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Iowa College Student Aid Commission
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Iowa College Aid Insider - November 2011 Edition
Iowa College Aid Holiday Hours
Iowa College Aid Connections: Why is College so Expensive
Scholarship Opportunities
Free Virtual Financial Aid Night Available to Students
MHEC Policy Summit Focuses on Ensuring the College Success of All Students
7th Annual College Prep Day
Paws in Jobland, a Career Exploration Tool for Elementary Students
GEAR UP Iowa and Des Moines East High School Provide Credit Recovery Endeavors
Iowa College Aid Holiday Hours
Iowa College Aid Connections: Why is College so Expensive
Scholarship Opportunities
Free Virtual Financial Aid Night Available to Students
MHEC Policy Summit Focuses on Ensuring the College Success of All Students
7th Annual College Prep Day
Paws in Jobland, a Career Exploration Tool for Elementary Students
GEAR UP Iowa and Des Moines East High School Provide Credit Recovery Endeavors
Iowa College Aid Holiday Hours
Iowa College Aid will be closed on Monday, December 26, 2011 and on Monday, January 2, 2012 for the holidays.
Iowa College Aid Connections: Why Is College So Expensive
Iowa College Aid Commissioner Kelli Todd has a new blog post on Iowa College Aid Connections. Read Kelli's views on the several schools of thought about the rising cost of education and her concerns as a college student in Why Is College So Expensive at http://iowacollegeaid.wordpress.com/.
Scholarship Opportunities
Exceptional student leaders are invited to apply for the 2012 GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program. In honor of the legacy and character of President Ronald Reagan, this program annually rewards up to 20 college-bound students who demonstrate exemplary leadership, drive, integrity, and citizenship with $10,000 renewable scholarships. The application deadline is February 17, 2012. Learn More
The Matthew Shepard Scholarship Program provides college scholarships to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Iowa high school students who demonstrate LGBT activism and community service. Scholarship awards are based on academic aptitude, academic achievement, community service and financial need. Applications will be available on December 1, 2011, with an application deadline of March 31, 2012. Learn More
The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund provides more than $1.2 million in scholarships to over 500 Asian and Pacific Islander students each year to help increase degree attainment. The application deadline is January 13, 2012. Learn More
As Iowa College Aid learns of scholarship opportunities for Iowa students, they are added to the Featured Scholarship section of our website.
Free Virtual Financial Aid Night Available to Students
The Virtual Financial Aid Night available to students and their families through College Week Live is fast approaching! Iowa College Aid is hosting the virtual financial aid night on December 15, 2011 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Students and their families can log in at any time during the four hours to chat live with financial aid experts, and watch presentations and videos on topics such as FAFSA 411, What to Expect from Colleges & Universities, Scholarships & Grants, and more! Students and families can register at: http://bit.ly/iowafinaid or by scanning this qr code.
Information on this beneficial event can be shared with your students, friends and families through school newsletters, websites and by posting flyers. Please contact Iowa College Aid at 877-272-4456 with any questions.
MHEC Policy Summit Focuses on Ensuring the College Success of All Students
Iowa College Aid staff participated in the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) Annual Policy Summit in Iowa City, Iowa on November 14 and 15. The summit brought together education practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to collaborate on three core dimensions of college readiness: academic preparation, financial literacy, and non-cognitive variables such as awareness, motivation and resilience.
Associate Director of Outreach, Nancy Ankeny, participated in a panel discussion of financial literacy programs and resources. She presented an overview of Iowa College Aid’s statewide financial literacy programs: the Iowa Financial Literacy Program for high school students and Buttonwood™ for college students. She shared that through this initiative, all Iowa high school and college students have access to award-winning programs to teach, assess and certify students in financial literacy using the latest new media technologies.
More information on Iowa College Aid’s statewide financial literacy initiatives can be found on our website.
