College

  • 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.

  • The Truth about Prepaid Tuition Plans

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    By Mary G. Morris
    CEO, Virginia529
    October 1, 2013

    “Why should I save for college with a prepaid tuition plan? My financial advisor said I should invest in a 529 plan instead.” Many of us in the 529 world frequently hear this from families who are exploring their college savings options. Our response is always the same, “A prepaid tuition plan IS a 529 plan, and there are some important benefits to saving for college with one.”

  • Aspirational Value of College Savings

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    By Patricia Roberts
    Managing Director & Senior 529 Product Manager, AllianceBernstein L.P.
    September 26, 2013

    Back to school season is a gentle reminder that the children in our lives are one year closer to college. Whether you’ve just recently walked hand in hand with your toddler into the first day of preschool, waved as your little one boarded a school bus for the very first time or offered an encouraging high five as an older child more independently headed off to middle school, there’s no time like now to develop a plan for what lies ahead. With a blink of an eye, not only will the children in your life have grown, but what they envision for their future will likely have evolved as well.

  • September is College Savings Month

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    By Hon. Michael L. Fitzgerald
    State Treasurer,State of Iowa
    August 29, 2013

    College planning may be the last thing on the minds of families already busy juggling the demands of work and home. However, with the cost of higher education rising faster than inflation, nearly every family will face the question of how to pay for it when the time comes. The answer is quite simple – start saving today. By starting early, saving regularly and making smart investment choices, families can make their savings work for them.