Megan Storch of Fort Wayne graduates as one of Huntington University's first Questa Scholars

2013 Jun 12

Megan Storch of Fort Wayne, IN, graduated as a member of the Class of 2013 and as one of the first recipients of the Questa Scholars Program at Huntington University.

Storch graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Educational Ministries in May.

"The Questa loan was an amazing help," graduate Erin Yoder said. "I was given a great deal of financial help my freshman year, but the rest of my time at Huntington was not like that. I had fairly large out-of-pocket expenses."

The Questa Scholars Program offers qualified students forgiveness of up to 50 percent of their Questa Scholars loan if they graduate from college with a 2.75 GPA and choose to live and work in northeast Indiana for at least five years after graduation. Questa Scholars may borrow $20,000 over four years for college.

In addition to this program, Huntington University will forgive an additional 25 percent of a Questa Scholar's loan balance if the student participates in the program and graduates from Huntington University.

Since graduating, Yoder has started the process of paying back her student loans, but with Questa, she has no worries about making payments.

"The amount of money that goes back to Questa is so minimal. It's amazing," she said. "From a personal standpoint, I know that the Questa foundation allowed me to remain at Huntington for all four years. That was something that was incredibly important to me. I am thankful for that."

Jerod Hevel, an elementary education and middle grades social studies graduate, agreed.

"The Questa loan is one of the pieces of the puzzle that allowed me to go to HU," he said. "I am very thankful for the Questa foundation."

Twenty-four Questa Scholars are currently enrolled at HU. Jeff Berggren, senior vice president for enrollment management and marketing, believes the program is effective because it helps students pay for school and uses debt forgiveness as the incentive for recent graduates to stay and work in northeast Indiana.

"I talk to colleagues nationally about this program," he said. "There's nothing out there that's this pro-active."

According to its website, the Questa Foundation for Education assists young people with financial need to attain a college education, graduate with less debt and become contributing members of northeast Indiana's workforce.

"We are proud to be investing in these bright and gifted students as it is a great way to make a positive return on talent in our communities," said Marc Levy, executive director of Questa Foundation.

For more information about the HU Questa Scholars Payback Program, visit www.questafoundation.org.

A group photo of students is available online at http://www.huntington.edu/News-Releases/All-News-without-Athletics/First-HU-Questa-Scholars-graduate/. Click on the photo to open and download the high-resolution image.

Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest, and Forbes.com has listed the university as one of America's Best Colleges. Additionally, Princeton Review has named the institution a "Best Midwestern College." Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington University is located on a contemporary, lakeside campus in northeast Indiana. The university is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).

For text of this and all Huntington University news releases, visit www.huntington.edu/news.