Buena Vista University offers tuition discounts to Spirit Lake school district staff

Buena Vista University in Storm Lake is expanding its strategic partnerships in order to give educators and their families easier access to furthering their own education.

The university announced in a news release that it would partner with Spirit Lake Community School District to offer employees and qualifying family members discounts on certain online and Storm Lake campus programs.

“We are thrilled to embark on this new collaboration with the Spirit Lake Community School District,” said BVU Director of Strategic Partnerships Laura Todd in the release. “By providing tuition discounts to full-time employees and their eligible family members, we’re not only investing in their professional development but also in the future of our communities. This strategic partnership exemplifies BVU’s commitment to making higher education accessible and supporting the educators who shape the minds of tomorrow.”

Extended University Programs Promotions Specialist Lindsay Kruse said in an email that for those enrolling in an online undergraduate program or the Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership graduate program, grant funding from BVU will take off up to 30% of tuition cost per credit hour.

Students who either work for the district or are family of an employee and are attending the university’s campus in Storm Lake can receive anywhere from $250 to $2,000 in partner grant funding per year for their tuition, Kruse said in the email.

According to the release, a goal of this partnership is to help those working in schools expand their education and help fill gaps in the educator workforce in Iowa. The Spirit Lake Community School District is the latest in more than 180 strategic partnerships Buena Vista holds with schools, organizations and businesses, Kruse said in the email.

The school district employs around 200 staff members in its elementary, middle and high school, according to the release, with a total student population of more than 1,300.

Angela Olsen, business partnerships coordinator and district office director for Spirit Lake schools, said in the release that her time and experiences at Buena Vista “meant the world” to her, and she’d choose the university again if she needed to.

“We’re currently experiencing a shortage of educators across the state, so this strategic partnership seems like a great way to help our paraeducators or students operating as paraeducators offset the cost of a bachelor’s degree, making it a little bit more reasonable for them,” Olsen said in the release. “I had a great educational experience at BVU — they do a really great job of preparing educators, so it’s easy for me to push their programs. Anything we can do for our employees is appreciated, and this is another opportunity for us to give something to them, be it in the form of a tuition discount.”