Des Moines, IA, June 29, 2010- Iowa students and families can receive the latest college planning, career planning and financial literacy tips by following the Iowa College Student Aid Commission (Iowa College Aid) and I Have a Plan IowaTM on Facebook® and TwitterTM and viewing video clips on YouTube.
"We know that the social media movement is changing how students seek and share information," said Karen Misjak, executive director of the Iowa College Student Aid Commission. "As Iowa's official state resource to help students and families plan, prepare and pay for college, it is important that our information is available where it is most convenient for them," Misjak explained. "Social networking enables us to interact and communicate with Iowa students and families in a new environment."
Students and families interested in learning about college planning and financial literacy can click on the Facebook®, TwitterTM or YouTube badges on Iowa College Aid's website, www.IowaCollegeAid.gov, to receive college planning tips, post questions, participate in discussions, and view student and parent interviews. The social networking pages for I Have a Plan IowaTM, accessible through the links on www.IHaveaPlanIowa.gov, primarily focus on career planning and employment opportunities.
Iowa College Aid is the state agency that administers Iowa's student aid programs, the GEAR UP Iowa program, the I Have a Plan IowaTM statewide community web portal and serves as the state-designated administrator of the U.S. Department of Education's College Access Challenge Grant. To learn more about how these programs help Iowa families plan, prepare and pay for college, contact the Iowa College Aid Information Service Center at 877-272-4456 or visit www.IowaCollegeAid.gov.
About the Iowa College Student Aid Commission
As the state's designated guaranty agency for the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), Iowa College Aid provides college access, financial literacy, and outreach services to Iowa's students and families as they prepare, plan and pay for college. Iowa College Aid also administers state scholarship, grant, work study, and loan forgives programs totaling over $68.5 Million annually, provides borrowers with assistance to avoid the serious consequences of default, conducts research and distributes higher education data, and offers Iowans assistance in obtaining student financial aid
and college-related information. Through its role, Iowa College Aid also serves as the state-designated administrator of the U.S. Department of Education's College Access Challenge Grant, which is designed to increase the college-going culture in Iowa. Additionally, Iowa College Aid is the administrator of the Federal GEAR-UP Grant, a multi-year state-wide grant which is being utilized to provide early awareness programming and outreach initiatives to thousands of Iowa's students and families. More information is available at www.IowaCollegeAid.gov
