Education isn't only about high grades

CU Newswire

Applicants to the Servus Young & Free Scholarship program don't necessarily have to be super-brainy. But they do need passion and commitment to making a difference in the world, a passion that balances their academic success.

To apply for a scholarship this year, Albertan students required a minimum grade point average of only 70%. As part of the application they were asked to submit a video or essay explaining how they will help themselves, their friends and their peers overcome a challenge facing their generation today. Topping the list of challenges identified by our future leaders were the environment, apathy towards social issues, obesity and health concerns, and the impact of technology on interpersonal relationships.

More than 175 students applied for a share of $30,000 in scholarships this summer. Then, on 1 September, 2011, Servus Credit Union announced the recipients of the second annual scholarship awards. Now, thirty students with a vision to make a difference in the world will each receive $1,000 to help with their educational pursuits.

"These students are the leaders of the future. Our goal is to support their education and training so they succeed and achieve their dreams," said Mike Dickinson, Director Corporate Communications at Servus.

Applicants were also required to be between 17 and 25 years of age and be attending a post-secondary institution in Alberta for the 2011/12 academic year.

In keeping with the interactive nature of Servus' Young & Free program, the public was also asked to vote for their favourite scholarship applicant in 'The People's Choice Bonus' contest. More than 4,700 votes were cast online at YoungFreeAlberta.com from 22 July to 5 August. The three applicants receiving the most votes, and each winning an iPad, are:

    *  Theo Chu, Edmonton
    *  Chelsea Colton, Lacombe (also a Scholarship recipient)
    *  Patrick Kozyra, Sherwood Park

The essays and videos of all scholarship applicants can be viewed online at YoungFreeAlberta.com.

+ CU Newswire website

Summer time means work, not play, for Alberta students

Calgary Herald | By Mario Toneguzzi

Summer break is no breeze for students stressing over looming tuition payments.

And when it comes to paying for post-secondary schooling, Alberta students are most likely to be spending their summer days at work, according to a TD Canada Trust survey of student finances released Wednesday.

More than half (55 per cent) of the Alberta respondents said they felt either anxious (38 per cent) or stressed (17 per cent) when thinking about how they will pay their way through school. Almost 60 per cent expected to graduate with debts, with 21 per cent anticipating owing more than $25,000. One third (35 per cent) said their top savings priority is debt repayment.

Mirissa Kampf-Aitchison, 20, is working as a server at Original Joe's in the Mission neighbourhood to save up enough money to return to school.

She recently completed a broadcasting diploma at Mount Royal University and wants to return in another year to take a journalism degree.

Tuition alone will cost $5,000 to $6,000 a year, she said.

"Everything else? Oh my goodness, I've actually never added up all of the costs, but around $600 for rent, then food, utilities, groceries. It ends up being a lot," said Kampf-Aitchison, who received a scholarship from Original Joe's that helped cover her $1,500 tuition costs for her last spring semester.

"I worked almost full-time going to school as well. But I pick up extra shifts in the summer just to get ahead. There's a lot of expenses involved in going to school."

The TD survey found the top discretionary costs for Alberta students, outside of staple expenses, were for transportation, including gas, insurance and public transit (41 per cent), eating out at restaurants (31 per cent), and new technology such as cellphones and laptops (14 per cent).

Dex Dunford, 21, Servus Credit Union's Young & Free Alberta Spokester, received a diploma in broadcasting from Mount Royal University. The Servus program provides financial information, tips and advice for the 17-to-25-year-old age group.

Dunford worked year-round to pay for his education.

"In the summer, I would pick up extra hours. Maybe a second job, whatever, to make sure I had that extra money so hopefully I could pay off my school and then after that the goal was to work as few hours during school as possible so I could focus on studying," said Dunford.

His advice to students: Work hard during the summer months so you can focus on studying in the fall.

"You're just starting to become independent in your life. You're trying to figure out what you want to do with your life. And on top of all that you have to think about money. Sometimes it's not very fun."

According to Statistics Canada, in July there were 508,700 Albertans between the ages of 15 and 24 with 319,400 of them employed. The unemployment rate for this age category is 11.1 per cent compared with a 5.5 per cent unemployment rate for the entire workforce.

The TD poll found tuitions the major challenge for students, with the average cost of a four-year university degree at $80,000. Three-quarters work during the school year (76 per cent) and more than half (55 per cent) work more than 11 hours a week.

The survey polled a representative sample of 1,000 Canadian adults aged 18 to 24, including 108 in Alberta, who are currently enrolled or were previously enrolled in the past two years in post-secondary education.

