First Quarterly Winners of College Savings Drawing Announced
Parents Entered in Drawing After Receiving College and Career Planning Information for Their Students
August 16, 2022
Thirty-six Iowa parents and guardians each received $250 in college savings deposits after their entries were randomly selected in a quarterly drawing sponsored by Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation®. The winners were among 1,002 eligible participants who entered after receiving free college and career planning information for their middle and high school students.
The information service, SP3 or Student Planning Pointers for Parents, is provided by the nonprofit student loan provider to help parents and guardians guide their students through eighth through 12th grades with an eye to the future.
"Parents are often unsure of how to help their student think about and plan for the future. We want to help them understand the planning steps that apply to each student's grade level and what they as a family can do now to prepare for success in college and careers," said Steve McCullough, president and CEO of Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation.
The free service is provided via twice-monthly emails to parents and guardians who sign up at www.sp3.org. Registered recipients have the opportunity to enter the quarterly drawings for deposits into a college savings account.
"Each time I read an article, I am able to take away a small snippet of information that I didn't know or can share with our children," said 2021 third-quarter winner Rhonda Slight of Storm Lake, Iowa. "An added bonus is being entered into the quarterly drawing for $250 towards your college saving[s] account. A great return on investment for the little amount of time it takes to read the articles!"
Megan Garringer, another 2021 third-quarter winner of Williamsburg, Iowa, said, "I appreciate how relevant the articles are to my son's age and often use ideas from the articles to start conversations around our dinner table." She added, "Thank you for these meaningful conversation starters, and [for] investing in our children's futures."
The SP3 service is provided in partnership with College Savings Iowa, ICAN, the Iowa School Counselor Association and Strada Education Network.
State Treasurer of Iowa Michael L. Fitzgerald remarked, "While financial aid, scholarships and grants can reduce the cost of education, most families still need to set aside their own funds to pay for tuition and fees. We know that saving for higher education may seem like a daunting feat, but with programs like [SP3] and College Savings Iowa, we hope to ease the financial stress many families face."
Articles are carefully researched and informed by 40 years of experience in the higher education industry. Additionally, parents and guardians are provided with multiple resources to further explore topics of particular interest.
The information is targeted to specific grade levels to correspond with students' current stages. The consistent format explains why the topic is important, what students can do now, additional steps they should take later and what parents can do. In addition, talking points are provided as a guideline for approaching the topic with students.
More information and simple signup is available at www.sp3.org.
2022 First-Quarter Winners
Each winner below received a $250 deposit to an established 529 college savings plan account.
- Roxanne Anderson, Dundee
- Cheryl Atwood, Van Horne
- Chuck Backstrom, Norwalk
- Crystal Berg, Urbandale
- Sarah Bergamo, Urbandale
- Neelea Boell, Altoona
- Deborah Crocker, Bettendorf
- Curt Graff, Iowa City
- Holly Green, Davenport
- Kathy Grete, Cedar Falls
- Stephane Guthrie, Des Moines
- Shari Higgins, Nevada
- Rachel Howard-Wright, Davenport
- Jason Kautz, Marion
- Michael LaBelle, Decorah
- Brenda Lange, St. Olaf
- Dulcie Lauritsen, Cedar Rapids
- Kelly Loeffler, Keosauqua
- Kelly Markham, Bettendorf
- Emily Moellring, Ankeny
- Andrew Munson, Carroll
- Becky Peterson, Stanton
- Jesse Peterson, Cedar Rapids
- Carrie Pruess, Clarence
- Susan Pyle, Ames
- Stacy Rolfes, LeMars
- Susan Scharanu Schultejans, Marion
- Heather Schmatt, Cedar Rapids
- Amy Sedlacek-Harmon, Victor
- Zachary Sizmann, LeMars
- Amy Sparks, Polk City
- Bethany Staab, Sergeant Bluff
- Brian Sullivan, Decorah
- Leanne Thompson, Slater
- Lisa Vos, Pella
- Todd Wiley, Creston
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Media Contact
Christopher Weishaar, Digital PR Specialist, (515) 273-7102, cweishaar@studentloan.org
