Thousands of potential students and their parents are checking out many of the state’s smaller colleges this week. It’s part of an annual event in Iowa, during the first week of August, known as Private College Week. Derek Hartl, director of admissions at Luther College in Decorah, says all 25 of Iowa’s private colleges are taking part in the program. “Our purpose through all of this is to try to let students know what a private education can include and the benefits and advantages of a private education,” Hartl said.

Some parents and students may feel attending a private college is out of their price range, but Hartl suggests there are ways for families to make it affordable. “There’s a great deal of financial aid out there,” Hartl said. “We have a lot of students who are paying less to come to Luther than they would have to go to a state institution.”

Hartl notes that students who graduate from a private college, such as Luther, are in high demand. “When we look at the graduating class of 2015, 99.4 percent of our students were either employed, attending graduate or professional school, or selectively volunteering. So, we’re talking about a very high placement rate,” Hartl said.

More information about Private College Week in Iowa is available at: thinkindependently.com.

(Radio Iowa)