Plain Green LLC Partners with 'Strive for College' Mentorship Program to Give Native American Students Access to Higher Education

BOX ELDER, Mont., May 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Plain Green LLC, a company focused on promoting economic opportunities for communities on the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation of the Chippewa Cree Tribe, announced today that it is sponsoring a program to help Native American high school students get into and succeed in college.

Plain Green is partnering with Strive for College, a national nonprofit that matches college students with low-income high school students whom they mentor through the process of applying to, enrolling in, and obtaining financing for their college education. High school students from the Chippewa Cree Tribe met with tribal leaders and Strive for College today to learn about and enroll in the program.

For every Rocky Boy and Box Elder student that registers with the Strive program, Plain Green will be awarding $200 Book Gift Certificate to help these future college students with the costs of textbooks in their first semester. 

"We are excited to have the opportunity to give back to our community and to improve the quality of life for our people," said Joel Rosette, Chief Executive Officer of Plain Green LLC. "Education is the first step toward real economic development- something that is desperately needed throughout Indian Country. Plain Green is thrilled to be able to provide mentors for these students in order to expand the opportunities available to them and help guide them through the best ways to responsibly finance their educations."

Native American reservations are some of the most remote and impoverished areas of the United States and college attendance and graduation rates have historically been very low. According to the National Indian Education Association, the percentage of Native American young adults with bachelor's degrees is less than half that of the national average.

Due to the Chippewa Cree Tribe's remote location, the mentoring will all happen virtually. Students at Rocky Boy High School and Box Elder High School will use webcams to connect with their mentors across the country.

"This pilot project has allowed Strive for College to use technology to expand our reach onto rural tribal reservations," said Michael Carter, President and CEO of Strive for College. "Helping these students who may not have otherwise even considered attending college is at the core of Strive's mission. We are thrilled to be able to work with Plain Green to empower the youth of the Chippewa Cree Tribe."

Initial funding for the pilot program was provided by Think Finance, one of the service providers for the Chippewa Cree Tribe's e-commerce lending business. Think Finance plays a key role in powering the technology, analytics and services to financial innovators providing the next generation of solutions to serve underbanked consumers.

Internet access has transformed life on remote reservations by bringing in new business, enhancing employment prospects, and increasing educational opportunities. Technology has allowed Plain Green to bring this program to tribal students, but it has also been the reason that Plain Green has been able to bring economic opportunity to the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation.  Plain Green is one of the largest tribally operated online lenders in the country, with 35 employees based in Box Elder, and offers loans throughout the United States.

In addition to being one of the largest employers on the reservation, the success of the tribe's online lending business has helped fund social welfare programs for education, health care, elder care, law enforcement, and nutrition assistance.

Plain Green LLC is a tribal lender, owned by the Chippewa Cree Tribe, that focuses on serving those in need of financial assistance and encouraging economic development and job growth in communities on and surrounding the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation. Plain Green LLC is a community partner that brings in consumers from across the country and remains focused on increasing local educational and economic opportunities.

SOURCE Plain Green LLC