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Scholarship Program Promotes College Savings

$45,000 in College Savings for Iowa Students Ninth Grade and Above

September 1, 2026

Iowa residents are encouraged to participate in a free program to help them pay for college expenses. The ISL Education Lending Scholarship program is designed to give high school students, undergraduate college students and their parents and guardians access to important information about planning for and financing college while awarding 18 lucky winners $2,500 each in college savings.

The ISL Education Lending Scholarship is open now through December 4, 2026, at https://www.IowaStudentLoan.org/Savings. After completing a simple online registration, participants have the opportunity to experience the engaging and informative resources provided by the nonprofit organization. Participants also receive weekly emails from the time they register until the end of the registration period.

A random drawing will determine 18 winners from the eligible entries. Winners will receive $2,500 deposits into ISave 529 accounts.

"We wanted a flexible award to help Iowa students at various points in their educational journeys," said Steve McCullough, president and CEO, Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation, which sponsors the scholarship and provides educational funding under the name ISL Education Lending. "Deposits into ISave 529 accounts allow families to either use the award for immediate postsecondary costs or invest for expenses down the road. The best part, though, is that every registrant learns about our free resources, which can help them reduce their cost and their need to borrow for educational expenses." 

The ISL Education Lending Scholarship was initially launched in September 2023. To date, more than 250 awards have been given out to Iowa families.

Scholarship Details

Eighteen $2,500 awards will be provided as deposits to ISave 529 accounts. The scholarship program is open to Iowa residents who are either:

  • Iowa high school students.
  • Undergraduate college students.
  • Parents, guardians or others who hold an ISave 529 account benefiting an Iowa high school or undergraduate college student.

An eligible student may register once and an eligible parent or guardian may register once to benefit that student, giving the student two chances to win. Online registration is quick and easy. After registering, participants may continue to read three quick college planning and financing tips and answer a multiple-choice question on each. For the remainder of the scholarship period, registrants receive emailed information on college planning and financing.

Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation is a nonprofit organization that provides the online resources and scholarship programs as part of its mission. The financial information presented in the scholarship is always available to the public at www.IowaStudentLoan.org. In addition, families can visit the website for additional resources and to sign up for other services, like the parent email service SP3 — Student Planning Pointers for Parents.

Full rules and details for the ISL Education Lending Scholarship are available at https://www.IowaStudentLoan.org/Savings.

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Media Contact

Christopher Weishaar, Digital PR Specialist, (515) 273-7102, cweishaar@studentloan.org