Questa Foundation For Education

Questa Foundation for Education is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing access to higher education for individuals in Northeast Indiana. Founded in 1937 as the Fort Wayne Education Foundation, it was initially established to provide college scholarships for young women. The foundation has since evolved and expanded its mission. In 2007, it was rebranded as the Questa Foundation for Education to better reflect its broader scope and commitment to serving the entire region.

The organization's core offering is the Questa Scholars Program, a financial aid initiative that provides low-interest, forgivable loans to students pursuing a certificate, associate's, or bachelor's degree from a college or university in Indiana. A key feature of this program is the 50% loan forgiveness offered to students who live and work in Northeast Indiana for five years after graduation, directly addressing the region's 'brain drain' by incentivizing skilled graduates to remain local. Furthermore, if a student graduates from a partner university with a minimum GPA, the university may forgive an additional 25% of the loan, and a community sponsor or business partner may contribute the final 25%, allowing students the possibility of graduating with zero debt.

Questa Foundation operates as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), a designation that allows it to access funding to support its lending programs for low-income and underserved communities. The foundation partners with local businesses, community organizations, and educational institutions to fund and administer its programs. It serves students across an 11-county region in Northeast Indiana, including Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells, and Whitley counties.

Keywords: higher education financing, student financial aid, forgivable loans, Northeast Indiana, community development, non-profit, scholarship programs, workforce retention, talent development, postsecondary education, college access, educational attainment, student debt reduction, CDFI, Fort Wayne, Questa Scholars, regional economic development, public-private partnership, education foundation, student support services