First Lady Michelle Obama Featured in a Special Public Service
Announcement as Part of the Campaign
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA) today unveiled a special public service
announcement (PSA) featuring the First Lady on the importance of
completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The PSA
is part of a FAFSA-Forward campaign from the Get Schooled Foundation and
its founding partner Viacom, beginning today through February 17, to
encourage students to take the first step in getting the money they need
for college.
First Lady Michelle Obama and Baltimore's New Era Academy valedictorian
Lawrence Lawson team up in the spot, available
here, to urge students not to "leave money on the table." They let
viewers know that the FAFSA takes less than thirty minutes to complete
and can mean thousands of dollars towards the cost of higher education.
Audiences are directed to GetSchooled.com and studentaid.gov to access
the forms along with additional tools and resources.
The FAFSA-Forward campaign is also enlisting young people to help spread
the word about FAFSA to their peers. Students who tweet using the
hashtag #FAFSA and @GetSchooled from February 12-17 or retweet
@GetSchooled will be entered to win one of ten $1,000 scholarships. More
information on the contest is available at GetSchooled.com, along with
personal, real time assistance tools to help students fill out their
FAFSA forms, including one-on-one online helpouts and Khan Academy
videos.
The PSA was taped last week at a FAFSA workshop with the First Lady and
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at TC Williams high school in
Alexandria, VA. The event, hosted in conjunction with the U.S.
Department of Education, Viacom and Get Schooled, provided students and
parents with the opportunity to learn about the FAFSA and get assistance
from counselors with filling it out. The First Lady spoke to students
about youth empowerment and the importance of completing the FAFSA in
finishing their education beyond high school.
First Lady Michelle Obama said, "FAFSA is quick, it's easy, it's free,
and it can help you access thousands of dollars to help you and your
family pay for college. Almost everyone is eligible for some form of
financial aid; all you have to do to access that aid is fill out this
one little form. It's so simple. That's my message for you and for
students all across the country: fill out those forms."
Philippe Dauman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Viacom, said,
"Viacom is proud to partner with the First Lady and Get Schooled to help
increase FAFSA completion rates and encourage more students to enroll in
higher education. We are dedicated to using our brands' deep
relationships with young audiences to rally them to take charge of their
futures."
"More than a million seniors likely eligible for student aid each year
fail to complete the FAFSA, though the form is free and easy to fill
out," said Marie Groark, Executive Director of the Get Schooled
Foundation. "By offering and directing parents and students toward FAFSA
resources, we hope to increase completion rates, an important predictor
of college enrollment and graduation."
About Viacom
Viacom is home to premier global media brands that create compelling
television programs, motion pictures, short-form video, apps, games,
consumer products, social media and other entertainment content for
audiences in more than 160 countries and territories. Viacom's media
networks, including MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, BET, CENTRIC, Nickelodeon, Nick
Jr., TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick at Nite, Comedy Central, TV Land, SPIKE,
Tr3s, Paramount Channel and VIVA, reach approximately 700 million
television subscribers worldwide. Paramount Pictures, America's oldest
film studio, is a major global producer and distributor of filmed
entertainment.
For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com.
Keep up with Viacom news by following Viacom's blog at blog.viacom.com
and Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/viacom.
Viacom
Lenore Feder, 212-846-7120
lenore.feder@viacom.com
Source: Viacom Inc.
News Provided by Acquire Media