Iowa Jump$tart Coalition

Owen Schobert, an eighth grader at Lansing Middle School in Lansing, has won the 13th annual statewide financial literacy essay contest for Money Smart Week Iowa and has been named Iowa’s 2019 Money Smart Kid. Schobert also received $1,000 from the Iowa Bankers Association to put toward his college education.

Forty-one students from across the state participated in the 2019 Money Smart Week Essay Contest. Any Iowa student in grades seven through 11 was eligible to submit a 400-word essay. This year’s prompt asked students to explain what income volatility is and who is prone to experience it. Students were also asked to include tips and resources on how to prepare for sudden fluctuation in income.

Iowa Student Loan is offering two opportunities to help families pay for college this fall.

• College Savings Plan Parent Giveaway: Now through Oct. 21, parents and guardians of students in grades 6-12 can register to win a $1,000 College Savings Iowa deposit. Fifty winner will be chosen.
• Iowa Financial Know-How Challenge: Beginning Oct. 22, high school seniors can register online and complete the designated components of the Iowa Financial Know-How Challenge: Senior Scholarship for a chance to win one of 30 scholarships for $2,000. There are no GPA, merit or financial requirements.

Click here to learn more about both programs.

The Get Smart About Credit program – sponsored by the American Bankers Association Engagement Foundation – is a national campaign of volunteer bankers who work with young people to raise awareness about the importance of using credit wisely. Hundreds of banks from across the country – and in Iowa – volunteer to teach the program in their local schools. To learn more about the program, and to find participating banks in your area, click here. And mark your calendar for Oct. 18, 2018, to celebrate Get Smart About Credit Day!

The National Consumers League hosts LifeSmarts, an online competition open to all students in grades 6–12. This September, LifeSmarts celebrates 25 years of empowering teens to become smart, savvy consumers. Each month, LifeSmarts focuses on a different category important to teen consumers: personal finance, health and safety, consumer rights, technology, and the environment. Students compete online and in-person throughout the year to win scholarships and prizes. Experts in LifeSmarts subject areas are also needed to serve as judges and officials at the state and national competitions. This year’s competition begins on September 10. Click here to learn more.

From now until September 27, 2018, Sallie Mae^® is accepting nominations from counselors, mentors, and community members for the Bridging the Dream Scholarship. This year, Sallie Mae will be awarding a new group of inspiring high school students with $25,000 each.

Do you know a high school junior or senior

• who works hard and inspires others;
• has an interesting story to tell; and
• is gifted or skilled in a way you think is outstanding?

Nominate them today for this scholarship opportunity! Your nominee could be a student that you’ve helped guide along the way, someone who has inspired you, or a student you worry may come up financially short of fulfilling their dreams. Also, share this message with your colleagues and other student-focused community organizations to ensure more students from your area are nominated.

Visit SallieMae.com/BridgingTheDream to learn more about previous winners, how these scholarships have impacted their lives, and to nominate a student today.

You can also help even more students find scholarships by telling them to check out Sallie Mae’s free Scholarship Search tool. It matches students with scholarship opportunities based on their unique skills, activities, and interests.