+ Original article

Scholarship Program from Servus Credit Union

Dr. Mike's Educational Weblog | By Dr. Mike

This is an interesting program because it is not so dependent on grades (minimum of 70% GPA though), but you yourself. What is your challenge? Here are the requirements (from the website):

* Are between the ages of 17-25;
* Reside in Alberta;
* Are a member of Servus Credit Union (Not a member? Sign up for the Young & Free Chequing Account today!)
* Are attending a post-secondary institution in Alberta for the 2011/2012 school year;
* Achieved a minimum 70% grade point average in your last academic year;

Here is the press release:

$30,000 in Scholarships to be awarded to Alberta students!

Tell us how you will help yourself, your friends, your peers across the province, country or even the world, overcome one of the biggest challenges facing your generation today.

If you have a plan, we want to hear about it! Servus Credit Union is excited to announce year two of the Servus Young & Free Scholarship Program. We’ll be awarding thirty $1,000 scholarships to students who see a challenge and dare to take it on.

Create a 60-second-or-less video that showcases how you plan to make a difference in the lives of your generation by helping them overcome a common challenge. If making a video isn’t your thing, then submit a 300–500 word essay on the same topic. Applications will be accepted until noon on July 18, 2011.

Visit YoungFreeAlberta.com for full application details and rules and regulations.

The best of luck to you all!

Good learning...Good listening...

Cheers - Mike

+ Original article

Young and Free Spokester

CBC Edmonton

It's a dream job for Edmontonian Shaun Lang but he needs your help to get there. Shaun's hoping to become Alberta's next Young and Free Spokester. It's a position with Servus Credit Union, teaching other young people about how to be smart with your money.

It's a dream job for Edmontonian Shaun Lang but he needs your help to get there. Shaun's hoping to become Alberta's next Young and Free Spokester. It's a position with Servus Credit Union, teaching other young people about how to be smart with your money.

+ Listent to radio interview

Dream job hopeful

Sherwood Park News | By Michael Di Massa 

Sherwood Park resident Lisa Pingle is in need of votes, as she is one of three finalists for the Servus Credit Union's dream job competition.

The winner of the competition will act as a spokesperson (or "spokester"), representing the 17 to 25 demographic.

Aside from Pingle, the other finalists are Shaun Lang, 22, of Edmonton and Dex Dunford, 20 of Calgary.

"It's pretty much just the ultimate job," said Pingle, a 21-year-old University of Alberta human ecology student. "A voice for us 17- to 25-year-olds for dealing with financial institutions, what we want from them, what we need from them, what's important and educating us on what we want to know for our future, too."

She added, "I'm pretty involved in the community and I love meeting people and I love being involved in conferences and stuff like that, so I knew it would be a good tool for getting the word out for us as a generation and our age group. Sometimes I think we forget to speak up."

The website www.youngfreealberta.com offers financial tips to young adults from young adults in the form of videos and blogs.

Pingle said being aware of financial options is important for those planning to live on their own for the first time or attend a post-secondary institution.

Out of 20 applicants, Pingle was selected for the top three based on votes from people who viewed her blog and a video about her.

Now she must create a second video to seek out more votes.

The winner of the competition will be a salaried employee of Servus Credit Union.

"As the Young and Free Alberta spokesperson of the 17-25-year-old crowd, the winner will educate their peers about financial matters by traveling, attending and speaking at events, and posting daily blogs and weekly videos on youngfreealberta.com," reads a press release from the credit union.

"The three finalists have shown creativity and ingenuity throughout their campaign efforts on youngfreealberta.com, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube," said Gail Stepanik-Keber, chief marketing officer for the credit union.

"Now they each will try to get the most online votes following a thorough interview process with Servus Credit Union as to why they would like to be the Young and Free (Alberta) Spokester for 2011/2012."

Pingle's blog and videos (she hopes to have a new video up before the end of this week) can be viewed online atwww.youngfreealberta.com. The deadline to place votes at the website is May 23.

+ Original article

Young Albertans invited to dance for cash

Edmonton Sun | By JASMINE FRANKLIN, QMI Agency

Young Albertans are getting the opportunity to showcase dance skills online for a public vote.

Anyone between the age of 17 and 25 is eligible for the Young and Free Alberta Servus Credit Union contest, open to both professionals and those who only dance in their living room.

Individuals or groups can post their dance video — of any style — online where the public votes on a winner.

"Reality dance shows and challenges are absolutely exploding in pop culture right now — why not (give) 17 to 25-year-olds living in Alberta the chance to get creative, show off their dance moves and win some (cash)," said Young & Free Alberta spokeswoman Sacha Kolotyluk.

The top prize is $4,000 cash, with second and third place winners each receiving $500.

The competition was chosen to run online for a variety of reasons, said Kolotyluk, one being that the Generation Y demographic is well-versed in all forms of technology.

