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ULTIMATESCHOLARSHIPSECRETS

HOW TO HANDLESTUDENT LOAN DEBTAFTER COLLEGE

January 2013

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114 W, Main Suite B,Clarinda, IA

ph. 712-542-2181f. 712-542-5424

Publisher:John VanNostrand

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Business DirectoryBank Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 6Kaplan University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 3Iowa Lakes Community College . . . . . . . . . .Pg 5Iowa Western Community College . . . . . . . .Pg 4Kris’ Connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 8Metropolitan Community College . . . . . . . .Pg 6Peru State College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg 2Southeast Community College . . . . . . . . . .Pg 7Southwestern Community College . . . . . . . .Pg 8

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In the 2010-11 school year, theaverage cost of a college educationcontinued to rise. According to theCollege Board, in-state tuition fora four-year public university was$7,605, which marked a nearly 8percent increase from the previousschool year. At private four-yearinstitutions, the average cost wasslightly more than $27,000, whichwas less than a 5 percent increasefrom a year earlier.

Many parents may wince athearing such figures, particularlywhen they learn the cost of goingto the local state school is risingmore rapidly than it is at a privateinstitution. While there might notbe much parents can do todecrease the cost of a college edu-cation for their children, there aremyriad options for parents hopingto soften the blow. One suchoption might involve Grandmaand Grandpa. Grandparents' pastaffiliations, including theiremployers past and present as wellas any memberships in unions or

even religious organizations,could very well make their grand-children eligible for college schol-

arhips. Colleges may also offerscholarships based on additionalcriteria, including an applicant's

legacy status, a grandparents' mili-tary service or even family ances-try.

Legacy ScholarshipsCertain colleges and universities

provide legacy scholarships todescendants of alumni. Thesescholarships vary depending onthe college or university, and manyare not full scholarships. Still,legacy scholarships are rarelyadvertised, so parents and grand-parents who want to help pay fortheir child or grandchild's educa-tion should inquire with the uni-versity as soon as their childbegins looking at schools.

Military Service ScholarshipsMore often than not, a military

service scholarship is restricted tothe child of a military veteran.However, some scholarships existfor the grandchildren of men andwomen who served in the military.The local American Legion mightbe able to help parents find such

scholarships at nearby universi-ties.

Ancestry ScholarshipsScholarships based on ancestry

or ethnicity are more commonthan parents might know.Eligibility varies, but some schol-arships only require an incomingstudent to have one parent of aparticular ethnic descent (i.e., oneIrish or Irish American grandpar-ent). Finding such scholarshipswill likely require research onMom and Dad's part, but parentsof high school-aged children canget a head start and begin theirresearch when their child is afreshman or sophomore.

Paying for college has increas-ingly become a family affair. Buteven if grandparents can't makeany direct financial contributionsto their grandchild's tuition, theymight have unknowingly put theirgrandchild in position to earn ascholarship through a variety ofaffiliations.

Grandparents might be able to help pay for college

SCHOLARSHIPS... College students might be eligible for various schol-arships thanks to their grandparents' personal and professional affilia-tions.

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There’s a lot to SMILE about at IWCC!

IWCCPage/Fremont County

Center - Shenandoah

1001 W. Sheridan Ave.

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IWCCClarinda Campus

923 East Washington St.

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Toll Free: 800-521-2073

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SMILE

Iowa Western CommunityCollege offers many exciting col-lege opportunities right here inSouthwest Iowa. If you’ve everthought about getting your collegedegree, returning to college, oreven picking up classes to expandyour knowledge, we can help.With credit classes offered face-to-face, over video, and online wehave the options you need with theschedule that fits your lifestyle.Even non-credit classes areoffered face-to-face and online.

