Approximately 20 percent of the UNI student body is from Black Hawk County, and there are 7,879 alumni living in the county. Two dozen volunteers are contacting local businesses seeking gifts for academic or intercollegiate athletic scholarships. Esser and Scott Leisinger , director of athletic development at UNI, are organizing the local drive. The Northern Iowa Scholarship of Distinction is based primarily on high academic achievement. The Residence Life Scholarship is awarded to students who live in the residence halls.
Priority is given to non residents of Iowa.
The Transfer Achievement Scholarship is based on a 3.25 or above GPA, with preference given to students entering from a two-year college who have earned a minimum of 45 semester hours of transferable credit. The Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship is awarded to transfer students who are members of Phi Theta Kappa honorary society at the community college from which they are transferring. The Resident Scholar Awards are given to freshmen who rank in the top 25 percent of their class and have a composite score of 25 or above on the ACT and transfer students entering from a two-year college with a 3.25 GPA of transferrable credit. The College of Business Administration, College of Education, College of Humanities and Fine Arts, College of Natural Sciences and College of Social and Behavioral Sciences grant a number of scholarships. Teacher Education Scholarships, a Fleming Sisters Scholarship and a Virginia McShane Bettle Scholarship were awarded through the College of Education.