"Every applicant has an equal chance to be declared a winner," said Kolotyluk.

Dance videos must be between one and three minutes long and can be uploaded until Feb. 7.

The public can vote from Feb. 10 to 21 and a winner will be announced late February.

For more information or to enter the contest visit www.youngfreealberta.com/dance.

+ Original article

Kelsey on SHAW TV Calgary

SHAW TV Calgary

Kelsey's AWESOME segment with SHAW TV Calgary.

+ Visit SHAW TV Calgary

Niche communities and the future of social media in financial services

Fresh Networks | By Jo Stratmann

A few weeks ago we held a senior executive round table event in order to debate the future role of social media in financial services.

One of the key topics that we discussed was the rise of niche online communities and how this will impact financial services brands in the future.

The current situation
Over the last few years there has been a rise in financial services communities that are on the long tail. In other words, there has been an increase in online communities that focus on a very specific audience rather than appealing to a wide range of clients and consumers.

Several banks have chosen to focus their social media strategy on one section of their customer target base. Royal Bank of Scotland, one of our clients, has developed a niche online community called Keep Britain Biking to appeal to  motorcyclists in order to encourage customer interaction with their Devitt insurance brand. Barclays bank is using a niche community called 100 voices to appeal directly to students with the promise of a community that contains information “written by students, for students”.

Young & Free Alberta, an online community powered by Servus Credit Union,  also utilises the “youth” niche community idea.The site aims to give 17 to 25 year olds  a head start with their finances by providing them with useful, relevant information about their financial requirements.

Not only is the site aimed at a specific demographic; it  is also aimed at  a specific region – Alberta, Canada. And with  ‘Young and Free’ initiatives in Alabama, Mississippi, Ontario, South Carolina, St Louis, Tennessee and Texas, all powered by local banks, these niche communities clearly aim to capture people at a time when they are selecting their first bank account. By building up a relationship with a young target audience, the Young and Free communities are engaging with customers in the early stages of their financial planning with the hope of then building up a life-long commitment to their bank or institution.

The Young and Free Alberta community uses blogs, forums, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook to encourage discussion. It also contains lots of relevant information and activities – like inviting people to an open-air movie -to attract its key audience.

The site also contains an “ask the experts” section to answer the financial concerns and queries of their target market in a timely and appropriate manner. The community manager has videos, blogs, comments and a very visible presence on the site, perhaps as way of further positioning the bank as a voice of authority.

What does the future hold?
Considering the rise of the niche community in financial services, indications for the future direction of social media in this area could include:

• An increase in targeting specific groups based on demographic. Social media could be used to uncover and engage more with micro communities, based on key demographic segmentation, that are enthusiastic, passionate and keen to become customers.
• An increase in targeting specific regions or areas. Social media could be used more to target regional rather than global areas. Local branches of banks and other financial services institutions could use niche communities, based on location, to attract new customers by appealing to people near to, or in, their own physical space or location.
• A decrease in corporate communities. As communities become less “corporate” in feel the will move away from using the direct branding, look and feel of the institution they represent. Instead the branding, tone and style of the community will be dictated by the needs and requirements of the people they wish to target rather than the bank or institution itself.
• Niche communities will become more social. They will utilise more user generated content and will form the hub of all social activity, from blogging, to Facebook, to Foursquare, as well as whatever other new tools arrive on the social media landscape. Niche communities will form the permanent base for social media activity – a space which can grow and develop in line with both market changes and new developments in social media technologies.

Our next blog post will look at how social media is helping to develop customer driven markets and what this means for the future role of social media in financial services.

+ Original article

Students need to control their spending in today's economy

Lethbridge Herald | By Caroline Zentner

University and college students may be tempted to live large now that they're back on campus but they could easily end up having to live small financially since budgeting typically isn't their strong suit.

"There are great dangers for Generation Y," said Kelesy MacDonald, a 20-year-old University of Alberta student and spokesperson for Young & Free Alberta, a program by Servus Credit Union.

While definitions of Generation Y vary, MacDonald focuses on those aged 17 to 25.

"We're a generation that is all about instant gratification, which leads to impulse buying. This is something we really need to take control of because one of the biggest dangers for students is creating debt early in life," she said.

Students need to realize the decisions such as marriage, having children and buying a house. Others are faced with some big bills in the form of tuition and rent.

On top of that, post-secondary students have had a hard time getting good jobs that pay well in the economic downturn. As a result students may not be able to earn enough money over the summer to finance their education and may have to work part-time while going to school.

As spokesperson for Young & Free Alberta, MacDonald writes a blog and creates weekly videos to offer budgeting tips, coupons and online deals to students.

"I know you hear it a hundred times over but the best way to save money, at least during the school year, is to pack a lunch," MacDonald said, "If your are even spending 5$ a day on a little lunch then that can add up to over $450 this semester alone. That's a lot of dough."

