Iowa high school seniors have a chance to earn much-needed funds for college while they learn ways to reduce college loan debt through a scholarship program open through March 11.
Iowa high school seniors may register for the Iowa Financial Know-How Challenge: Senior Scholarship at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/Know-How. Once registered, students will receive instructions via email on completing two online modules and a related assessment. Scholarships will be awarded to the students who score highest on the assessment or are determined through a tie-breaker.
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.
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 11 to complete the required steps, which should take around an hour in total, organizers say. Awards will be sent directly to the recipients’ colleges and universities in fall 2022 to be applied to college expenses.
“We understand that college financing is challenging and often confusing for families of students who will soon start college. This program is one way we provide valuable information to thousands of Iowa high school seniors every year,” said Christine Hensley, board chair for Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation, which sponsors the scholarship and provides college financing under the name ISL Education Lending. “We are pleased to be able to award scholarship funds to 25 of those students as well.”
ISL is a Des Moines–based organization that provides the online resources and scholarship programs as part of its mission. “We fulfill our nonprofit purpose with programs like this scholarship and our free online resources for students and parents, as well as lower-cost private education loans,” said Steve McCullough, president and CEO. “Education today represents a significant investment for families, and it’s important to us that Iowa students and parents understand how to make the most of that investment.”
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 award programs and 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 2021–2022 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.