Robert D. Blue Scholarship

The Robert D. Blue Scholarship, named for a former Iowa governor and run by the Iowa Treasurer of State, awards $500 to $1,000 to Iowa students who show literary and scholastic ability and the qualities of truth, courage, fellowship and moral force of character. High school seniors and students already enrolled at an Iowa college can apply, and recipients must attend or plan to attend a college or university in Iowa. Applicants are judged on their high school GPA, financial need, two reference letters and a 500-word essay. The application form is posted on the Iowa Department of Education's scholarship page, and the deadline is May 31. Because the award is small and competitive, it works best as one piece of a senior's spring scholarship list, especially for a strong writer who has two adults ready to write letters.

Other deadlines near this one

• AAIA Native Scholarship
  Due May 31, 2027 · $3,000 (varies by year)
• APWU E.C. Hallbeck Memorial Scholarship
  Due May 31, 2027 · $8,000 ($2,000/yr over 4 years)
• APWU Vocational Scholarship
  Due May 31, 2027 · Up to $3,000

How hard is the Robert D. Blue Scholarship to win?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award.

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

• Fewer rivalsOpen only to Iowa residents
• Fewer rivalsAn essay is required, which filters out casual applicants
• Fewer rivalsRecommendation letters are required, a step many applicants skip
• Fewer rivalsAn official transcript is required
• Fewer rivalsOpen to a single grade level only

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the Robert D. Blue Scholarship?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

• ✓Must be a resident of Iowa
• ✓Must attend a college in Iowa (the award does not travel out of state)
• ✓Open to high school seniors

What the application takes

• Essay required, about 500 words.
• 2 letters of recommendation. Ask teachers or counselors early; good letters take time.
• Transcript required. Request it from the school registrar ahead of the deadline.

Deadline and application cycle

The next projected deadline is May 31, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual May 31 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site.

Application deadline

May 31, 2027 (estimated)

Common questions about the Robert D. Blue Scholarship

More merit-based scholarships

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• San Bernard Electric Cooperative Scholarships
  $2,500 · due March 8, 2027
• South Dakota Jump Start Scholarship
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• Stamps Scholars Program
  Varies by partner school, up to full cost of attendance + enrichment funds · due December 1, 2026
• Taco Bell Live Más Scholarship
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Lists this award appears on

• Iowa Scholarships and State Grants
• Merit Scholarships
• Scholarships With May Deadlines