Bringing a water bottle and refilling it as needed also helps save money. She also tells students that buying textbooks at a university bookstore may not always be the best bargain and they may be able to find a used textbook at a much cheaper price. Students are also ahead of the game if they can avoid racking up credit card debt.

"Try not to use your credit card if you don't have the money. You might think 'Oh well, I get paid in a  week so I'll just use my credit card and then pay it off after.' But this can be a slippery slope for students because unexpected expenses may arise and create huge problems," MacDonald said.

Servus launched a scholarship program two months ago where the public can vote for their favourite applicant. For more information and to access MacDonald's tips go to youngfreealberta.com.

Kelsey interviewed on CTV Edmonton

CTV Edmonton

Interview with Kelsey on CTV Edmonton.

+ Visit CTV Edmonton

A crash course in school finances

By Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary Herald; Postmedia News

Budget carefully and stick to a plan, university student advises her peers. Kelsey MacDonald, a fourth-year student at University of Alberta, hunts through financial books in the University of Calgary library. Through her daily blog MacDonald hopes to make financial planning and budgeting fun for young people.

Photography by: Ted Rhodes, Calgary Herald, Postmedia News, Calgary Herald; Postmedia News

Budgeting and financial planning are probably the last things students want to think about as they head back to school.

After all, they're really not fun and exciting topics for the 17-to 25-year-old crowd.

But it's something they need to seriously pay attention to so they don't fall into financial pitfalls they will end up paying for beyond their school days.

"Probably one of the biggest troubles we face is the fact that we love instant gratification. We love spending money. Impulse buying. And that's something that I believe we really need to control," says Kelsey MacDonald, a 20-year-old University of Alberta student in her fourth year studying human ecology while majoring in fashion.

The Calgarian is also spokesperson for Servus Credit Union's Young & Free program, which is creating a dialogue about financial issues and management among the 17-to-25 set.

"It's really important to have a plan. If you have a plan then it's way easier to stay on top of your finances and you can plan ahead. Will your summer job cover all your expenses for the year or will you need to get a part-time job part way through the year?" says MacDonald, who figures it will cost her roughly $10,000 to attend school in Edmonton this year.

"You just have to plan ahead and know what your expenses will be -- whether that will be tuition, rent, utilities, transportation, food -- and you can't forget the unexpected expenses because that always happens and that tends to be what will mess you up."

But planning and budgeting isn't an easy topic. MacDonald says it's "scary" for those in her generation.

They've tried it before but they don't stick to it. Through a daily blog and videos, MacDonald is hoping to reach her peers and make financial planning and budgeting and other financial issues fun -- or at least interesting.

"You have to look for any way that you can to save money and keep track of your receipts," adds MacDonald.

"If you keep track of your receipts, then you can look at them on a weekly basis and realize that you might be spending a little too much on lattes or things that might not be significant enough that you should be spending your money on. So it's not only a good habit to get into budgeting wise for now but also for the rest of your life."

A recent poll for RBC indicated the majority of post-secondary students (57 per cent) said they plan to work during the school year to help pay the bills.

Three-quarters of students (77 per cent) believe working part-time during school will impact their grades, while six in 10 expect to graduate with debt and 74 per cent don't use a budget. The survey found debt management and budgeting are challenging for students, with just half regularly monitoring where their money is going (52 per cent).

"The student experience brings new-found responsibilities like keeping good grades, living on your own and balancing a budget, which can be very stressful," says Kavita Joshi, director of student banking for RBC.

"Proper saving habits can lead to working fewer hours, thereby freeing up more time for studying and enjoying the university or college experience."

A TD Canada Trust Education and Finances Survey says students in Alberta are the most likely in Canada to stress about being able to afford the basics like rent, tuition and food.

It found that 28 per cent of students are stressed and another 31 per cent are anxious that it will be a challenge for them to manage.

The survey also revealed that 41 per cent of Alberta students are spending more money than they save.

Sixty-eight per cent project they will graduate with some debt and 20 per cent predict they will owe more than $25,000.

"Amassing enough money for post-secondary education can be a challenge, but it is much more economical to save ahead than to borrow at the last minute," says Carrie Russell, senior vice-president at TD Canada Trust. "That said, if students are heading to school in the near future and have not put away enough, they should pursue all potential avenues available, such as a part-time job, scholarships, bursaries and assistantships."

Kelsey McColgan, 21, is going into her third year at Mount Royal University's Bachelor of Communications program, majoring in information design. For this semester, she is spending $3,100 for a full-course load.

"Probably one of the biggest tips I think, especially for first-year students, is to pack your lunch every day. You'll save tons of money if you don't have to buy a lunch at school every day," she says.

