Questa Remains a Strong Resource for Residents Seeking Further Education
Pictured: Aerial view of Kosciusko County, photo courtesy of NEIRP
The Questa Education Foundation will continue to support individuals seeking further education, despite the decision of the Legacy Committee after last night’s meeting. While the committee values the work of Questa, they believe the funding request does not fit the guidelines for Legacy investments. The proposal was to continue the Legacy Scholar program which has been supported by the Legacy Fund since 2014. The renewal request was for funding of $200,000 each year for the next three years, providing time to build a sustainability fund for the program.
Despite this change in funding, and the challenges of COVID-19, Questa continues to thrive. The foundation is currently accepting applications to support scholars attending college in the fall. In the least year, Questa expanded the Contemporary Scholars program, which supports current college students and adult learners, welcomed three new partner schools and initiated multiple new funding partnerships. These partnerships contribute to Questa’s growth and success supporting local students and building our regional workforce. Questa has an 85% graduation rate and two-thirds of Questa graduates continue to live and work in Northeast Indiana, improving our economy by contributing their talents to the region.
“We are grateful for the past City investments in our community to enhance educational attainment and build our workforce. That initial support was made possible because of the vision and foresight of Dr. John Crawford with support from many city council members and the Mayor. Their support created a solid foundation for Questa’s work,” said Elizabeth Bushnell, Executive Director of Questa. “While we are disappointed not to have continued Legacy funding, those early investments enabled Questa to prove the success of our funding model to support students and build our talent pool for the region. We now have an opportunity for additional local businesses and community organizations to partner with Questa to grow this successful program even further.”
Pictured: Taylor University students studying, photo courtesy of Taylor University.
Questa will continue offering several programs including forgivable loans and scholarships to Northeast Indiana residents. Questa’s model offers low-interest, forgivable loans to individuals receiving further education. The loans can be up to 75% forgiven if the student chooses to attend and graduate from a partner institution, and to live and work in Northeast Indiana for 5 years. A $20,000 loan reduces to only $5,000 that the scholar would have to pay back. This payback then pays forward by helping another scholar complete their degree.
The foundation encourages business leaders and individuals with a passion for developing our community by investing in people, to consider a partnership with Questa. Through donations and partnerships, the Questa Foundation can serve even more students in Allen County and the surrounding counties in Northeast Indiana.
Go to www.questafoundation.org to learn more about how you can invest in a student and help them receive an education. Your support will be an essential part of growth and change in our region.
About Questa Foundation: Since 1937, Questa Education Foundation has been helping individuals access post secondary education, graduate with less debt, and become contributing members of Northeast Indiana’s workforce.