By Mary Anne Busse
Managing Director, Great Disclosure LLC
May 15, 2013
The College Savings Plans Network (CSPN) is meeting this week in Pittsburgh for the annual National Association of State Treasurers Treasury Management Symposium. 529 Plan representatives from all over the country are discussing ways to make 529 Plans available to every college saver in the country. This morning, state representatives had a chance to share significant program initiatives, marketing strategies, insights and innovations for their plans. Here are some highlights:
Many 529 Plans offer scholarships ranging from $500 to $10,000! Some also offer sweepstakes or give-aways. And some still have matching grant programs where the state actually matches some of your contributions! Some kids can even score free tickets to professional football games! Many 529 Plan scholarship programs are needs based while others are available to anyone. What an amazing way to jump start your college savings!
Many 529 Plans have Facebook pages designed to help folks learn more about saving for college and financial literacy. There are even a couple of apps for your kids that are great educational games called Big Start and Big Dreamers. You can find them at the iTunes App Store.
Pennsylvania offers a live webinar to help accounts owners navigate the FAFSA. It’s available for rebroadcast at www.pa529.com/webinars.html.
529 Plans continue to focus on extending their reach to underserved communities, targeting middle to lower income families. Whether spending countless hours traveling the state or holding charity events, 529 Plans across the country are making saving for college easy and cost effective. Plans overall have been decreasing fees steadily over the last several years improving the attractiveness of 529 Plans as a savings vehicle. You can learn more about each 529 Plan and their savings options and fees here.