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Credit Union Student Choice recognizes KEMBA Financial Credit Union with Honor Roll Award and $5,000 Chip Filson Scholarship

During its recent Empower U conference in Nashville, TN, Credit Union Student Choice presented its second annual Honor Roll award, in recognition of excellence in higher education financing, to KEMBA Financial Credit Union ($1.2 billion; 102,000 members; Gahanna, Ohio). In conjunction with the award, KEMBA Financial will receive a $5,000 Chip Filson Scholarship which they can award to a deserving credit union member or multiple members.

KEMBA Financial was selected for the prestigious Honor Roll Award for their ability to deliver significant value to members, incorporate financial education and creative marketing strategies into their program, and work collaboratively with Student Choice to develop innovate lending solutions that will benefit credit unions and members. The corresponding scholarship is given in honor of Chip Filson, a credit union industry icon and former Student Choice board member who played an influential role in the founding and ongoing development of Credit Union Student Choice.

KEMBA Financial first launched its student lending program with Student Choice in 2010. James McDougal, Student Loan Services Manager for the credit union, accepted the award in Nashville.

“We are so thankful not only for this award to share with our members, but also for the relationship we have built with Student Choice over the past eight years,” McDougal remarked. “KEMBA Financial is committed to helping our members make responsible financing decisions that will last a lifetime. Assisting them with planning and paying for college is one of the most important ways we can do that.”

Last year’s recipient of the Honor Roll Award and scholarship was BCU, located in Vernon Hills, Illinois. The credit union awarded its $5,000 Chip Filson Scholarship to Benjamin Earle-Moseley, a valedictorian from Highland Park Senior High School in Minnesota who is attending Georgia Tech University to study aerospace engineering.

“Credit Union Student Choice was founded in 2008 to help credit unions provide their members with a responsible way to fund their dreams of higher education,” said Scott Patterson, President and CEO of Student Choice. “As the CUSO has grown over the past ten years, we continue to pursue additional ways to lessen the financial burden families face when paying for college. Scholarship programs such as this are one more way we can help them reach their goals, and we are thrilled to recognize KEMBA Financial for their dedication to making a difference in their members’ lives.”

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