"Take the bus because you have to pay for it anyway (through student fees). Or carpool.

"Budget your time wisely. I've held down a full-time job at Staples while going to school full time. So it is possible. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices in different areas of your life, but it is possible if you budget your time well enough. I always have a plan of my whole week before I start the week of when my homework time is, when I have to work and that's how I'm able to pay for school because I wouldn't be able to if I wasn't working. I would have a ton of student loans. I don't have any. It's all paid for."

McColgan's friend Amanda Howard, 23, is also in her third year in the same program. For the first two years, she had student loans.

"I found it was just enough money . . . It's just enough money to get you by and it seems it goes really fast. But for the next two years I've been saving and I'll be paying for them myself," she says.

"I'm a hardcore saver and also I work quite a bit. It's sacrifices and finding time for work and friends in school is really hard."

McColgan says she doesn't really make up a budget. She's just very, very frugal.

What it all comes down to is spending money wisely in a number of different areas and seeking deals wherever they can be found.

"Don't be stupid. That's one of the main things. A lot of people spend their whole year partying . . . and that can be expensive, like $100 a night. Just be wise," says Howard.

© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal

+ Original article

Stave off impulse buying and make a budget, student financial adviser says

Postmedia News | By Mario Toneguzzi

Budgeting and financial planning are probably the last things students want to think about as they head back to school.

But it's a must if they want to avoid loan repayments that last far beyond their school days.

"Probably one of the biggest troubles we face is the fact that we love instant gratification. We love spending money. Impulse buying. And that's something that I believe we really need to control," says Kelsey MacDonald, a 20-year-old University of Alberta student in her fourth year studying human ecology while majoring in fashion.

The Calgarian is also a representative for Servus Credit Union's Young & Free program, which advises the 17-to-25 set about finances.

"It's really important to have a plan. If you have a plan then it's way easier to stay on top of your finances and you can plan ahead. Will your summer job cover all your expenses for the year or will you need to get a part-time job part way through the year?" says Mac-Donald, who figures it will cost her roughly $10,000 to attend school in Edmonton this year.

"You just have to plan ahead and know what your expenses will be -- whether that will be tuition, rent, utilities, transportation, food -- and you can't forget the unexpected expenses because that always happens and that tends to be what will mess you up."

Recent polls suggest upwards of 60 per cent of post-secondary students expect to graduate with some debt, even though more than 50 per cent plan to work during the school year to pay bills.

The polls also found that the vast majority of students going into university don't have a budget.

Kelsey McColgan, 21, is going into her third year at Mount Royal University's Bachelor of Communications program.

"Probably one of the biggest tips I think, especially for first-year students, is to pack your lunch every day. You'll save tons of money if you don't have to buy a lunch at school every day," she says.

"Take the bus because you have to pay for it anyway [through student fees].

"Budget your time wisely. I've held down a full-time job ... while going to school full-time. So it is possible."

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

+ Original article

School Finances 101

Calgary Herald | By Mario Toneguzzi

Budgeting and financial planning are probably the last things students want to think about as they head back to school.

After all, they're really not fun and exciting topics for the 17-to 25-year-old crowd.

But it's something they need to seriously pay attention to so they don't fall into financial pitfalls they will end up paying for beyond their school days.

"Probably one of the biggest troubles we face is the fact that we love instant gratification. We love spending money. Impulse buying. And that's something that I believe we really need to control," says Kelsey MacDonald, a 20-year-old University of Alberta student in her fourth year studying human ecology while majoring in fashion.

The Calgarian is also spokesperson for Servus Credit Union's Young & Free program, which is creating a dialogue about financial issues and management among the 17-to-25 set.

"It's really important to have a plan. If you have a plan then it's way easier to stay on top of your finances and you can plan ahead. Will your summer job cover all your expenses for the year or will you need to get a part-time job part way through the year?" says MacDonald, who figures it will cost her roughly $10,000 to attend school in Edmonton this year.

"You just have to plan ahead and know what your expenses will be -- whether that will be tuition, rent, utilities, transportation, food -- and you can't forget the unexpected expenses because that always happens and that tends to be what will mess you up."

But planning and budgeting isn't an easy topic. MacDonald says it's "scary" for those in her generation.

They've tried it before but they don't stick to it. Through a daily blog and videos, MacDonald is hoping to reach her peers and make financial planning and budgeting and other financial issues fun -- or at least interesting.

"You have to look for any way that you can to save money and keep track of your receipts," adds MacDonald.

"If you keep track of your receipts, then you can look at them on a weekly basis and realize that you might be spending a little too much on lattes or things that might not be significant enough that you should be spending your money on. So it's not only a good habit to get into budgeting wise for now but also for the rest of your life."