7th Annual College Prep Day
Drake University hosted the 7th Annual NAACP Youth Council, College Prep Day (CPD) on November 5, 2011. CPD provides information to high school students and parents on college options, search process and financial assistance to pursue higher education. Professionals from various backgrounds, including those from Iowa College Aid listed below, facilitated and offered sessions based on grade level to allow students and parent the opportunity to explore specific stage in the college planning journey.
Paws in Jobland, a Career Exploration Tool for Elementary Students
Paws in Jobland is a career and education exploration tool designed with elementary students in mind. Through this program, kindergarten through fifth grade students can explore over 100 different career possibilities with the help of the program’s canine tour guide, Paws. With Paws’ help, students can see the connection between school and work and the possibilities for their future.
Added to the I Have A Plan Iowa™ web portal in the spring of 2011, the program is now being used in many elementary schools across the state of Iowa. Through Paws in Jobland, Iowa College Aid is reaching out to Iowa’s youngest students to ensure a successful future. Educators can easily integrate Paws in Jobland into their classroom with worksheets and lesson plans found at www.ihaveaplaniowa.gov by clicking “for Educators” and then “Resources”. Educators interested in learning more about Paws in Jobland should contact their I Have A Plan Iowa™ trainer or Iowa College Aid at 877-272-4456.
GEAR UP Iowa and Des Moines East High School Provide Credit Recovery Endeavors
GEAR UP Iowa Project Coordinator John Gilman, Des Moines East High School student Rodolfo De La Rosa, and Des Moines East High School Educator Kyle Reeping celebrate the first complete credit recovery endeavor in the GEAR UP Iowa Success Center on November 22, 2011. De La Rosa successfully recovered credit for 1st Semester Algebra I with 20 hours of online work via the E2020 website in a new “store front” computer lab in the Iowa Building, 603 East 12th Street in Des Moines on the Iowa Capitol complex. The eight seat computer lab, created through a partnership among GEAR UP Iowa (administered by the Iowa College Student Aid Commission) and Des Moines East High School, currently serves 32 GEAR UP Iowa cohort students who are in need of credit and component recovery to stay on track for high school graduation with their peers in 2014. Lab capacity will grow to 30 seats on January 4, 2012 enabling many more Des Moines East High School students the opportunity to utilize computer resources for online component and credit recovery, homework help, FAFSA completion, college applications, and other college access programming in a safe and friendly environment away from the high school campus. Please contact John Gilman at 515-725-3406 for additional information.
John Gilmon, GEAR UP Iowa Project Coordinator; Rodolfo De La Rosa, Des Moines East High School student; and Kyle Reeping, Des Moines East High School educator.
Iowa College Aid will be closed on Monday, December 26, 2011 and on Monday, January 2, 2012 for the holidays.
Iowa College Aid Connections: Why Is College So Expensive
Scholarship Opportunities
Exceptional student leaders are invited to apply for the 2012 GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program. In honor of the legacy and character of President Ronald Reagan, this program annually rewards up to 20 college-bound students who demonstrate exemplary leadership, drive, integrity, and citizenship with $10,000 renewable scholarships. The application deadline is February 17, 2012. Learn More
The Matthew Shepard Scholarship Program provides college scholarships to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Iowa high school students who demonstrate LGBT activism and community service. Scholarship awards are based on academic aptitude, academic achievement, community service and financial need. Applications will be available on December 1, 2011, with an application deadline of March 31, 2012. Learn More
The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund provides more than $1.2 million in scholarships to over 500 Asian and Pacific Islander students each year to help increase degree attainment. The application deadline is January 13, 2012. Learn More
As Iowa College Aid learns of scholarship opportunities for Iowa students, they are added to the Featured Scholarship section of our website.
Free Virtual Financial Aid Night Available to Students
The Virtual Financial Aid Night available to students and their families through College Week Live is fast approaching! Iowa College Aid is hosting the virtual financial aid night on December 15, 2011 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Students and their families can log in at any time during the four hours to chat live with financial aid experts, and watch presentations and videos on topics such as FAFSA 411, What to Expect from Colleges & Universities, Scholarships & Grants, and more! Students and families can register at: http://bit.ly/iowafinaid or by scanning this qr code.
