Iona University takes 20% off graduate tuition for active or retired first responders who enter a qualifying master’s degree or certificate program, and the page adds another 5% for a total of 25% if your undergraduate GPA was 3.5 or higher. The award is built for students starting a program, so the time to ask about it is before you enroll.
Iona lists the award on its page of scholarships and awards for graduate students, in the same long list as the alumni award and the family award for Iona’s own faculty and staff. It’s a graduate-only offer. Nothing on the page extends it to an undergraduate degree.
How To Get The Iona University First Responder Discount
- Pick a program from the list Iona’s page names: a master’s degree or certificate in the School of Arts & Science, the LaPenta School of Business, or one of three programs in the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Nursing & Health Sciences.
- Apply to Iona as an entering student. The page prints no separate application for this award, so ask the Admissions Office whether anything beyond your admission application is needed.
- Collect proof of current employment, or of retirement, from your agency.
- Send it to the Admissions Office. The page says to do this each semester or trimester, by the dates below.
- Keep a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. The page makes that the renewal requirement.
Who Qualifies, In The School’s Words
Iona’s page says the award goes to “active or retired first responders, medical, or safety personnel.” It doesn’t name a single job title, so there’s no list to check yourself against. If you’re a police officer, a firefighter, a paramedic or a dispatcher, you’re likely the person the sentence has in mind, but the page doesn’t say so. A short email to Admissions that names your job and your agency settles it before you pay a deposit.
Retirees are included by name, which is useful if you’re a few years past your last shift and thinking about a second career. The page doesn’t mention spouses or children.
What The Discount Covers And What It Leaves Out
The page prints a 20% tuition discount and the extra 5% from the Edmund Rice Scholarship for students whose undergraduate GPA was 3.5 or greater. That’s where the 25% figure comes from. The page doesn’t print a dollar amount or a cap.
Two sessions are excluded. The page says Iona-funded scholarships and grants aren’t available for Winter Session and Summer Session I, so if you were picturing a short winter course, the discount won’t apply to it. The page doesn’t say whether any other summer session is covered, so ask before you register for one.
Proof You’ll Need, Term After Term
The proof of employment isn’t a one-time step. The page says recipients send it to Admissions every semester or trimester: no later than 9/2 for fall and 1/2 for spring. Students on trimesters have three dates, 9/2, 12/2 and 3/2. For summer, the deadline is the second day of classes. Put those dates in your phone before your first term starts.
Q&A
Q: How much do first responders save at Iona?
A: The page prints 20% off tuition, plus 5% more if your undergraduate GPA is 3.5 or greater, for 25% in all.
Q: Does the page name my job?
A: No. It says “first responders, medical, or safety personnel” and lists no titles, so ask Admissions to confirm yours.
Q: Is it available for an undergraduate degree?
A: The page ties it to master’s degree and certificate programs in the schools it names.
Q: Can I use it for a Winter Session or Summer Session I course?
A: No. The page says Iona-funded scholarships and grants aren’t available for either one.
Q: Is there a school I should look at that offers online courses?
A: Our Liberty University page covers one.
More Information:
Iona’s page is undated, and awards like this one get revised, so read it again before you apply. For more ways to stretch the household budget, browse our money discounts. You can also see it alongside other options in How First Responders Can Save Thousands on College Tuition: The Best Schools Offering Tuition Discounts.