Through the Ambrose Advantage scholarship program, a tuition-free St. Ambrose University education is available to any Pell Grant-eligible Iowans . It's an opportunity that allows recipients to enter the job market with a great degree and minimal debt. 

Ambrose Advantage Qualifications:

• Iowa resident
• Pell Grant and Iowa Tuition Grant eligible
• Minimum unweighted cumulative 2.5 GPA
• Full-time undergraduate enrollment
• Must be admitted and file the FAFSA
• Pell eligibility will be reviewed each year to maintain scholarship, campus residency not required 

What is your next step to see if you qualify for the Ambrose Advantage scholarship?

• If you haven't already, apply now and submit your needed transcripts.
• If you've been admitted, you need to be sure to complete the FAFSA and include the SAU school code (001889).
• If you're unsure of your next steps or want to check on your application status, please contact your Admissions Counselor for assistance.

"It just feels like people really care about you here." - Arayah Westmoreland

Time spent in the foster care system as a child in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, gave Arayah Westmoreland a glimpse into her future.

"I knew I needed to work with kids who struggled in the system like I did, kids who didn't really have a connection with their counselor in the system," she said.

Arayah might have been able to pursue a social work degree and fulfill that long-held mission somewhere other than St. Ambrose. But preparing to show foster kids someone cares might not have felt as intuitive as it does here.

"Better connection with teachers," she said when asked what she loves about her SAU experience. "Better connections with fellow students. I can say hi to my professors as they walk by me. It just feels like people really care here."

The Ambrose Advantage made all the difference as Alayah weighed the expense of a St. Ambrose Bachelor of Social Work degree vs. bachelor's degrees at other schools. The opportunity to add a Master of Social Work degree in just another year of schooling through the 4 + 1 BSW to MSW track at St. Ambrose made a great deal even better.

"It's the perfect school, the perfect degree, for me," she said.