The Iranian-American Scholarship Fund (IASF) is a volunteer-administered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides scholarships to full-time students of Iranian heritage attending undergraduate and graduate schools in the United States. IASF seeks to provide financial assistance to students who demonstrate academic excellence, financial need, and a commitment to community service; instill in the applicants a strong sense of pride in the community that supports their academic objectives; and inspire applicants to donate to IASF in the future in order to continue the tradition of assisting deserving candidates.

IASF is managed by a Board of Directors. The IASF Board meets to plan and review the needs of the organization. Board members volunteer their time and resources.

IASF is managed by a Board of Directors. The IASF Board meets to plan and review the needs of the organization. Board members volunteer their time and resources.

There are a number of options for making your tax-deductible donation. Please visit the Donate section of the website for further details.

No, U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents of Iranian heritage enrolled in accredited U.S. institutions are qualified so long as all other eligibility criteria are met.

IASF’s Application and Review Committee (Committee) evaluates each eligible applicant on the basis of academic achievement, financial need, commitment to community service, essays, and recommendations. The Committee then provides a slate of recommended scholarship recipients and award amounts to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors provides final approval of scholarship recipients and awards.

• Verifiable Iranian heritage
• US citizenship OR legal permanent residency with a valid permanent resident card
• Enrollment as a full-time Undergraduate (Freshmen not eligible) or Graduate (PhDs not eligible) student in a degree-seeking program at an accredited institution in the U.S.
• Minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA
• Demonstrated need for financial assistance [must apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)]
• Demonstrated commitment to community service

NOTE: SCHOLARSHIP APPLICANTS ARE LIMITED TO RECEIVING TWO YEARS OF UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP AND/OR ONE YEAR OF GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP FROM THE IASF. APPLICANTS WHO SUBMIT THE SAME ESSAYS AND/OR RECOMMENDATIONS AS THEY HAVE SUBMITTED AS PART OF A PRIOR YEAR’S APPLICATION PACKET WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

• Completed IASF Scholarship Application
• Student Aid Report (SAR)
• Two Letters of Recommendation
• Official Transcript or GPA Verification.

Any material submitted separately will not be accepted. Only complete Application Packets will be reviewed. Please visit the Scholarship Application section of the website for further details.

The FAFSA is made available free of charge by the U.S. Department of Education for the purpose of applying for federal and state student grants, work-study, and loans. To obtain a FAFSA, please visit www.fafsa.ed.gov. IASF will NOT accept a copy of your FAFSA.

You will receive a SAR from the U.S. Department of Education after you have filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). IASF requires an official copy of the Student Aid Report (SAR) – containing your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), citizenship status, and name on the same page – as verification that you have applied for federal financial aid.

Yes, as long as you meet all other eligibility criteria. One of the eligibility requirements for an IASF scholarship is enrollment as a full-time Undergraduate (Freshmen not eligible) or Graduate (PhDs not eligible) student in a degree-seeking program at an accredited institution in the U.S.

Yes, as long as you meet all other eligibility criteria.

We are not able to track your application and give you updates. We cannot accept or return correspondence regarding your application status. We encourage you to send the application packet via certified mail so that you receive a postcard with a signature confirming delivery and notice to you that the packet has been received.

Scholarship award recipients will be contacted via email and their names will be posted on the website as awardees.

The check is made payable to your academic institution as a scholarship award on your behalf.

Every year we receive many excellent applications and only have a limited amount of funds to award. Unfortunately, the applications we receive from deserving students may greatly outnumber the awards we have available. As such, sometimes strong students may not get selected. It is also important to remember that if your application is not complete, you will not be considered for a scholarship. Some students miss out on opportunities because they submit incomplete applications.