An Iowa credit union has partnered with a documentary filmmaker to help high school and college students understand the true cost of financing a higher education.
This week, Waterloo, Iowa-based Veridian Credit Union announced a partnership with the creators of the film "Broke, Busted & Disgusted," a documentary filmed in Iowa, which explores the cause behind the increasing student loan debt problem in America.
"Veridian is a partner in creating successful financial futures, and that means providing resources to make sound financial decisions today," said Veridian CEO Monte Berg. "We believe 'Broke, Busted & Disgusted' starts important conversations to put students on the right path, and we're proud to give more people the opportunity to view it."
The film was created by a group of Iowa filmmakers in 2015 with a mission to help students graduate with less debt, and help them understand the potential repercussions of student debt. Its distribution has been broadly web-based, with rentals selling for $4 and downloads selling for $7. Veridian's partnership allows the credit union to make the film available on its website at no cost for two years.
"Iowa ranks among the top 10 states in the country for overall student debt totals," says film author and financial educator, Adam Carroll. "Veridian's partnership further expands the reach of the film and its incredibly important and timely message for students and parents. We believe, through this partnership, we can make a significant difference."
According to Veridian CU's Public Relations Strategist, Andrea Hudnut, this partnership has allowed the credit union to develop a larger marketing education strategy on its website. As part of the partnership with the filmmakers, she said the credit union has also connected with the Iowa College Access Network to bring new tools to the Veridian Credit Union site for students and parents to search for financing help, scholarships and refinancing loans, as well as refering students to resources to help them make "comprehensive and informed decisions."
Hudnut said this entire project has encouraged Veridian CU to sponsor several college and career planning nights at Iowa high schools in 2017.
"All of the information in the film and on our site is relevant if you're a high school student, college student or parent," said Hudnut.
Berg added, "Our members look to us for honest, relevant advice when making life's most important financial decisions, and we're committed to that responsibility. Several years ago, Veridian shifted our focus to an Advice for Life initiative to ensure we always meet that need. Choosing a career path is one of the most important decisions a person will make, and Broke, Busted & Disgusted is one fulfillment of our promise to help."
The film is available to stream or download for free at www.veridiancu.org/bbd.
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