Information on this beneficial event can be shared with your students, friends and families through school newsletters, websites and by posting flyers. Please contact Iowa College Aid at 877-272-4456 with any questions.
MHEC Policy Summit Focuses on Ensuring the College Success of All Students
Iowa College Aid staff participated in the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) Annual Policy Summit in Iowa City, Iowa on November 14 and 15. The summit brought together education practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to collaborate on three core dimensions of college readiness: academic preparation, financial literacy, and non-cognitive variables such as awareness, motivation and resilience.
Associate Director of Outreach, Nancy Ankeny, participated in a panel discussion of financial literacy programs and resources. She presented an overview of Iowa College Aid’s statewide financial literacy programs: the Iowa Financial Literacy Program for high school students and Buttonwood™ for college students. She shared that through this initiative, all Iowa high school and college students have access to award-winning programs to teach, assess and certify students in financial literacy using the latest new media technologies.
More information on Iowa College Aid’s statewide financial literacy initiatives can be found on our website.
7th Annual College Prep Day
Drake University hosted the 7th Annual NAACP Youth Council, College Prep Day (CPD) on November 5, 2011. CPD provides information to high school students and parents on college options, search process and financial assistance to pursue higher education. Professionals from various backgrounds, including those from Iowa College Aid listed below, facilitated and offered sessions based on grade level to allow students and parent the opportunity to explore specific stage in the college planning journey.
- Todd Brown, Director of Financial Aid, participated in the Parents Panel – special session designed specifically for parents to answer questions about cost of education, financial aid, scholarship and grants.
- Lacey Cherris, I Have A Plan Iowa™, facilitated Career Assessment. The session assists students in learning about themselves – strengths, weaknesses, interests, and abilities. Career Assessment helps student narrow down career options and educational major to match.
- Chol Chagai, GEAR UP Iowa, helped organized the Career Fair and facilitated College Prep Freestyle – a newly introduced feature that challenges students to incorporate random inspirational words into Hip Hop or a song.
Paws in Jobland, a Career Exploration Tool for Elementary Students
Added to the I Have A Plan Iowa™ web portal in the spring of 2011, the program is now being used in many elementary schools across the state of Iowa. Through Paws in Jobland, Iowa College Aid is reaching out to Iowa’s youngest students to ensure a successful future. Educators can easily integrate Paws in Jobland into their classroom with worksheets and lesson plans found at www.ihaveaplaniowa.gov by clicking “for Educators” and then “Resources”. Educators interested in learning more about Paws in Jobland should contact their I Have A Plan Iowa™ trainer or Iowa College Aid at 877-272-4456.
GEAR UP Iowa and Des Moines East High School Provide Credit Recovery Endeavors
GEAR UP Iowa Project Coordinator John Gilman, Des Moines East High School student Rodolfo De La Rosa, and Des Moines East High School Educator Kyle Reeping celebrate the first complete credit recovery endeavor in the GEAR UP Iowa Success Center on November 22, 2011. De La Rosa successfully recovered credit for 1st Semester Algebra I with 20 hours of online work via the E2020 website in a new “store front” computer lab in the Iowa Building, 603 East 12th Street in Des Moines on the Iowa Capitol complex. The eight seat computer lab, created through a partnership among GEAR UP Iowa (administered by the Iowa College Student Aid Commission) and Des Moines East High School, currently serves 32 GEAR UP Iowa cohort students who are in need of credit and component recovery to stay on track for high school graduation with their peers in 2014. Lab capacity will grow to 30 seats on January 4, 2012 enabling many more Des Moines East High School students the opportunity to utilize computer resources for online component and credit recovery, homework help, FAFSA completion, college applications, and other college access programming in a safe and friendly environment away from the high school campus. Please contact John Gilman at 515-725-3406 for additional information.
John Gilmon, GEAR UP Iowa Project Coordinator; Rodolfo De La Rosa, Des Moines East High School student; and Kyle Reeping, Des Moines East High School educator.