By: Betty Lochner
Chair of the College Savings Plans Network & Director of Washington’s Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) Program
Sept. 9, 2014

Education is the key to unlocking the door to opportunity. Throughout the past several years, new research continues to provide supportive evidence that a college degree not only increases the economic earning power of both individuals and our national economy, but it is also proven to contribute to improved health, homeownership, voting rates, community volunteerism and other social benefits.  While there is no doubt the cost of a college education has increased dramatically in the past two decades, Americans continue to display their growing value of a college degree by saving more of their hard-earned dollars for the future higher education expenses of their children.

By David Lawhorn, Program Administrator
Kentucky Education Savings Plan Trust (KESPT)
Kentucky Affordable Prepaid Tuition (KAPT)
July 7, 2014

I have worked at a state agency for 14 years administering our state’s 529 college savings plan, and this is a question I get all the time: Why should I save for college? I usually try to answer this basic question by pointing out the below reasons on why it’s important to save for college:

By Luke Minor, Marketing & Communications Manager

Washington’s Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program
June 30, 2014

As much as those of us in the 529 world wish otherwise, starting a college savings plan is not always an easy decision for families to make. The benefits of saving for college may seem obvious, and most of us know that we “should be doing it,” but connecting these thoughts to action is not always easy. To help provide a little encouragement, we’ve planned a little pep talk to help you take your college savings game to the next level. To guide our discussion, we’ll look at a few inspirational quotes from some of the most outstanding leaders in sports history. So, let’s get our game faces on and go win one for your kids!

By Robin Lott
Executive Director, Michigan Education Trust
June 2, 2014

Summer is finally here and it’s graduation time once again!  Families are busy preparing to honor students and to celebrate many facets of milestone graduates.  Pre-school children are being recognized for graduating to kindergarten.  Elementary and middle school students are graduating to the next level and high school seniors are on their way to college.  Many families are also thinking, “Wow, where did the time go?”  Now is a good time to conduct a mid-year review of your college savings strategy.  Gifts into your 529 prepaid or investment plan can further reduce future college debt.

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:

By Paul Paeglis Executive Director, Ohio Tuition Trust Authority March 31, 2014 According to a recent survey by the financial services firm Edward Jones, only 8% of respondents said they […]