The State of Iowa Board of Regents has waived the requirement for students needing to submit either an ACT or SAT score in order to be admitted to the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, or the University of Northern Iowa for next year’s entering class.
As part of his authority under the Regents State of Emergency declared on March 18, 2020, Board President Michael J. Richards has signed a waiver of board of regents policy and Iowa Administrative Code, which requires a standardized test score from any applicant to one of Iowa’s Regent Universities. The waiver is only in effect for applications during the upcoming admissions cycle.
“In this unprecedented time, we want to ensure that all students have the best opportunity to pursue higher education,” Richards said. “We know that many students have had difficulty taking a standardized test due to cancellations. This action will eliminate a potential barrier.”
“If they are able, we still encourage all students to take the ACT or SAT,” said Dr. Rachel Boon, Board of Regents Chief Academic Officer. “But our universities are comfortable in making admissions decisions using all the other information available for this upcoming cycle, if students cannot submit a standardized test score. We hope this waiver will be helpful to students in this cohort.”
This month, the board of regents is offering on-campus ACT tests for Iowans graduating high school in either 2020 or 2021. Those tests, whose scores are valid at only Iowa’s Regent Universities, are still ongoing throughout the month of August. The tests are being held on the campuses of the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa, in addition to the UI’s Pappajohn Education Center in Des Moines, and the Western Iowa Regents Resource Centers in Sioux City and Council Bluffs. For more information, specific dates for each location, and to register, go to https://iowaregents.uiowa.edu/bor-campus-act.