LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013/National FFA Organization) - Students from Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Iowa, West Virginia and Oregon have been elected by delegates from throughout the U.S. to serve on the 2013-14 National FFA Officer team.

Brian Walsh of Virginia, an agribusiness major at Virginia Tech, was elected president. Mitch Baker of Tennessee, an agricultural communications major at University of Tennessee, will serve as secretary.

Steven Brockshus of Iowa, an agricultural education and global resource systems major at Iowa State University, was elected Central Region vice president and Jackson Harris of Alabama, a community development major at the University of Alabama, will serve as Southern Region vice president.

Wes Davis of West Virginia, an agribusiness management and rural development major at West Virginia University, was elected Eastern Region vice president and Jason Wetzler of Oregon, an agricultural leadership major at Oklahoma State University, will serve as Western Region vice president.

Each year at the National FFA Convention & Expo, six students are elected by delegates to represent the organization as National FFA officers. Delegates elect a president, secretary and vice presidents representing the central, southern, eastern and western regions of the country.

National officers commit to a year of service to the National FFA Organization. Each travels more than 100,000 national and international miles to interact with business and industry leaders, thousands of FFA members and teachers, corporate sponsors, government and education officials, state FFA leaders, the general public and more. The team will lead personal growth and leadership training seminars for FFA members throughout the country and help set policies that will guide the future of FFA and promote agricultural literacy.

"For this new national officer team, it will be a year of hard work, long hours, lots of travel and major advocacy for FFA and agricultural education," said 2012-13 National FFA President Clay Sapp, who delivered his retiring address today before the new team was named. "It is a year of profound experiences that will change their lives and thousands of lives their service will touch."

The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 579,678 student members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,570 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

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About National FFA Organization
The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of 579,678 student members as part of 7,570 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA Organization operates under a federal charter granted by the 81st United States Congress and it is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online at www.FFA.org, on Facebook, Twitter and the official National FFA Organization blog.

Treasurer Fitzgerald reminds Iowans the deadline is November 30th

DES MOINES, IA (10/31/2013)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald wants to remind Iowans it is their last chance to register their children to win a $5,290 College Savings Iowa account. "I encourage everyone to register for the giveaway and explore the benefits of using a 529 plan, such as College Savings Iowa, to save for their loved ones future higher education expenses," stated Fitzgerald. "Don't miss out on this great opportunity to jumpstart your child's college savings." For more information and to register for the giveaway, please visit www.collegesavingsiowa.com before November 30.

College Savings Iowa is an affordable, tax-advantaged option for families who are saving for their children's higher education. It takes just $25 to open a College Savings Iowa account, and anyone - parents, grandparents, friends and relatives - can invest on behalf of a child. Participants who are Iowa taxpayers can deduct contributions up to $3,045 per beneficiary account from their adjusted gross income in 2013 and there are no income or residency restrictions.*

. Also Like College Savings Iowa on Facebook and Follow the Plan on Twitter (@Iowa529Plan) to stay up to date on all current news and giveaways.

*Adjusted annually for inflation if withdrawals are not qualified, the deductions must be added back to Iowa taxable income. The earnings portion of nonqualified withdrawals may be subject to federal income tax and a 10% federal penalty tax, as well as state and local income taxes. The availability of tax or other benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements.

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Investment returns are not guaranteed and you could lose money by investing in the plan. Participants assume all investment risks as well as the responsibility for any federal and state tax consequences. If you are not an Iowa taxpayer, consider before investing whether your or the designated beneficiary's home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such state's qualified tuition program.

For more information about the College Savings Iowa 529 Plan, call 1-888-332-7545, or visit www.my529iowaplan.com to obtain a Program Description. Investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information are included in the Program Description; read and consider it carefully before investing.

College Savings Iowa is an Iowa trust sponsored by the Iowa State Treasurer's Office. The Treasurer of the State of Iowa sponsors and is responsible for overseeing the administration of the College Savings Iowa 529 Plan. The Vanguard Group, Inc., serves as Investment Manager and Vanguard Marketing Corporation, an affiliate of The Vanguard Group, Inc., assists the Treasurer with marketing and distributing the Plan. Upromise Investment Advisors, LLC, provides records administration services. The Plan's portfolios, although they invest in Vanguard mutual funds, are not mutual funds.

