High School Seniors Can Earn $1,000 for College
Program Provides Education on College Financing and Planning
November 1, 2022
A program offering $1,000 scholarships is now open to Iowa high school seniors. Students not only have a chance at much-needed funds for college but can also learn ways to reduce college loan debt through the program.
Iowa high school seniors may register for the Iowa Financial Know-How Challenge: Senior Scholarship at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/Know-How between now and March 31. Once registered, students will receive instructions via email on completing two online modules. Scholarship recipients will be determined by random drawings among students who have completed the modules.
The two modules, Student Loan Game Plan and the Return on College Investment tool, are designed to help students and families determine maximum recommended levels of student loan debt and find ways to minimize the debt they need to repay.
"The Financial Know-How Challenge was a fantastic experience for me," said Trey Jungers of Newell, "because I felt that I was able to learn many strategies to make college more affordable and reduce my risk of accumulating student debt." Jungers, one of last year's scholarship recipients, added, "I am beyond grateful that I was made aware of this scholarship because it honestly is a great opportunity that every senior should know about before they begin their college journey."
Registered participants also receive emailed tips about planning and paying for college, as well as more general financial literacy tips, throughout the registration period. Once registered, students have until 4 p.m. (Central time) on March 31 to complete the required steps, which should take less than an hour in total, organizers say. Awards will be sent directly to the recipients' colleges and universities in fall 2023 to be applied to college expenses.
"This is an opportunity for all Iowa high school seniors who plan to attend college," said Christine Hensley, board chair for Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation, which sponsors the scholarship and provides education lending under the name ISL Education Lending. "While 50 students will receive money to help with their college expenses, all participants are exposed to important information to make their existing college funding go further."
ISL is a nonprofit organization that provides the online resources and scholarship programs as part of its mission. "It's important to us that we provide value to the families in Iowa as they explore education beyond high school," said Steve McCullough, president and CEO. "Our scholarship and award programs, our free online resources for students and parents, and lower-cost private education loans are ways that we can help families who invest a significant amount in higher education."
The two modules used to qualify for the scholarship are always available to the public at www.IowaStudentLoan.org. In addition, families can visit the website for additional resources and to sign up for other services, like the parent email service Student Planning Pointers for Parents.
The Iowa Financial Know-How Challenge: Senior Scholarship is open to legal U.S. residents who are seniors at an Iowa high school during the 2022–2023 academic year and plan to attend college in fall 2022. No purchase is required to enter. Full rules and details are available at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/Know-How.
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Media Contact
Christopher Weishaar, Digital PR Specialist, (515) 273-7102, cweishaar@studentloan.org