The Iowa Western CommunityCollege Page Fremont CountyCenter in Shenandoah and theClarinda Center enjoys a vibrantmix of classes and students. Withincreased enrollment in creditclasses such as Biology, Anatomyand Physiology, EnglishComposition, Public Speaking,Psychology and WesternCivilization things stay busy eachand every day. Students rangefrom high school juniors to work-ing adults. Some students take

only one or two classes while oth-ers take a full schedule. Careermajors range from nursing tohuman services to universitytransfer. Anything is possiblewhen you take college creditclasses at IWCC in Shenandoah.

Iowa Western locations alsooffer a wide variety of non-creditclasses for learners of all ages.Kids in the area can attend class tolearn the art of tie dye, or evenparticipate in our ‘haunted house’.Older learners can take advantage

of classes in categories such ascomputers, arts and crafts, andeven theatre make-up techniques.

Business professionals in south-west Iowa also have a wonderfulopportunity to take advantage of alarge variety of business training.The Iowa Values Fund grantallows us to bring high qualitytraining to the area for a fractionof the cost. Liz Parker will beback by popular demand to teachmanagement classes structured tohelp new and existing supervisorswith the skills they need to maketheir employees and companiesmore successful. This year’s busi-ness training topics will includeGetting Results ThroughAccountability, Network SecurityBasics, and Basic NetworkTroubleshooting. Watch for moreinformation in the near future.

IWCC also offers GED prepara-tion and testing. The GED is anationally recognized high schoolequivalency certificate. The GEDis a series of 5 tests focusing on

Writing, Math, Reading, SocialStudies and Science. Learnersinterested in the GED can attendclasses in Shenandoah onMonday, Wednesday, or Thursdaymorning from 8:30 – noon orWednesday evening from 5:30 –7:00. In Clarinda classes are heldon Monday evening from 5-8 andTuesday morning from 8:30-noon.The cost of the class is $25 peryear and students must attend aclass and take predictor testsbefore they can take the officialGED test.

With so much going on at IowaWestern Community College, get-ting started is easy! With locationsin Shenandoah and Clarinda, aswell as Council Bluffs, Harlan,and Atlantic, we are right thereready to get you on your way. Justpick up the phone and call or visitour website. Now is the perfecttime to get started for the SpringSemester starting in January orpick up some non-credit classesthis fall.

Exciting college opportunities offered at IWCC

5

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Following in the footsteps of her fiveolder siblings, it was only natural for StaceyGeerdes to choose Iowa Lakes CommunityCollege to study agriculture enroute to adegree from Iowa State University.

Stacey, Sara, Lee, Laura, Emily and Eddie– all of whom selected Iowa Lakes beforeIowa State – are the children of Kathy andDoug Geerdes, who farm near Everly. OnlyEddie deviated from the Iowa Lakes to ISUCollege of Agriculture path – to study engi-neering at ISU.

With the four oldest Geerdes children allinvolved in various phases of agriculture,Stacey explains “Eddie just wanted some-thing different. I considered other things,too. But ever since I was little I wanted to bea veterinarian. I want to work with cattle,and small animals, too. I like working withdogs and cats.”

Stacey’s agriculture transfer courses atIowa Lakes are leading her that way. Afterher two years at Iowa Lakes, the credits sheearns will be accepted at Iowa State, even ifshe decides to take her studies in anotherdirection.

Working with farm animals means livingin a rural community, which Stacey is usedto. “Growing up in a rural communitymakes Iowa Lakes a natural choice.”

She says Iowa Lakes is a perfect ‘transi-tion’ from a small school to a college.

“Going into ISU or another place like that

would be a big change for me. Going from asmall high school to Iowa Lakes is a reallysmooth transition. It’s a really great choice.”

She was pleased with the welcomingatmosphere on the Emmetsburg campus.

“So it just makes me feel good knowingthat the people there do actually care aboutyou and actually do know who you are,”Stacey said.

That satisfaction is one reason theGeerdes family is featured in Iowa Lakes’advertising – in a television commercial –and in print.

Stacey’s oldest sister Sara, the salutatorianin her Clay Central - Everly graduating classwho was the first in her family to attendIowa Lakes, also appreciated the atmos-phere at Iowa Lakes.