A recent poll for RBC indicated the majority of post-secondary students (57 per cent) said they plan to work during the school year to help pay the bills.

Three-quarters of students (77 per cent) believe working part-time during school will impact their grades, while six in 10 expect to graduate with debt and 74 per cent don't use a budget. The survey found debt management and budgeting are challenging for students, with just half regularly monitoring where their money is going (52 per cent).

"The student experience brings new-found responsibilities like keeping good grades, living on your own and balancing a budget, which can be very stressful," says Kavita Joshi, director of student banking for RBC.

"Proper saving habits can lead to working fewer hours, thereby freeing up more time for studying and enjoying the university or college experience."

A TD Canada Trust Education and Finances Survey says students in Alberta are the most likely in Canada to stress about being able to afford the basics like rent, tuition and food.

It found that 28 per cent of students are stressed and another 31 per cent are anxious that it will be a challenge for them to manage.

The survey also revealed that 41 per cent of Alberta students are spending more money than they save.

Sixty-eight per cent project they will graduate with some debt and 20 per cent predict they will owe more than $25,000.

"Amassing enough money for post-secondary education can be a challenge, but it is much more economical to save ahead than to borrow at the last minute," says Carrie Russell, senior vice-president at TD Canada Trust. "That said, if students are heading to school in the near future and have not put away enough, they should pursue all potential avenues available, such as a part-time job, scholarships, bursaries and assistantships."

Kelsey McColgan, 21, is going into her third year at Mount Royal University's Bachelor of Communications program, majoring in information design. For this semester, she is spending $3,100 for a full-course load.

"Probably one of the biggest tips I think, especially for first-year students, is to pack your lunch every day. You'll save tons of money if you don't have to buy a lunch at school every day," she says.

"Take the bus because you have to pay for it anyway (through student fees). Or carpool.

"Budget your time wisely. I've held down a full-time job at Staples while going to school full time. So it is possible. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices in different areas of your life, but it is possible if you budget your time well enough. I always have a plan of my whole week before I start the week of when my homework time is, when I have to work and that's how I'm able to pay for school because I wouldn't be able to if I wasn't working. I would have a ton of student loans. I don't have any. It's all paid for."

McColgan's friend Amanda Howard, 23, is also in her third year in the same program. For the first two years, she had student loans.

"I found it was just enough money . . . It's just enough money to get you by and it seems it goes really fast. But for the next two years I've been saving and I'll be paying for them myself," she says.

"I'm a hardcore saver and also I work quite a bit. It's sacrifices and finding time for work and friends in school is really hard."

McColgan says she doesn't really make up a budget. She's just very, very frugal.

What it all comes down to is spending money wisely in a number of different areas and seeking deals wherever they can be found.

"Don't be stupid. That's one of the main things. A lot of people spend their whole year partying . . . and that can be expensive, like $100 a night. Just be wise," says Howard.

mtoneguzzi@theherald.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

+ Original article

Young & Free Alberta Student Scholarship Program

VAAA Art Blog

DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 3, 2010

If you dare to dream, we want to hear about it! Servus Credit Union is excited to announce the new Young & Free Scholarship Program. We’ll be awarding thirty $1,000 scholarships to students who dare to dream and make a difference.

Create a 60-second-or-less video that showcases how your dreams, ambitions and vision can make your community and/or the world a better place. If making a video isn’t your thing, then submit a 300–500 word essay on the same topic. Download the full instructions to the right. 

+ Original post

Kelsey interviewed on GlobalTV Calgary

GlobalTV Calgary

Interview with Kelsey on GlobalTV Calgary.

+ Visit GlobalTV Calgary

Youth competition finalists selected

RED DEER ADVOCATE | By Brenda Kossowan

Lofty goals — like reaching or surpassing the accomplishments of Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling — help some people rise above the crowd.

Reaching Rowling’s level of achievement is the long-term goal driving Ami Price-Gagnon, a graduate of Notre Dame High School in Red Deer who is now working on her third year toward a business degree from the University of Alberta.

Price-Gagnon, 20, was recently named one of the three finalists in Servus Credit Union’s search for a youth representative. Young and Free Alberta is part of North America-wide campaign, Young and Free Spokestar, that recruits young adults to spend one year helping members of their generation connect with sponsoring credit unions through blogs, YouTube videos, public speaking engagements and other media.

Being named Alberta’s first Young and Free Spokestar comes with an iPod, an Apple laptop computer and a salary of $36,000, says Price-Gagnon, who learned about the contest while researching student bursaries.

Pumped as the “Ultimate Job,” the Young and Free Spokestar Competition was narrowed from 22 applicants to three finalists, including Price-Gagnon’s university roommate, Kelsey MacDonald, 20, of Calgary. MacDonald is taking her third year of human ecology at the U of A.

