Iowa Financial Know-How Challenge Kicks Off This Week, Gives Participating  High Schools Chance to Win $1,000

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA (Feb. 21, 2013) — A partnership of educational organizations is providing an incentive for Iowa high schools that increase their students’ financial understanding through participation in the Iowa Financial Know-How Challenge between now and March 29.

Iowa Student Loan^® — in partnership with the Iowa Department of Education, the Iowa Jump$tart Coalition, Junior Achievement of Central Iowa and the Iowa College Access Network — is sponsoring the Challenge and providing a chance for schools to win $1,000 for their participation. Also, teachers who take part in the Challenge can work toward satisfying financial literacy requirements for the Iowa Core 21st Century Skills.

The Challenge is intended to reward Iowa high school teachers and administrators who promote critical financial literacy skills. A key component of the Challenge is the online financial literacy tutorial Student Loan Game Plan^sm, which is designed to help high school students plan ahead and learn how they can borrow less for college by making informed financial decisions. High schools must incorporate Student Loan Game Plan into their classrooms by March 29 in order to register in the Challenge and be entered in a drawing for a chance to win one of 30 cash prizes.

“Students often borrow for college without realizing the effect it will have on their future finances and lifestyle,” said Steve McCullough, president and CEO of Iowa Student Loan, which created Student Loan Game Plan in 2010. “Student Loan Game Plan provides high school students with achievable ways to save for college and helps them understand the consequences of over-borrowing for their education.”

About the Drawing

Thirty winners will be randomly drawn from the qualifying schools that incorporate Student Loan Game Plan into their curriculum and enter the drawing via an online form atwww.studentloan.org/EnterChallenge. Each $1,000 prize is intended to improve the school’s financial literacy programs and its scholarship fund.

Other Benefits

As part of the Challenge, Iowa Student Loan and its partnering sponsors are providing information about how other resources and materials they offer can help teachers meet financial literacy requirements for the Iowa Core 21st Century Skills. These skills have been identified by the Iowa Department of Education as being necessary for Iowa students to lead productive and satisfying lives in a global knowledge-based environment.

Learn More

If you are an educator and are interested in learning more about the Iowa Financial Know-How Challenge, visit www.studentloan.org/EnterChallenge or contact Matt Brown at Iowa Student Loan at (800) 243-7552, ext. 7656, or mbrown@studentloan.org.