Lakota Funds IDA Clients complete Bachelors Degree
Emmaline Tallman, Graduates from United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, North Dakota. She was one of the first participants of Lakota Fund’s IDA program in 2005. She begin her IDA savings account to go into business, her savings goal was to open a daycare center. A year into the program she found a great opportunity to complete her education. United Tribes Technical College, had an excellent scholarship program for Education Majors. As she researched the college and the scholarship, she found that the program was the opportunity she could not pass up. The scholarship and the family orientated programs within the college helped to make her decision. With a two and half-year-old daughter and a fiancé, and wanting to keep her family together, this was the perfect opportunity. With a year left to save in the IDA program, she changed her saving plan to Secondary Education.
“The IDA program, taught me the importance of budgeting, the skill of managing what little money I had was very valuable to my success in college, the Financial Literacy course helped immensely. The first few months of college, my savings suffered because I had no type of income and deposits were hard. After a few months with a school reimbursement, I was able to catch up on my savings. I cash out on the day and year projected in my savings plan. I saved a total of my own money $1,800.00, the remarkable part of the program was the match savings of 2:1, for every dollar I saved up $1,800.00 I was matched 2 dollars a total of $3,600.00, giving me a grand-total of $5,400.00 to go towards my education! College is very expensive, especially with a family. My IDA savings plan help me to off set costs and make my first year of college successful. The training I received taught me to write for grants, scholarships, and budget, to get me through financially. With my outstanding grades and an excellent savings program provided by the Lakota Funds, I graduated in December of 2008 with a double major in Elementary Education and Special Education”. Exclaims Emmaline
“I would recommend this program to all individuals, that would like to save for a business, home or a secondary education. The benefits out weight any struggles that you may encounter with managing money. This program will provide the tools in which to help you manage them and to assist you in reaching your savings goal”. Says Emmaline.
Emmaline is now employed with Loneman Elementary School as a Special Education Teacher, she says: “ I enjoy the enter action with students, working with special education is a challenge to find that particular learning style for each individual child, the reward is when it shows in their face when they get it”.
The Lakota Funds Individual Development Program is a 2:1 saving program is which the participates learn and value the tradition of savings. For every dollar the participate saves the Lakota Funds matches it with 2 dollars. Participates will take a Financial Literacy course and an asset specific course, which is either Homebuyer course for those who want to save for a home, Core four for those individuals who want to save for a business, and becoming a master student for the who want to save for secondary education. The IDA program is designed to prepare the individual for becoming a student, business owner and Homeowner. Do you have the earned income to save? Do you have the good credit to purchase an asset? Do you have the commitment to complete the program and purchase the asset in which you are saving for? The opportunity awaits you. Call 455-2500 for more information. Must meet Income guidelines.