The Great Plains IDEA, a ten-state consortium for distance education, seeks to enhance program possibilities in the disciplines of family and consumer science. The IDEA has designed a comprehensive master’s degree program in family financial planning that involves sharing courses and faculty across campuses of member institutions. Challenges that the program has encountered include differences in institutional policies, a need for improved faculty competence in distance education methodology, and management of program growth. Students have reacted positively to the program itself, as well as to the opportunity to obtain a master’s degree through distance education. The vision of collaborative distance education that made this interinstitutional program possible continues to guide development of the program.