UIU among first to offer collegiate license plate
FAYETTE, Iowa (July 11, 2008) - Upper Iowa University (UIU) is among the first of Iowa's 30 private colleges and universities to join the three Regents in offering specialty license plates to alumni and supporters.
UIU recently received notification from the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) that its application for a collegiate plate has been approved. "We are excited that Upper Iowa supporters will soon be able to show off their Peacock Pride by choosing a specialty license plate," said Andrew Wenthe, UIU director of external affairs/e-Center.
For the past several days, UIU students, faculty, staff, and alumni were invited to go online and vote for one of five possible designs. The winning design is "Peacock" blue with white lettering and includes the school name and mascot.
"It is clear from the terrific response to our online poll that Peacocks everywhere are excited about owning a UIU license plate," said Wenthe. "A college degree is a huge accomplishment and this is a great way to show pride in one's school."
UIU records show that over 10,000 alumni currently live and work in Iowa, where the plates will be available to anyone with a registered vehicle. For those living outside of Iowa, sample plates for display purposes will be sold for $3.
Wenthe anticipates it will be a month or two before the plates are available. Several steps by the DOT need to be taken first, including the development of UIU's specialty plate by Iowa Prison Industries and an online application form on the DOT website. Individuals wanting the UIU plate will be required to fill out this application and take it to their local County Treasurer's office.
Upper Iowa University will not profit from the sale of these plates, considering the venture to be a chance to show school spirit, not a fund-raising opportunity.
For more information about Upper Iowa University, go to www.uiu.edu. For updates on the availability of the UIU collegiate license plate, go to www.uiu.edu/licenseplates.