College

  • The Trend is your Friend: Paying for College

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    By Paul Curley, CFA
    Director of College Savings Research, Strategic Insight
    June 22, 2015

    As a society, we seem to focus quite a bit on trends.  While not all trends are great, there are a few that can help your children excel in some pretty incredible ways.

    First, the world is becoming more digital. Just look around you, most people have multiple devices. While some have multiple devices to divide work and personal emails, others have wearable devices for more technical purposes such as keeping pace during a marathon. Is it that these devices are so ingrained in our culture that we do not even notice them, or is it that we have become more detached than ever before? For example, the late spring season marks the beginning for many things including college graduation and baseball. In Boston where I grew up, the trains this time of year would be flooded with people going to a Red Sox game and the air would be electric from the overall excitement for the game, but now interaction through technology devices is typically higher than face-to-face communication. Further, the expansion of robo advisors shows a push by technology into the financial service industry and replaces what has typically been completed by meeting in person with a financial planner.

  • Summer Break

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    By: Hon. Michael L. Fitzgerald
    State Treasurer, State of Iowa
    June 15, 2015

    Just because your kids are on summer break doesn’t mean their college savings has to be as well. For many, summers are filled with carpooling to baseball games, backyard BBQs and trips to the pool.  Let your kids enjoy their time away from the classroom while continuing to bolster their college savings.

    •    If you haven’t done so already, consider using an automatic investment plan (AIP). Saving with AIP allows you to set up automatic contributions on a regular basis by connecting your financial institution account to your 529 plan. This allows you to make saving a part of your routine without taking time out of your day each month. If you already use AIP, consider increasing the amount you contribute.  Even a few extra dollars a month could mean big savings when it comes time to write that first college check. You and your kids may be taking a break this summer, but your account will not!

  • It’s Graduation Season Again

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    By Paul Paeglis Executive Director, Ohio Tuition Trust Authority/CollegeAdvantage 529 June 8, 2015 Graduation season is the time of year when families and friends come together to celebrate accomplishments of […]

  • Cousin’s Legacy Lives on Through Investments in Children’s Futures

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    By Ryan Betz
    Associate Director of Marketing & Communications with Washington State’s Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program
    June 1, 2015

    Fifteen years ago my cousin Michael passed away after a tragic airline accident. He was only 30 years old and had a bright future ahead of him. Over the years following my cousin’s death, my aunt and uncle searched for ways to honor Michael’s life. One of the ways they chose to recognize Michael’s contributions to the world was by establishing a 529 college savings account for both my daughter and my son. My aunt and uncle believed education was the one way Michael’s legacy could be carried on by giving my children the opportunity to follow their dreams and aspirations through a college education.

    My aunt and uncle’s choice to celebrate Michael’s life through a 529 plan contribution was not based on maximizing investment returns in order to make a lot of money; it was a much deeper and meaningful decision. They simply wanted to ensure all the amazing experiences that were afforded to Michael because of his education were passed along to the next generation of our family. In fact, I remember Michael’s college graduation pretty vividly since it was the first I had ever attended. I recall thinking at the time, how cool it was that he achieved such a high level of education. That memory was left engraved in my mind and was something I circled back to when I needed a little motivation with my own studies.

  • It’s 5/29, Are you Saving for College?

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    Patricia Roberts
    Managing Director, AllianceBernstein L.P. & Chair, College Savings Plans Network Corporate Affiliates Committee
    May 26, 2015
    Across the country as the clock strikes 5:29 a.m. and p.m. each day, if you’re listening to the radio, you may hear a Public Service Announcement that begins by posing a timely and important question: “It’s 5:29, are you saving for college?” In an informative and encouraging manner, the PSA, playing on hundreds of stations across the country, seeks to educate listeners about what 529 college savings plans are and how these plans can play a valuable role in helping families prepare for higher education expenses.

  • Statement from College Savings Plans Network on Senate Finance Committee Passage of College Savings Bill

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    WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 30, 2015) – Yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee considered S. 335, the companion bill to H.R. 529, which was passed with a bipartisan vote by the House of Representatives in February. Introduced by Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Bob Casey (D-PA), the Senate Finance Committee voted unanimously in favor of the bill 26-0.

    The legislation will make 529 plans more flexible by making computers an eligible education expense; allowing the redeposit of college refunds without negative tax implications in certain circumstances and updating outdated accounting rules.

    Betty Lochner, chair of the College Savings Plans Network (CSPN)—the nation’s leading objective source of information about Section 529 College Savings Plans and Prepaid Tuition Plans—issued the following statement:

  • College Decision Day

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    Mary G. Morris
    CEO, Virginia529 College Savings Plan
    April 27, 2015

    As college acceptance day approaches for high school seniors,  I have been reading Frank Bruni’s new book, Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be, about the “college admissions mania” and thinking about the admissions process.

    Soon-to-be high school graduates – this is for you.  If college is not in your immediate future, stay open to opportunities in the future and know that learning takes many shapes and forms  throughout our lives.

    For those heading straight to some form of higher education – congratulations! As you consider your options this month, remember that where you go does not define you now and it will not control your future.

  • Why Not Pay Sale Prices for College?

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    Nancy Farmer
    President, Private College 529 Plan
    April 6, 2015

    “How come anything you buy will go on sale next week?” – Erma Bombeck

    American humorist and columnist Erma Bombeck died before 529 plans became a common vehicle for families to save for college. But I think she would have approved of 529 prepaid tuition plans. They each offer college education in the future, at guaranteed prices.

    And unlike Erma’s wistful complaint, the 12 states and one private college organization that sponsor prepaid college tuition plans don’t make any secret of when you can buy their products on sale. In fact, they advertise trying to get more and more families to take advantage of the benefits.

    Why use a prepaid tuition plan?  Here are several reasons: