Contact Information: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Marc R. Levy, Executive Director
Questa Foundation for Education
mlevy@questafoundation.org
260-407-6494
QUESTA FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR KOSCIUSKO HEALTH SCHOLARS
Questa Education Foundation Recognizes Mid-Term Graduates!
Contact Information:
Marc R. Levy, Executive Director
Questa Foundation for Education
260-407-6494
QUESTA EDUCATION FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2016 QUESTA SCHOLAR GRADUATES
Questa Education Foundation is proud to announce that eighteen individuals have graduated in December, 2016 from colleges and universities across the state of Indiana (counties of residence listed). Eleven of those graduating were traditional students who went on to college from high school, five were participating in the contemporary initiative focused on returning students who had delayed their education due to financial barriers, and two were enrolled in a partnership with Parkview Health that assists current employees who wish to further their education. Questa Education Foundation is a local non-profit serving northeast Indiana and is dedicated to increasing access to education beyond high school, reducing college debt and retaining local academic talent.
Questa Education Foundation would like to congratulate the 2016 college graduates:
Indiana Tech: Elise Brown (Allen)
IPFW: Eryka Brandenberger-Kraner (Allen), Mary Coulter (Allen)
Ivy Tech: Daylen Schinbeckler (Whitley), Amy Hemrick (Allen), Linda Sprinkle (Allen)
Manchester University: Derek Lamle (Whitley), Daniel Wray (Allen)
Purdue: Paul Lohmuller (Allen), Alexander Ocken (Allen), Tyler Goetz (Allen)
Trine University: Tanner Daniel (Whitley)
University of Indianapolis: Jocelyn Brosamer (Whitley)
University of Saint Francis: Tori Cox (DeKalb), Alexandra Coker (Allen), Nicholas Kohne (Allen), Stacey Melia (Allen), David Hamel (Allen)
Questa Education Foundation increases access to post-secondary education with less debt and retention of talent in Northeast Indiana. These scholars received low-interest loans, 50% in loan forgiveness from Questa by living and working in northeast Indiana for five years following graduation, and those who graduate from partner schools will receive 25% loan forgiveness. Our regional partner schools are: Grace College, Indiana Tech, Ivy Tech, IPFW, Huntington University, Manchester University, Trine University, and University of Saint Francis. Funding for Questa Scholars comes from local and regional foundations, businesses and organizations. Local support is essential for helping increase the access to continued education and preparation for employment in our communities.
For more information please visit our website www.questafoundation.org or call us at 260-407-6494.
FAFSA Help in English, Spanish, and Burmese for SY 2017-2018
Free FAFSA Assistance for Northeast Indiana Residents - Questa is a partner!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Jan. 10, 2016
Free FAFSA Assistance for Northeast Indiana Residents
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Several Northeast Indiana organizations are partnering with the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s Big Goal Collaborative to offer free support to students and families in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Filling out the FAFSA, a government form that streamlines the college financial aid process, is a must to qualify for assistance, scholarships and other sources of funding that reduce the burdens of student loans. The deadline to submit the FAFSA is March 10.
The free FAFSA support will be offered at various locations in Allen County and DeKalb County from January through March.
Trained personnel from K-12 and regional higher education institutions will be volunteering their time to support this initiative. The goal of this program is to help increase the number of students in Northeast Indiana completing the FAFSA, which will connect more individuals to post-secondary opportunities and help the region meet its Big Goal of 60 percent post-secondary credential and degree attainment by 2025.
“By offering this free FAFSA assistance support, we are creating a region that supports the educational success of every individual while developing a dependable and reliable workforce to meet the needs of regional employers,” said Wylie Sirk, director of educational leadership at IPFW and member of the Big Goal Collaborative’s High School Action Team.
All students and families in Northeast Indiana are invited to attend and take advantage of the free assistance offered at various locations throughout the region.
“To reach the Big Goal, we must remove any and all obstacles to college access. The free FAFSA assistance program ensures that we are helping those who wish to continue their education. In Northeast Indiana, it’s programs like this that develop talent, increase educational attainment and support our regional employers’ need for a talented workforce,” said Domini Martin-Urban, associate director of regional initiatives for the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership.
