Step-By-Step Guide to Obtaining a Passport/Passport Reimbursement

  1. Apply for a program in ISUAbroad (ISU’s online study abroad application system)
  2. You must be a first time international traveler in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), ONLY CALS students are eligible.
    • Students who have had a minor passport (under the age of 18) are not eligible for a passport reimbursement.
  3. You will need to complete a passport application (available at the post office) or at https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports.html
  4. Passport applications require 2 passport photos.  Passport photo service can often be found at CVS, Rite Aid or Wal-Mart.  The U.S. Post Office in Ames can also take passport photos for a fee.
  5. You will need to go to the main U.S. Post Office at 525 Kellogg Avenue in Ames, or your hometown post office or county records office (check to see who processes passports in your area) to apply for your passport.
  6. You will need to bring proof of U.S. citizenship (a certified birth certificate, for example) with you to the post office when you apply for your passport.
  7. Checks (personal, certified, cashier's, traveler's) and/or or money orders are the accepted forms of payment for passport processing..  The total cost as of December 27, 2021 is $165 (excluding photos).  There will be an additional fee if a U.S. Post Office also takes the photos.  The Ames post office does not accept credit cards as a form of payment, so make sure you have an alternate form of payment (checks seem to be the best form of payment).  For more information on accepted forms of payment, see https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/fees.html
  8. You will also need to show a photo ID (i.e. driver's license) when you apply.
  9. Due to a wide range of circumstances, the average wait time for getting a new passport or renewing an expiring passport is very long. Once you receive your passport (12-18 weeks), bring it in to our office in 0018 Curtiss Hall to be copied, and fill out and sign a short form.  You will receive a reimbursement credit of $165 on your UBill in 3-4 weeks.  Note:  we will only reimburse you for the cost of your passport, not for photos or for expediting fees, etc.
  10. Please contact Jodi Cornell or Visha Arumugam for assistance.