By Lisa S. Cleveland
Director of Communications, National Association of State Treasurers
April 28, 2014
We’ve all heard the adage, “Unless you’re the lead dog, the scenery never changes.” Unfortunately, the United States may no longer claim to be the lead dog when it comes to the percentage of its population with a college degree.
By Young Boozer, Alabama State Treasurer
Vice Chairman of the College Savings Plans Network
April 21, 2014
It’s time to spring clean your finances. You won’t need a mop, bucket or soap. You don’t need to get down on your knees and scrub. But you will need to gather some tools and some supplies. And you will need to get busy.
By Ryan Betz, Associate Director of Marketing & Communications, Washington Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program
April 8, 2014
Since I was a young boy, I was told by my parents that college would be a part of my future. It was an opportunity my parents never had and they knew how important a college education was to my future success as a person and as a professional. At an early age, my parents began saving for my higher education and they told me about the funds that were set aside to help with tuition, books and other costs. I got a part time job in high school and the dollars I earned were also set aside to help pay for school.
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 […]
By Betty Lochner, Chair of College Savings Plans Network
March 24, 2014
There are two things I really enjoy in life. One is visiting our nation’s capital. The other is watching Saturday Night Live. For years, I have been a lucky person because it seems like these two things always seem to find each other in funny satire political skits. Whether it’s Will Ferrell impersonating President George W. Bush or Jay Pharoah taking on the persona of President Barack Obama, you never have to look too hard to find humor in American politics.
By Iowa State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald
March 17, 2014
As State Treasurer of Iowa and administrator of College Savings Iowa, I frequently have the opportunity to talk to grandparents about saving for their grandchildren’s future education costs. As a grandparent, you want to help prepare the next generation to succeed. One way to accomplish this is to start saving for those future costs. Since I am still in my first year as a grandparent, this has never been more of a reality as it is now.
By Betty Lochner, Chair, College Savings Plans Network March 11, 2014 Today, the College Savings Plans Network published its 2013 Year-End 529 Report, which features aggregated data from the 103 savings […]
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?
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.
By: Betty Lochner, Director of Washington’s Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program & CSPN Chair
You may or may not be aware of a young man named Robby, better known as Kid President, who has become an Internet sensation for his inspiring videos about how we can make the world a better place. Robby reminds us of the simple truth that kids want nothing more than to leave the world better than they found it. In Robby’s most famous video titled “Pep Talk” he says, “If there are two paths, I want to be on the one that leads to awesome.”