BVU, Farmers Trust & Savings Bank Connect Through Strategic Partnership
Collaboration with Buena Vista University provides educational benefits to Farmers Trust & Savings Bank employees and their eligible family members.
Buena Vista University (BVU) and Farmers Trust & Savings Bank have aligned as Strategic Partners, providing new opportunities to transform the communities both entities serve.
This partnership allows for employees of Farmers Trust & Savings Bank, as well as eligible family members of full-time employees, to receive grant funding to lower the overall cost of education while enrolled in classes at BVU’s Storm Lake campus. Partner grant funding also lowers the cost per credit hour for students enrolled in BVU’s convenient online undergraduate programs or the organizational leadership graduate program.
“BVU is a highly respected institution serving northwest Iowa and beyond. We are pleased to enter into this Strategic Partnership with them,” says Farmers Trust & Savings Bank Vice President of Retail Banking Julie Weaver. “Farmers Bank has always supported our staff’s personal and professional growth. The grant program through the Strategic Partnership is a great benefit to offer to our employees.”
“BVU is a highly respected institution serving northwest Iowa and beyond. We are pleased to enter into this Strategic Partnership with them.”
Farmers Trust & Savings Bank Vice President of Retail Banking Julie Weaver
A staple of Spencer for more than a century, Farmers Trust & Savings Bank provides personal, business, and agricultural banking services and specializes in a commitment to serving and strengthening the Clay County community. The financial institution’s 45 employees annually donate more than 2,000 hours of volunteer support to events and organizations in Spencer.
“BVU has made it easy for me to continue my education while still working full time, and I enjoy the flexibility they offer with their programs,” says Farmers Trust & Savings Bank eServices Specialist Madison Ward, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in finance through BVU’s Online Programs. “I also love the fact that I can complete my graduate degree online in the future.”
BVU has long enjoyed strong educational ties in and around Spencer, home to Iowa Lakes Community College, a campus that has collaborated with BVU for decades. Students enrolled in a program through Iowa Lakes can seamlessly transfer their credits toward their bachelor’s degree at BVU. Students receive personalized support including admissions and enrollment counseling and academic advising right in Spencer through BVU’s office on the Iowa Lakes campus.
“Buena Vista University is eager to become Strategic Partners with Farmers Trust & Savings Bank, extending educational benefits to its employees and eligible family members,” says BVU Director of Strategic Partnerships Laura Todd. “Farmers Trust & Savings Bank’s motto of ‘People First, Service Always,’ truly aligns with BVU’s commitment to serving our communities, and we are proud to help strengthen the Spencer workforce by providing affordable, accessible higher education through this Strategic Partnership.”
For more information about BVU’s Strategic Partnerships and partner opportunities, please visit the BVU website at bvu.edu/strategic-partnerships or contact Strategic Partnerships at StrategicPartnerships@bvu.edu.