Kansas State University

MANHATTAN -- For the third consecutive year, State Farm Insurance will support Powercat Financial Counseling at Kansas State University with a $10,000 grant.

The grant is particularly critical now, as the free program has expanded its financial services each semester since it began serving the university's student body in 2009.

The grant will help sustain on-campus services and the new online partnership with SALT, which offers students and alumni free access to interactive Web-based financial planning. Powercat Financial Counseling's "for students, by students" approach has earned White House recognition as a model for collegiate financial education.

"State Farm supports the Powercat program because it focuses not only on promoting financial education, but it also engages students in helping students," said Jim Camoriano, spokesman for State Farm. "Peer-based programs can be powerful, and we applaud K-State's approach, creativity and the success of its Powercat Financial Counseling services."

In the future, Jodi Kaus, director of Powercat Financial Counseling, hopes to build upon that success with dedicated clinical space to be allocated within upcoming renovations of the student union, offering more room for education, training and staff offices. Kaus credits corporations like State Farm with not only helping the program, but also supporting the students involved.

"It continues the support of our peer financial counselors and really prepares them professionally, allowing them to provide leadership and service to their fellow students in the area of financial education," Kaus said.

To learn more about Powercat Financial Counseling, visit http://www.k-state.edu/pfc.

Philanthropic contributions to Kansas State University are coordinated by the Kansas State University Foundation. The foundation staff works with university partners to build lifelong relationships with alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students through involvement and investment in the university.