MADISON – A new resource for Wisconsin educators has been added to the college affordability website that was launched last year by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI). The website, www.lookforwardwi.gov, is part of DFI’s initiative to raise the awareness level of the importance of planning ahead for college. The website provides resources for current and future college students and their parents – and now, educators – to help keep students’ debt load manageable. The website is a key component of DFI’s college affordability/student debt initiative, which was announced last year by Governor Scott Walker.
“We are pleased to add this new resource to the Look Forward website,” said Cheryl Weiss, DFI’s College Affordability/Student Debt Specialist. “In addition to creating a section tailored to educators, we have made a number of other improvements to the website. Our goal is to provide students, parents and educators with valuable information and resources about the importance of planning for college – from career planning to financial planning to the selection of the right post-secondary institution.”
Other enhancements made to the website include:
- Access to FASTChoice, an online tool that allows users to quickly compare rates and terms of some of the private-sector Wisconsin credit unions and banks that offer student loan refinancing. Those institutions are located under the Wisconsin Loan Providers section on the Look Forward website. FASTChoice was developed by Madison-based student loan servicer Great Lakes Higher Education Corp.
- Improved functionality on the Calendar page, where users can find a list of events related to college affordability, student debt, financial literacy, career planning and other topics.
- A list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) which was compiled based on inquiries and feedback from users since the launch of the website.
Weiss may be contacted at lookforwardwi@wisconsin.gov.