ICAN is the leader in career and college readiness support and FAFSA assistance in Iowa

HIAWATHA, IOWA (Feb. 20, 2023) — In fulling its mission to empower Iowans to achieve success in education, career, and life, the ICAN team of student success advisors has committed itself to serving students, their families and schools districts across Iowa and the United States. By providing career and college readiness programming and services, ICAN, a leading education nonprofit headquartered in Hiawatha, Iowa, believes that it is through the adoption of strong, early awareness programs for career planning, and personalized, engaging resource programs, that the next generation will finds its passion and a place in today economy.

Part of this mission is ensuring that its team of Student Success Advisors are experts in their field and stay current with the latest tools, resources, and requirements of the financial aid and advising process.

This year each ICAN team member took part in a national certification program, Fundamentals for College Access and Success Providers, from the National College Attainment Network (NCAN). This program helps practitioners stay informed about the changing landscape of college attainment for students, as well as strategies and resources for advisors to use when guiding students through the planning process for life after high school.

“Our team works with students and families that all have different paths and different interests,” said Rob Miller, President and CEO of ICAN. “It is our dedication and commitment to continual learning that ensures our team can help a student regardless of whether they are interested in military, registered apprenticeships, or a college degree.”

The 21 course program provides certifications in admission advising, career advising, student engagement, financial aid advising, inclusive student advising, increasing persistence and completion rates, and developing cultural competence.

“Our staff have a variety of professional experiences, so currently we have staff members certified in admissions while others focus on financial aid and career advising,” explained Miller. “By August 2023, all ICAN team members will be fully certified as an NCAN Certified Advisor, showing our continued commitment to ensuring our programs and services meet the needs of our students, and the schools we serve.”

ICAN provides individuals with advising for career and college planning, the financial aid process, and provides assistance in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA.) ICAN works with every high school in the state of Iowa, and offers free resources both face-to-face and virtually, for families to assist in planning for life after high school.

To learn more about NCAN’s Fundamentals for College Access and Success Providers training, visit https://www.ncan.org/page/eLearning.

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About ICAN

ICAN is a nonprofit, educational organization. ICAN is the College Access Network for Iowa, and a member of the National College Access Network (NCAN). ICAN has locations in Ankeny, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, and Sioux City, which provide programming and advising support to students and their families as they plan for education and training after high school. All ICAN programs and services are provided without charge. For more information about ICAN, call (877) 272-4692 or visit www.ICANsucceed.org.