Casey's General Stores Help Parents Navigate College Planning Iowa Private College Week Set for July 31 to August 4

(DES MOINES, IA--July 21, 2017) Casey's General Stores is teaming up with the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (IAICU) to help students and parents in the college planning process. The iconic convenience store chain is providing fuel discount coupons to families traveling to tour private college campuses during Iowa Private College Week, July 31 to August 4. "At Casey's we're so pleased to partner with Iowa's great private colleges in this important week," said Mike Richardson, Vice-president of Marketing for Casey's. "There are 25 member colleges and universities located in 18 Iowa towns and cities and there's a Casey's near or on the way to every one of them," Richardson said. During the week, Casey's General Stores will provide 5-cent per gallon fuel discount coupons to those participating in a campus tour.  As an additional incentive, each of the 25 institutions will provide up to two $500 bookstore vouchers to be given away in drawings for students who visit at least three campuses and mail in an entry form.  The first week of August is traditionally Iowa Private College Week (IPCW), when Iowa's non-profit, private colleges and universities synchronize campus tour schedules across the state, making it easy for students and parents to schedule up to ten campus visits in only one week. During the week, Iowa private colleges and universities coordinate start times for twice-daily, morning and afternoon tours at each campus. To make arranging the tours even more convenient, students can go to one registration website and schedule tours at any of the 25 campuses. The registration site includes information about each of the colleges and universities and has tools to help families map out a tour schedule.  Since the first Casey's General Store opened in Iowa in 1968, the company has opened more than 2,000 stores in 15 Midwestern states, including more than 500 in Iowa alone. Casey's is the 4th largest convenience store operator in the United States.  "Students really get bombarded with information about college choice and that can make decisions seem overwhelming for them, and for Mom and Dad too," said Andy Baumert, vice-president for marketing and outreach at the IAICU. "Casey's fuel discount coupons make it easier for families to actually visit the campuses, talk to faculty and students about class sizes, graduation rates and financial aid and that helps cut through the clutter and make good decisions about the right college for them," Baumert said. Students are encouraged to go to the website IowaPrivateCollegeWeek.org to find out more and to register for visits during Iowa Private College Week, July 31 to August 4. Contact: Andy Baumert, 515-231-1265, abaumert@iaicu.org IAICU Member Institutions Allen College, Waterloo Briar Cliff University, Sioux City Buena Vista University, Storm Lake Central College, Pella Clarke University, Dubuque Coe College, Cedar Rapids Cornell College, Mt. Vernon Dordt College, Sioux Center Drake University, Des Moines Graceland University, Lamoni Grand View University, Des Moines Grinnell College, Grinnell Iowa Wesleyan University, Mt. Pleasant Loras College, Dubuque Luther College, Decorah Mercy College of Health Sciences, Des Moines Morningside College, Sioux City Mount Mercy University, Cedar Rapids Northwestern College, Orange City St. Ambrose University, Davenport St. Luke's College, Sioux City Simpson College, Indianola University of Dubuque, Dubuque Wartburg College, Waverly William Penn University, Oskaloosa - 30 -