Early awareness program helps middle-school students, parents plan for higher education

USA Funds program unlocks a brighter future for middle-school students

USA Funds Unlock the FutureINDIANAPOLIS — USA Funds®, the nation’s leading education-loan guarantor, has introduced a redesigned version of USA Funds Unlock the Future®, a program to promote early awareness of the benefits of higher education among middle-school students and their parents.

The newly updated program includes:

  • Enhanced guidance for meeting planners to help them better organize and facilitate presentations of the program to students and their families.
  • Newly redesigned components that appeal to and engage middle-school students and their parents.

“USA Funds Unlock the Future encourages middle-school students, especially those from families with no previous college experience, to dream big and to make higher education or training part of their dreams,” said Henry L. Fernandez, USA Funds executive director, scholarships, outreach and philanthropy. “The program also equips parents to help their children realize their dreams by preparing academically and financially for education or training beyond high school.”

USA Funds Unlock the Future provides a multimedia presentation that is ready to deliver to groups of students and their parents. In addition to the meeting-planner’s guide, the program offers:

  • Separate video presentations for students and parents. The videos feature students and former students who discuss their dreams and how postsecondary education helped them realize those dreams.
  • A student workbook with exercises that help students explore their interests, understand the job market and plan for the future.
  • A parents’ guide with advice for encouraging their children to explore career interests, helping students succeed in school and participate in extracurricular activities, as well as resources for funding a college education and steps for preparing for higher education.

“USA Funds Unlock the Future has played an integral part in helping at-risk students understand the importance of doing well in middle school to create options for the future,” said Maureen Weiss of HUDDLE Learning Inc. Weiss has delivered the program at Turner Middle School in Kansas City, Kan. “This program helps students and parents set higher expectations for education beyond high school.”

USA Funds Unlock the Future is available without charge to schools, community agencies and faith-based organizations, with priority consideration given to those located in the eight states where USA Funds serves as the designated guarantor of federal education loans. Those states are: Arizona, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada and Wyoming.

“USA Funds provides this early awareness program in keeping with our nonprofit mission to enhance postsecondary-education preparedness, access and success,” Fernandez said.

For additional information about USA Funds Unlock the Future, visit the USA Funds Web site.