As part of ongoing collaborations aligned with the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s Vision 2020 Initiative and the Big Goal Collaborative, collaborating partners include the Allen County and DeKalb County College and Career Success Coalitions, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW), the Allen County Public Library, Indiana Department of Education, Indiana Youth Institute, Ivy Tech Community College Northeast, Fort Wayne Community Schools, Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, Northeast Indiana Works, Olin B. and Desta Schwab Foundation, Questa Education Foundation, Region 8 Education Service Center, SCAN and Southwest Allen County Schools.
Dates, times and locations for the free FASFA support:
January
5-8 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 17 at Indiana Tech, Academic Building, Room 234, 1600 Washington St., Fort Wayne, IN
9 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday, Jan. 27 at 3 Rivers Federal Credit Union, 1605 Northland Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN (Spanish translator available)
February
4-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9 at the Eckhart Library, 603 S Jackson St, Auburn, IN
2-4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 12 at Ivy Tech, 3800 N Anthony Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN
2-4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 12 at Eastside High School, 603 E. Green St., Butler, IN
4-7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 23 at the Warterloo Library, 300 S Wayne St., Waterloo, IN
9 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24 at 3 Rivers Federal Credit Union, 1605 Northland Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN (Spanish translator available)
5-8 p.m., Monday, Feb. 27 at the Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, IN
March
5-8 p.m., Wednesday, March 1 at the Renaissance Pointe YMCA, 2323 Bowser Ave, Fort Wayne, IN
4-7 p.m., Thursday, March 2 at the Garrett Library, 107 W Houston St, Garrett, IN
9 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday, March 3 at 3 Rivers Federal Credit Union, 1605 Northland Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN (Spanish translator available)
5-8 p.m., Wednesday, March 8 at the Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, IN
9 a.m.-6p.m., Friday, March 10 at 3 Rivers Federal Credit Union, 1605 Northland Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN (Spanish translator available)
What to bring:
- Federal Student Aid username and password created before arrival
- Social Security Number
- Driver’s License Number
- Alien Registration number or permanent residence card if you are not a U.S. citizen
- Taxable income from 2016 W-2 forms or other records of money earned or received
- Untaxed income, including workers compensation; child support; housing; food and other living allowances; veterans benefits
- 2015 Federal Income Tax Returns (IRS tax form 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ) (corrected from previous - NOT 2016)
- 2016 bank statements
- Business and investment information; business and farm records; stocks, bonds; and other investment records
In addition to this FAFSA assistance program, the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s Big Goal Collaborative is partnering with NIPSCO for the second FAFSA Completion Competition for regional high schools. The competition runs through March 10. Three winning high schools will each be given a $1,500 scholarship to award to a graduating senior.
Students and families can also get help completing the FAFSA by going online to www.fafsa.ed.gov or calling 1-800-433-3243.
To view the FAFSA assistance flier in English, Spanish or Burmese, visit www.neindiana.com/BigGoal.
About the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership was formed in 2006 to build a globally competitive economy in Northeast Indiana. It is a public-private partnership with the mission to build, market and sell Northeast Indiana to increase business investment. In 2010, the Partnership launched Vision 2020 to bring the region together around five key areas for economic growth: 21st Century Talent, Competitive Business Climate, Entrepreneurship, Infrastructure and Quality of Life. The Partnership supports 11 member counties: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley counties. For more information, visit www.neindiana.com.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Domini Martin-Urban
Assocaite Director of Regional Initiatives
Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
260.469.3474
domini@NEIndiana.com
EARLY APPLICATION PERIOD for Questa Partner Schools!
Questa is excited to announce that the Questa Scholars Program will have an “Early” application period for Questa Partner School applicants!
When: January 1st – February 22nd, 2017
Who: Students planning to attend: Grace College, Huntington University, Indiana Tech, IPFW, Ivy Tech, Manchester University, Trine University, or University of Saint Francis.
Acceptance Notification: By April 1st, 2017
Applications submitted by the deadline will be considered for the early round of funding for the 2017-2018 school year at a partner’s school. If an applicant does not submit their application by the deadline, they will be rolled into the “traditional” application period of March 1st – May 1st.
Jana Grothaus, Program Officer
6502 Constitution Dr., Fort Wayne, IN46804
Phone: 260.407.6494 * Fax: 260.407.1707