College

  • Work Hard. Stay Humble. Dream Big

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    By Ryan Betz
    Associate Director of Marketing & Communications
    Washington Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program
    May 19, 2014

    Capitol in the springtime

    I return from an incredible week in Orlando attending the National Association of State Treasurers’ Treasury Management Training Symposium totally inspired by the talented professionals that lead our industry in helping American families save for their children’s college education. This event reminded me of the magnitude of our responsibility and opportunity to have a life-changing impact on millions of families for generations to come.

  • New Proposed Federal Legislation Supports Families Saving for College

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    By Joan Marshall, executive director, College Savings Plans of Maryland
    April 4, 2014

    I’m excited about a new bill that was introduced last week in the House of Representatives (HR 4333) because it is designed to help those who are currently investing in 529 plans and encourage even more families to save for college with these great tax-advantaged, convenient and affordable plans. The main enhancements this bill would provide for college savers include:

  • Saving for College — Two Plans are Better Than One!

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    By Sheila Salehian
    Senior Deputy Treasurer, Office of
    Nevada State Treasurer
    Kate Marshall
    March 3, 2014

    Contributing to a prepaid tuition plan and a traditional 529 college savings plan simultaneously….really?

    collegemoney

    If you’re like most parents, the thought of paying for your children’s college education sends you to the mall shopping for gourmet chocolates or other ‘comfort food’.  You’re not alone. According to a recent survey, only 50% of families with children under the age of 18 have actually started to save for their children’s higher education needs.*   However, these families have realized that even if they cannot save for the entirety of their child’s college education cost, they are still better off borrowing less… essentially ‘paying themselves’ with tax free interest earnings when paying for qualified higher education expenses. Paying significantly more in the future for what you can’t afford to pay for today is a scary feeling.

  • White House Initiative – College Savings

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    graduates

    January 28, 2014

    Recently, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama issued a call to action, requesting colleges and universities, foundations, businesses, non-profits, government officials, other leaders and individuals to make commitments to help assure that college becomes a reality for more young people. The objective is to help an increased number of students afford college and graduate with the skills they need to succeed. The call to action along with some of the commitments made in response to it can be viewed here:

  • MLK’s Leadership Provides a Roadmap for College Savings

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    By: Betty Lochner, Director of Washington’s Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program & CSPN Chair
    January 20, 2014

    With the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday upon us, I have been thinking about what it means to be a passionate leader and what an important role education plays in influencing our growth as individuals and a society. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”

  • The Gift of Education

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    By Robin Lott
    Executive Director for Michigan Education Trust
    December 10, 2013

    With Thanksgiving now a new memory, we are now smack in the middle of the holiday season. While you are busy decking the halls with bows and holly and searching for the perfect gift for the loved ones in your life consider this: why not give the gift of education? Higher education is a gift that keeps on giving and your state’s college savings program can help.

  • Give the Gift of a College Savings Account this Cyber Monday

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    By Hon. Michael L. Fitzgerald
    State Treasurer, State of Iowa

    While you are looking for the perfect gift on-line Cyber Monday, make sure you visit www.CollegeSavings.org to find the perfect 529 plan.  Rather than fight the crowds in the mall to find a gift that will be forgotten by next year, give the gift of college savings that will last a lifetime.  State-sponsored 529 plans provide investors the opportunity to save for a loved one’s higher education costs and get a tax benefit for themselves at the same time. With some plans having an initial investment as low as $25 to open an account, it makes the perfect gift for almost anyone to give.

  • Is a Prepaid Tuition Plan right for my family?

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    Part I of a Two Part Series on 529 Prepaid Plans
    By Sheila Salehian
    Senior Deputy Treasurer for the State of Nevada
    November 7, 2013

    I often get asked this question when providing community outreach support. Like most Deputy Treasurers who serve the public by helping families save for college, that question is a difficult and somewhat tricky one to answer. Since most of us are not a certified professional financial planner, we can only share our experiences and the facts of what a prepaid tuition program offers. In addition to sharing facts from Bloomberg and other financial experts, which I’ll discuss in Part II of this posting, my typical response is to share my very real and personal story.

  • Saving For College Doesn’t Have To Be Scary

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    By Michael Parker
    Executive Director, Oregon 529 College Savings Network

    Ghosts and ghouls may scare you when they come knocking at your door for Halloween treats. But college savings isn’t as scary as some people think. One of the common pieces of feedback that 529 plans hear is that “I’m too late,” or “I don’t want to bother, because I won’t save enough.” That is scary.