“I wanted to stay close to home, whiletaking advantage of smaller classroom sizes.And then obviously costs factored into that,”Sara said. “I really needed the transition.Though I was staying in the dorm, homewas just 45 minutes away. So I could still gohome to help on the farm.”

As a result of her dorm experience, shelearned to work with a lot of different peo-ple which helped make her a more well-rounded person.

Another perk Sara explained is “if youkeep your grades up, there’ll be more schol-arship opportunities,” when transferring to afour-year school.

GEERDES... Left to right: Sara, Stacey, Angus heifer Susie, Lee, Angus heifer Lexi, Laura,Eddie and Emily Geerdes

Iowa Lakes Community Collegethe natural choice for Geerdes six

Today's college graduates face numerouschallenges. With the global economy stillstruggling, the job market for recent gradu-ates is less than ideal. Competition for jobsis also heated, as high rates of unemploy-ment have created a job market in whichout-of-work yet experienced professionalsare routinely competing over entry-leveljobs with recent graduates, many of whomhave little or no experience in their chosenfields.

But the difficult job market is only part ofthe troubles recent graduates must face.Mounting debt is a major issue for manycollege grads. In Canada, for example, theaverage debt for a university graduate morethan doubled between 1990 and 2000. Bythe 2009, Canadian students' collective debtfrom the Canada Student Loan Programexceeded $13 billion for the first time inhistory. Across the border in the UnitedStates, the Class of 2011 earned the distinc-tion of being the most indebted graduatingclass in the country's history. According toestimates from student-aid Web sitesFastweb.com and FinAid.org, the average2011 graduate was $22,900 in debt upongraduation.

In addition to finding work in a job mar-ket that's overcrowded with applicants,recent graduates must also find a way tohandle their now historic amount of debt.Those facing loan repayment while strug-gling to find a job should consider the fol-lowing tips.

■ Don't delay requests for help.

Procrastination isn't a good approach todealing with debt, whether that debt is fromstudent loans, credit cards or personalloans. Recent graduates who cannot findwork or who were laid off should contacttheir lenders right away and inquire aboutlowering or postponing monthly payments.It's never good to miss a payment, which

will negatively impact an individual's cred-it rating and is almost certain to draw afinancial penalty. If trouble is on the hori-zon, consult the lender as early as possible.The lender will likely grant a deferment orforbearance, neither of which will tarnishan individual's credit.

■ Don't ignore it. Simply ignoring a stu-dent loan and not repaying it is not a goodapproach. The loan will still be there, andeven bankruptcy court is not likely to dis-charge a student loan. In other words, indi-viduals are going to have to repay their stu-dent loans, so ignoring them is not going towork. If an individual stops repaying his orher loan without being granted a defermentor forbearance, eventually wages might begarnished and private lenders might evensue their borrowers.

■ Don't panic. The current economycould seem daunting to recent graduates.Some may wonder if they will ever findwork in their fields or if they will ever beable to repay their loans. But panickingwon't help. Lenders will be willing to workwith borrowers who are honest and straight-forward. Avoiding lenders and missing pay-ments will only make the situation worse.

6

Whether you are looking to take your first college course or are interested in returning, Metropolitan Community College is the choice for you. Explore your opportunities for taking classes with on campus, hybrid and online course options.

Your choice forhigher education

How to handle student loan debt after college

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Southeast Community College,with campuses in Beatrice,Lincoln and Milford in southeastNebraska, ranks among thenation’s top community collegesin numerous categories.

Following is a summary ofrecent accolades experienced bySCC:

■ SCC ranked No. 1 in thenumber of Precision Productiongraduates in the United States foreight consecutive years (2004-2011). Statistics were compiledby Community College Weekmagazine. The publication useddata from Architectural-Engineering Technology, MachineTool Technology, ManufacturingEngineering Technology, andWelding Technology programsacross the country.

