Chapter Resources
On this page, existing Dollars for Scholars Chapters can find important resources; you can also click here to log into the Dollars for Scholars Chapter Portal. (If you're looking into starting a new Iowa Dollars for Scholars chapter, check out our 'Why Dollars for Scholars?' tutorial!)
Chapter Events
Visit our Chapter Events page to find out about training, networking and other local and statewide events.
FAFSA Tips and Financial Aid Advice
The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) has put together an excellent guide entitled FAFSA Tips and Common Mistakes To Avoid, which they've allowed us to reprint here. Check out the guide by clicking here, and if you'd like more great information, head over to NASFAA's Parent and Student Financial Aid Resource Center.
Iowa College Aid
Iowa College Aid connects students and parents to the information and resources they need to plan, prepare and pay for college. Check out the wealth of knowledge at their site, IowaCollegeAid.gov.
Iowa Community Foundations and the
County Endowment Fund Grants Program
Community foundations across Iowa unite the people of the state's diverse communities in an effort to make a better life for all Iowans. Visit IowaCommunityFoundations.org to find out more about what Iowa's Community Foundations can do for your chapter.
Of particular interest to Dollars for Scholars chapters is the Community Endowment Fund, which stipulates that county-wide community foundations distribute 75% of allocated funds to charitable programs within their counties. (The rest is used to build the county's unrestricted endowment fund to provide future support. Please note that counties with gaming licenses are not eligible for the County Endowment Fund Program.)
Community foundation grantmaking happens at the local level, as each county develops its distribution process and involves local citizens in reviewing applications and allocating funding. Because of this local involvement, grant awards typically vary from year to year based on current and emerging needs, and there may be opportunities for your chapter to tap into this resource. Check out IowaCommunityFoundations.org and see what's available for you.
The Iowa College Access Network: Providing Resources for Students and Parents Statewide
Iowa Dollars for Scholars works closely with the Iowa College Access Network. Their Web site, www.ICANSucceed.org, offers a number of complementary resources for Iowa students and parents. The mission of the Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) is to help individuals attain their educational and career goals. ICAN operates two College Planning Centers in West Des Moines, Iowa, and in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which provide free information and support to a diverse population of students and their families as they.
ICAN also exists to improve access to and success in postsecondary education for disadvantaged, minority and first-generation students. ICAN does this by: supporting a network of state and local college access programs that provide counseling, advice and financial assistance; sharing best practices among the network; providing leadership and technical assistance; and helping establish new college access programs.
The Iowa College Access Network is provided by Iowa Student Loan. The services provided by ICAN are available regardless of whether or not the student borrows through an Iowa Student Loan participating lender and they are free. Visit ICANSucceed.org to find out more!
Project on Student Debt
The Project on Student Debt is a Web project created by the Institute for College Access and Success, a nonprofit working to inform students, parents, schools and policymakers about trends and issues throughout the world of financial aid. It's well worth bookmarking and visiting often; their list of the Top Ten Student Loan Tips for Recent Graduates is a great place to start.
Looking for Collegiate Partners?
Collegiate Partners are a group of more than 500 colleges, universities and trade schools across the country that have agreed to partner with Dollars for Scholars to maximize the impact of Dollars for Scholars and other Scholarship America-related financial aid on their campuses. Click here to see a list of Iowa Collegiate Partners, or download the 2010 Collegiate Partners Directory from ScholarshipAmerica.org.
Because College Doesn't Happen By Chance®.
