Iowa College Aid has partnered with Drake University to bring their students instruction and assessment in core financial literacy and student loan debt management topics. Iowa College Aid provides free access to Buttonwood™, a personal finance and student loan debt management platform designed for college students, to Iowa postsecondary institutions through its statewide web portal, www.IHaveAPlanIowa.gov.  Drake is the first university in Iowa to adopt the program.

 "This program puts our students in a position to better understand key financial concepts as they prepare to leave Drake and go out into the professional world," said Sentwali Bakari, Dean of Students at Drake University. "After completing modules on topics from savings and banking to credit reports and investing, they're more capable of managing their money. We think it’s a terrific resource for students and a good compliment to comprehensive wellness programming initiatives on campus.”

Buttonwood™ was developed by EverFi, Inc., the leading education technology platform, to directly tackle the nation’s trillion-dollar student loan crisis. The program addresses over 600 key financial literacy concepts, contained in seven modules, with a focus on financial aid and loan management. This innovative program and partnership has received media attention, including a segment on abc 5. For more information about how Drake University is implementing Buttonwood™, please contact Brianne Sanchez at brianne.sanchez@drake.edu. To learn more about Buttonwood™ in general, or to schedule a demonstration, contact Carol Bogaard at carol.bogaard@iowa.gov or call Iowa College Aid at 877-272-4456.

State-Funded Program Helps Keep Teachers in Iowa

A state-funded program intended to encourage individuals to enter and continue in the teaching profession in Iowa has been identified as a key factor in recipients’ decisions to remain in the state. The Iowa Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program, administered by the Iowa College Student Aid Commission (Iowa College Aid), provides student loan repayment assistance to Iowa teachers who work in designated shortage areas with for up to five consecutive years. The program, established in 2007, assists between 150 and 250 Iowa educators each year.

These findings come from a survey Iowa College Aid conducted of current and past recipients of the Iowa Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program. While the majority of respondents indicated that the program did not influence their intentions to enter the teaching profession, it proved to be very influential in their decision to stay and teach in Iowa.

With nearly one-third of all public school teachers in Iowa over the age of 50, the State of Iowa will need to attract and retain new teachers to replace those who will retire over the next decade. Ryan M. Pirtle, a teacher at Des Moines East High School, stayed in Iowa to teach because of the Iowa Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program. “The [Iowa Teacher] Loan Forgiveness Program has helped to reduce the long-term costs associated with student loan debt,” explained Pirtle. “Because of the student loan forgiveness program, I stayed in Iowa to teach food and nutrition, helping to fill a [state] teacher shortage gap in family and consumer sciences.” While the Iowa Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program receives limited annual funding (less than 1 percent of total state appropriations for scholarship, grant and loan forgiveness programs) this survey shows that it is contributing to the state’s efforts to attract and retain educators.

Education Loan Repayment Available for Eligible Attorneys in Iowa

Public defenders and prosecutors in Iowa may be eligible for federal student loan repayment assistance as an incentive to serve in these critical roles. The John R. Justice (JRJ) Grant, administered by Iowa College Aid, is a federally-funded program that encourages qualified attorneys to choose careers as prosecutors and public defenders, and to continue in that capacity within the state of Iowa.

The program reduces federal student loan debt for eligible attorneys who agree to remain employed in Iowa as public defenders and prosecutors for at least three years. Interested borrowers can learn more about the grant and complete the application on Iowa College Aid’s website. The priority application deadline is December 31, 2011. Conditionally-eligible applicants will be named in February, 2012. For more information about the program, please contact Iowa College Aid at 877-272-4456.

Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) Offers College Information and Free Money

The annual MHEC policy summit, titled Ready or Not Here They Come: Ensuring the College Success of All Students, will be held in Iowa City on November 14-15. The summit will focus on three core dimensions of college readiness: academic preparation; financial planning and literacy; and non-cognitive variables such as awareness, aspirations, and motivation. In addition to general interest plenary speakers, each program track will include presentations and discussions related to current research, policy strategies, and promising practices for improving college readiness. Nancy Ankeny, Associate Director of Outreach at Iowa College Aid, will be among the presenters.

There is NO FEE to attend the summit, but space is limited and early registration is encouraged. MHEC was able to secure a very attractive room rate of $75/ night at the host hotel, the Sheraton downtown. This makes the event a very cost effective and convenient professional development opportunity for individuals who work with or care about students in their capacities as educators, counselors, leaders, practitioners, legislators, administrators, or advocates! The summit agenda and registration information is available online at http://www.mhec.org/register.

Additionally, MHEC is pleased to be able to devote funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation toward a limited number of scholarships for high school teachers and counselors who attend the summit. The scholarships will include reimbursement of mileage or vehicle expenses for travel to Iowa City, two nights of accommodations at the conference hotel, and funding for the individual’s school to cover the costs of hiring a substitute for the two days of the summit.