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley encourages Iowa middle school and high school students to participate in the 2013 Making Democracy Work Student Essay Contest sponsored by the U.S. Capitol Historical Society.

The contest is open to students from around the country and is split into two divisions. Students in grades 6-8 will participate in a junior division contest, and students in grades 9-12 will participate in the senior division contest.

Each division will award three prizes:

·         1^st Place- $1,000 and a trip to Washington, D.C., to receive the prize.

·         2^nd Place- $500.

·         3^rd Place- $250.

·         The two first place winners' schools will also be awarded $1,000.

"This is a good opportunity for young Iowans to share their insight about the U.S. system of government," Grassley said.

The subject of the essay contest is: "The rights and responsibilities of citizenship."  Students may expand upon their constitutional rights and their primary duties as U.S. citizens. They should also consider how these constitutional rights affect themselves and their families. Grassley encourages Iowa students who are interested to submit their work to the U.S. Capitol Historical Society.

Further information regarding the contest, official rules, and entry forms can be found at www.uschs.org, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society's website.

As Veteran's Day approaches, this is a good time to remind our active duty service members and veterans and their families of the many educational assistance benefits available to them, both during and after service. In this Practical Money Matters piece, Mr. Alderman discusses several of the more popular government-provided education benefits for military families.

By Jason Alderman

As Veteran's Day approaches, this is a good time to remind our active duty service members and veterans about the many education assistance benefits available to them through the G.I. Bill and other government programs.

Here's a rundown of a few of the more commonly used programs:

The Post 9/11 GI Bill is more flexible and generally offers more generous benefits than earlier GI Bills. It provides up to 36 months of support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of active duty after September 11, 2001, or those with a service-connected disability after 30 days. An honorable discharge is required.

Approved training includes undergraduate and graduate degrees, and vocational/technical/on-the-job training, among others. You will be eligible for benefits for 15 years from your last period of active duty of at least 90 consecutive days.

This program covers 100 percent of tuition and fees for in-state students at public institutions, paid directly to the school. For those attending private or foreign schools, it will pay up to $19,198.31 per academic year (sometimes more in certain states).

If you attend a costlier private school - or a public school as a non-resident - you also may be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program, where schools voluntarily fund tuition expenses exceeding the highest public in-state undergraduate rate. The institution can contribute up to 50 percent of those expenses and the Veteran's Administration will match the amount.

The 9/11 GI Bill also will pay a books and supplies stipend of up to $1,000 per year, and a monthly housing allowance generally comparable to the military Basic Allowance for Housing for a military pay grade E-5 with dependents, based on the ZIP code for your school.

Another advantage of this newer GI Bill: Armed Forces members with at least six years' service can transfer some or all of their benefits to their spouse and/or children. Here are the basic rules:

• You must agree to four additional years of service. (Special rules apply if standard policy precludes you from serving four more years or you're eligible for retirement).
• Because the clock starts ticking from the date you elect to participate - and you can't enroll additional beneficiaries after leaving the military - it's best to sign up all family members right away. You can always go back and change allocation percentages or remove beneficiaries at any time until the benefits are used.
• Spouses may begin using transferred benefits right away; however children must wait until you've served the full 10 years.
• You and your spouse must use the benefits within 15 years of your leaving the military; children must use them by age 26.

Montgomery GI Bill. This older version of the GI Bill may still be available if you didn't already opt for the Post 9/11 GI Bill. You're eligible if you started active duty for the first time after June 30, 1985, served continuously for three years, are honorably discharged and had your pay reduced by $100 a month for the first 12 months. (There's a separate plan for reservists.)

For most people, this program is less generous than the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Benefits typically expire 10 years after military separation and are not transferrable to family members; plus, you pay tuition and fees upfront and are later reimbursed. The VA website has a tool to compare benefits under the two GI Bills.

To learn more about the GI Bill, visit www.gibill.va.gov. Other VA-sponsored educational financial aid programs can be found at www.gibill.va.gov/benefits/other_programs/index.html.