Rounding out the field is barista Madison Kerr, 18, of Edmonton, who focuses her creative endeavours on photography.

Price-Gagnon said she and MacDonald support each other, but don’t discuss each other’s campaigns.

The winning entry, to be announced April 22, will be decided on two major factors, she said. Fifty per cent will be based on the number of votes each of the finalists is able to capture by April 11. The balance will be based on performance, including media coverage of their campaigns.

Please visit www.youngfreealberta.com to learn more.

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Why Credit Unions Are Winning With Millennials

Millennial Marketing Blog | By Carol Phillips

Millennials are a high potential target for banks and credit unions.

According to a September 2009 report by Mintel on “Echo Boomers and Finance,” just 56% of 18-24 year olds own any banking product, usually a savings account (41%). But this figure jumps to 70% among those 25-29.

Credit Unions have been making the most of their historic opportunity to attract Millennials.

According to Mintel, several credit unions have launched “Young & Free” sites. These sites feature young spokespeople and include blogs, listings of “free items” or promotions available in the credit union’s local area. They also provide calendars of events, and financial literacy tools on topics thought to be of special relevance to Echo Boomers. These topics include:

• car buying versus leasing
• establishing and maintaining good credit scores
• saving money tips
• finding an apartment.

It only took a quick Google search to turn up several of these “young and free” initiatives, like this one in Alberta from Servus Credit Union. The site features spokesperson, Myles Peterson, who tweets, blogs and creates videos all focused on what’s happening in Alberta and with the Young and Free account at Servus. The site seems to have done its Gen Y homework: it is up to date, provides useful information and apps in a Millennial-friendly format.

There are other Young and Free efforts in Alabama (Listerhill Credit Union), South Carolina (South Carolina Federal), and Texas (TDECU). While the format is similar, each has its own spokesperson and unique content. There is substance as well. For example, South Carolina Federal offers special deals for 18-25 year olds:

• fee refunds—the idea is that young people make mistakes with managing their checking accounts and the credit union gives them one free fee refund per quarter in recognition that they are still learning how to manage their accounts
• online budgeting tools
• mobile access
• debit cards
• no monthly maintenance fees
• additional dividends on deposits.

Analyst, researcher and Millennial, Dane Coalson on CreditUnion.com provides a “Personal Gen Y Perspective” on which features are most meaningful:

Personal recommendations: “The first place I turn to before I purchase a product or utilize a service would be my friends and family for recommendations. I want feedback directly from someone who can tell me about their personal experience, and I’m not alone.”

Help establishing credit: “Helping us build credit is a great opportunity for credit unions to actually differentiate themselves and provide a service that Gen Y needs!”

A fresh, well-designed web site: “If your website looks like it is stuck in the past, this can leave a bad impression.” (Duh!)

Plain English: “Don’t get wrapped up in using what you consider to be the coolest, hippest jargon. Gen Y does not want to be pandered to, they just want easy access to straightforward, clear information.”

Details matter: "I believe that younger members can be easily swayed by seemingly insignificant details such as the ability to exert some control over how their personal card looks.”

Financial Institutions will never be ‘cool’ – this should not be your goal: “Instead, focus on showing them how you can provide better rates, help them build their credit, and actually are an honest institution that genuinely has their best interests in mind. Like anyone else, younger individuals are simply looking for a safe, efficient, non-problematic institution that they can trust with their money.”

Focus on what could draw Millennials into a financial institution today: “High interest products include direct deposit and bill pay,  good rates on individual product offerings, such as an auto loan, CD, high-interest checking or savings accounts.”

This is great advice for any marketer, not just financial services.

Coalson concludes by emphasizing his belief that there is “a window of opportunity” to attract members as they leave college.  But cautions that “once they start their jobs, set up multiple accounts, and become comfortable, it becomes much harder to entice them to switch.”

Kudo’s to Credit Unions for getting ahead of the curve.

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Social Community Efforts From Banks & Financial Institutions

2020 Social Blog | By Mohit

Common Wealth Credit Union (Groundswell Award Winner, 2008)

To positioned itself as a progressive and transparent financial institution with heart, Common Wealth Credit Union launched an online community for Alberta’s Generation “Y”. A lifestyle platform for youth to self express and support called Young & Free. Its a fully integrated marketing campaign combined with a spokesperson search to find the voice of Alberta’s under 25 crowd.

Common Wealth embraced the power of the social web by tapping into popular sites like YouTube, Facebook, Flickr and Twitter to create an immersive experience where compelling user-generated content takes centre stage. To position it as a democratic, transparent organisation they launched a yearly campaign to find  “Young & Free Alberta Spokesperson”.

