPA, has full-time enrollment, and continues to qualify for a Federal Pell Grant.

To be eligible for this scholarship, a student must meet the following criteria:

  • Currently, a senior attending an Iowa high school
  • Outstanding academic achievement (top 10% of high school graduating class or 299 RAI (Regents Admission Index) or higher, or ACT of 28 or above)
  • Demonstrate a commitment to learning, community service, and success in adversity.
  • Qualify for a Pell Grant as determined by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  • Priority to a child of parents who has not earned a four-year college degree
  • Enrolling and maintaining full-time (12 credits or more per semester)

Application process

Complete the online University Scholarship Application and upload an essay describing how you have succeeded in the face of adversity. 

Also include a summary of your high school and community service activities, including leadership roles assumed (no more than two typewritten pages), and file the FAFSA before January 15th.

Priority Deadline: The deadline for this application is January 15 every academic year

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