■ SCC ranks No. 8 among U.S.community colleges for StudentSuccess Rate. College Measures,a partnership between theAmerican Institutes for Researchand Matrix Knowledge Group,focuses on using data to drive

improvement in higher educationoutcomes in the U.S. SCC’sStudent Success Rate of 76 per-cent is based on the percentage ofstudents who graduated withinthree years or transferred to four-year colleges. During the 2010-2011 academic year, 76 percent ofan Integrated PostsecondaryEducation Data System cohort offirst-time, full-time SCC students

had achieved their educationalgoals, either by earning an awardat SCC (38 percent) or transfer-ring to a four-year institution (38percent). There are 786 communi-ty colleges on the list.

■ For the second consecutiveyear SCC was ranked among thetop 10 percent of the 1,200 com-munity colleges in the U.S. by theAspen Institute College

Excellence Program. The Instituteidentified the 120 community col-leges using a quantitative formulathat assesses performance andimprovement in four areas: gradu-ation rates, degrees awarded, stu-dent retention rates, and equity instudent outcomes.

■ Ninety-four percent of the1,771 SCC students who graduat-ed during the 2011-2012 academ-

ic year found work or continuedtheir education.

■ Ninety-one percent of the1,224 SCC graduates who foundwork in careers during the 2011-2012 academic year remained inNebraska.

■ The pass rate for graduates of14 SCC programs who haveaccess to licensure and/or certifi-cation exams was 95 percent dur-ing the 2009-2012 academic year,the latest figures available. Thisaffirms that SCC students arewell-prepared to take the nation-al/organizational licensure andcertification exams.

With 50 programs of study andan out-of-state tuition/fee rate of$67.75 per quarter credit hour,SCC offers a tremendous varietyat an affordable price. Also, SCCgraduates remain in high demand.Nearly every program experiencesmore job opportunities than thereare graduates.

Financial aid is available. Go towww.southeast.edu for moreinformation.

SCC among nation’s elite community colleges

Southwestern Community College(SWCC) is a comprehensive, two-year pub-lic institution offering transfer courses,career and technical education programs,continuing education courses, and industri-al training classes. The college’s main cam-pus is in Creston. In addition, SWCC hascenters in Osceola and Red Oak and offerscollege courses and programs online.

Vision StatementSouthwestern Community College will

be the center of educational excellence forthe enrichment of our students and commu-nities.

Credit ProgramsStudents who attend SWCC’s credit pro-

grams may complete an associate of artsdegree or associate of science degree andtransfer to a four-year college/university orcomplete one of SWCC’s career and techni-cal education programs, graduate fromSWCC, and start working in their chosenfield. Academically and financially, SWCCreally is a SmartStart!

One of the benefits at SWCC is the sizeof the campus. Instructors and staff mem-bers really get to know students and want tosee them succeed! Activities on campusprovide ways for students to get involved.

Whether it’s a club, athletics, or other stu-dent organization, students have manyoptions. SWCC offers on-campus housingand students may select dorm or apartment-style living, all within walking distance ofcampus.

Each semester, Southwestern CommunityCollege offers more than 400 online cours-es. The credits students earn online may beused at SWCC or transferred to four-yearcolleges or universities. SWCC’s onlinecourses offer an affordable and flexiblelearning option without sacrificing studentsupport.

Red Oak CenterSouthwestern Community College's Red

Oak Center offers college credit, adult edu-cation, GED and Adult Basic Educationclasses, and customized training for localbusinesses and industries.

In addition to on-site classes, distancelearning opportunities are available usingthe Iowa Communications Network (ICN),and online classes through the IowaCommunity College Online Consortium.The Red Oak Center has nine classroomsincluding two ICN rooms and a 15-stationcomputer lab.

Learn more about SouthwesternCommunity College at www.swcciowa.edu.

8

Courses for transfer

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Continuing education courses

1501 W. Townline St.Creston, IA 50801641.782.7081 or712.623.2541(Red Oak Center)www.swcciowa.edu

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