The winner from the contest became a paid employee of the credit union, working full time with the job description: talk, type and tell good stories – essentially a full time blogger for the credit union for one year.

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Congrats Sunrise House

Grand Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune | by Darrel Winwood

A hearty congratulations goes out this week to Grande Prairie's Youth Emergency Shelter Society which operates Sunrise House. Regular readers might remember that more than a month ago I told you about a contest GPYESS was engaged in via Twitter.

The shelter was trying to win a $500 donation from Servus Credit Union for being the first to get 500 votes in their favour through Twitter accounts. The contest was part of a program run by Servus called Young and Free Alberta which promotes banking to consumers under age 25. That program was originally created by the Common Wealth Credit Union which had branches here in Grande Prairie before it was taken over by Servus in a merger more than a year ago.

Long story short, GPYESS won the contest over youth shelters in Athabasca and Lloydminster which were also competing. I personally voted for the shelter and so the did the Daily Herald-Tribune. They were only two votes, but for anyone else who saw the votes and decided to follow suit, well done. It was an easy vote to make and at a youth shelter $500 can do a lot.

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Grande Prairie groups increasingly turning to Twitter

Grand Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune | by Darrel Winwood

As its presence continues to grow on the Internet, more and more businesses, non-profit agencies, and government organizations are learning the value of using social media websites to reach out directly to people and it’s a growing trend in Grande Prairie.

Media agencies, including the Daily Herald-Tribune, have been using social media for several years to stream news and headlines to readers in a different format, but this newspaper has been joined in the last several weeks by several other local businesses. It’s interesting to see how individual groups and companies adapt to the technology and use it different ways.

One of the more interesting ways is to use a company’s Twitter or Facebook account (to name the two most popular sites) to run specific online contests. We did this recently at the newspaper, giving away six pairs of tickets to last month’s Drag Wars event. Contest winners had to respond to specific messages we posted on our own Facebook and Twitter accounts to win the tickets and it didn’t take long. Within one hour we had given away the six sets of tickets, proving that in even in a smaller city such as Grande Prairie, the online community can be very active.

But that’s chump change compared to one contest being run by the Servus Credit Union which could benefit Grande Prairie’s youth shelter, Sunrise House. The credit union runs a program called Young & Free which targets young adults and teens, trying to attract their business. Each year it runs a contest to select a youth spokesperson. This year it’s Myles Peterman and he’s issued a challenge to supporters of youth shelters in Grande Prairie, Lloydminster and Athabasca.

Basically, whoever starts following Peterman’s account can ‘tweet’ their support for each community’s shelter and whoever gets to 500 supporters or tweets first that shelter will receive $500 from the credit union.

It’s a fun promotion that attracts attention to the credit union, its youth programs, and it offers a chance for a local charity to win a donation.

I already cast my vote for Sunrise House and if you’re on Twitter why not follow the account named YoungFreeAB and vote for our local youth shelter as well.

But contests aren’t the only way to use Twitter to attract buzz and interest for a cause or company. Social media can be a low-budget way to reach out to people directly. Two other notable groups have started using the medium in the past month in Grande Prairie.

The first is local municipal government – yes you can now get the latest news on our municipality directly on Twitter. The city began streaming news releases and promotional information earlier in the summer and so far has attracted (as of Wednesday) 131 people to its account. It’s a small but growing number and city marketing manager David Olinger said it’s part of the city’s overall communication plan.

“The city has examined a number of ways to reach out to citizens ... we’re really looking for ways to engage residents.”

The value of the service showed up in the summer when a chlorine leak at Bear Creek Pool forced the evacuation of the pool and shut it down for more than a day. One of the first places news of this leak showed up was on Facebook from residents forced out and the city was soon issuing updates on Twitter which spread and were rebroadcast.

“It’s a fascinating study in how news travels,” said Olinger.

I couldn’t agree more as every day I see how stories from this newspaper can travel across the Internet. Olinger also said that demographic studies from Stats Canada have shown that 75% of the city’s population is aged 45 or under, which leads more people being connected online.

The Grande Prairie Storm hockey club started up its own Twitter account in the past few weeks, streaming live updates on game scores, player moves and still to come will be ticket promotions and information on community events that Storm players are involved with, said marketing manager Echo Ross, who was quick to credit team ‘‘music man’’ Randy Kleist as the person behind the Storm’s Twitter account.

“It (idea) first came up a few weeks ago and we need to keep going forward with new technology,” said Ross.

And here’s the shameless plug – if you’re online you can follow this newspaper on Twitter by searching for gpheraldtribune or the Grande Prairie tag #gpab, on Facebook search for Daily Herald-Tribune.

Darrell Winwood is the DHT’s online and special sections editor.

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