High school teachers and counselors are on the front line of getting students ready to be successful in college. Therefore we believe their experiences and expertise would be very valuable at the summit. Individuals who are interested in the policy summit scholarship should contact Leah Reinert, MHEC policy research assistant, at leahr@mhec.org. Questions can also be directed to Ann Grindland, MHEC senior research associate, at 612-624-1848.

Iowa College Aid Connections: A Public Debate

Iowa College Aid Commissioner Kelli Todd has a new blog post on Iowa College Aid Connections. Read Kelli’s views on the rising level of student debt and what she hopes employers will do to improve the job-seeking market in A Public Debate.

Reminder!! Register for Iowa College Aid’s Financial Aid Night Now!!

Iowa College Aid is hosting two free, online college planning events through CollegeWeekLive this school year. Our Virtual Financial Aid Night and Virtual College Prep Night will help Iowa students and families plan, prepare and pay for higher education. Both events will include video presentations, as well as virtual booths where college-bound students can browse through information and chat with Iowa College Aid representatives and other higher education professionals from the comfort of their homes. Click here for more information about the events and how to get registered!

Iowa College Aid Offers Free ACT/SAT Test Prep in I Have A Plan Iowa™

Take a moment to ponder this algebra equation:

                If 3x² + 7x + 2 = 0, which of the following is one possible value of x?

                A: -2     B: -1     C: 0     D: 1/3     E: 3

Were you able to answer with confidence? Did you have flashbacks of high school or maybe even the dreaded college entrance exams? Taking the ACT or SAT can be overwhelming, especially if you are not prepared. Iowa College Aid provides free ACT, SAT and GRE test prep through I Have A Plan Iowa™ to help students strengthen skills, learn test-taking strategies, and gain more confidence in their abilities.

The program covers the current subject areas and question types included in each of the
standardized college admission tests. User-friendly tutorials encourage students by providing
hints and suggestions for incorrect responses as well as detailed explanations for correct answers. Each tutorial takes 30 to 90 minutes to complete, but can be interrupted at any point and resumed at a later time. In addition, students can expand their vocabulary with the vocabulary builder. This feature adapts to each student’s ability and stores mastered words so students don’t forget what they have learned.

                Answer: You can either factor this by trial and error, or you can actually solve it using the more                 general formulas for factoring a quadratic polynomial into (ax + b)×(cx + d).
                Here 3x² + 7x + 2 = (3x + 1)×(x + 2)
                As this is zero only when one of the factors is zero, only x = -2 is a possible solution.

How did you fare? Your students can begin preparing today with I Have A Plan Iowa™.

A Recap of National GEAR UP Celebrations

Each year, GEAR UP programs across the nation celebrate the accomplishments of their programs by hosting a wide variety of celebrations in the communities they serve. In the past, GEAR UP Iowa has celebrated National GEAR UP Day in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Marshalltown. This year, Perry and Des Moines East high schools took part in these celebrations. The events consisted of student assemblies and speakers that addressed the audience, with different approaches taken at each of the locations.

In Perry, the entire student body gathered in the newly built auditorium. Iowa College Aid Executive Director, Karen Misjak, along with John Gilman, Chol Chagai and Erma Mujic represented the Agency. Isbelia Arzola of the Iowa Department of Education and Omar Padilla of Senator Harkin’s Office also attended the celebration. After John introduced the program and shared the success of GEAR UP Iowa, Chol, Erma, Isbelia and Omar took the stage and shared their inspiring stories. One theme that unites these individuals is their determination to overcome obstacles and use education to shape their future. The panel then answered questions from the audience and spoke to students in a personal setting as well.

Due to the size of the student body at East High School, the GEAR UP celebration was limited to the sophomore and senior classes. Once again, John Gilman shared the value of education with students. Dr. Nancy Wright of Des Moines Public Schools GEAR UP addressed the audience, emphasizing the importance of a college education in today’s economy and the tools that it grants that enable an individual to succeed. The keynote speaker was Mr. Adolphus Pulliam of Drake University. His inspiring story of determination and perseverance left a lasting impact on all who attended. He is a true example of how hard work can lead to success. The Des Moines community is fortunate to have an individual such as Mr. Pulliam making a difference in students’ lives.

iJAG Leadership Development Conference

Last week GEAR UP Iowa staff participated in the iJAG (Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates) Leadership Development Conference in Johnston, Iowa. The Leadership Development Conference is a state-wide event for chapter officers to attend and receive officer training. Each year, the six elected officers from each program across the State join together for a conference. During this two-day event, officers have the opportunity to not only meet other students in their elected position but to receive training from community and business leaders in their respected office and gain the leadership skills necessary to run a successful Career Association.

Many of the students who participated in the Leadership Development Conference were part of the GEAR UP Iowa cohort. GEAR UP Iowa Projected Coordinator, John Gilman, presented an overview of GEAR UPIowa. Mr. Gilman’s message focused on the value of education and college-going culture initiatives. Erma Mujic and Chol Chagai delivered the keynote message at the conference. Chol and Erma, both refugees of war, immigrated to the United States in hope of a better future.They shared their individual stories and educational journeys with students, emphasizing the transformative power that education had on their lives.