INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA (March 5, 2019) – CollegeChoice 529 is joining a 27-state effort to take on the student debt problem in a national campaign launched March 4. The aim of the campaign, led by the 529 College Savings Plans Network, is to limit college debt for new generations by helping families plan ahead for higher education costs.
“More than 44 million Americans have student debt that eats away at paychecks, limits opportunities and leads them to put off buying homes and having children,” said 529 Campaign Chairman Young Boozer III. “On March 4 we start our march forth, joining together to set our kids and grandkids on a better path with 529s.”
The 27-state alliance, which includes Washington, D.C., involves 46 partners including state treasurers, higher education agencies, financial service firms and other state officials. The public-private partnership was formed on the basis of increasing awareness of 529s, the state-led college savings plans designed to help families save for higher education and lessen reliance on student loans.
According to a poll conducted by the group last month, 68 percent of Americans have never heard of the state-led college savings plans.
“A 529 Plan can truly change the course of a person’s life,” said Indiana Treasurer of State and CollegeChoice 529 chair Kelly Mitchell. “Together with our partners from around the country, CollegeChoice 529 is excited to help even more Americans fulfill their goals by pursuing education with fewer student loans.”
The movement’s 529 message will be amplified throughout 2019 and into 2020 under an agreement with Fred Rogers Productions, the company founded by Mister Rogers, the beloved advocate of children’s education. The campaign’s spots will air before and after episodes of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. The series is one of the highest co-viewed children’s shows between parents and young children and is based on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
ABOUT COLLEGECHOICE 529
CollegeChoice 529 is Indiana’s tax-advantaged, 529 education savings program and is administered by the Indiana Education Savings Authority. CollegeChoice 529 includes the CollegeChoice 529 Direct, Advisor 529 and CD 529 Savings Plans and has more than $4.6 billion in assets in over 365,000 accounts as of March 4, 2019. To learn more or enroll in the Direct Plan, call 1.866.485.9415 or visit www.collegechoicedirect.com to obtain a Disclosure Booklet, which includes information on investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses that should be read and considered carefully before investing.
ABOUT 529 COLLEGE SAVINGS PLANS
529 College Savings Plans are state-offered, tax-advantaged investment plans that help families save for higher education and lessen the reliance on student loans. Savings grow free from federal and state income tax, and withdrawals remain tax-free when they are used for qualified education-related expenses at any accredited higher education institution in the country, including four-year universities, community colleges, and technical and vocational schools. Though the details of each state’s plans vary, a 529 account can be opened with as little as $10 and there are no income limitations on a person’s ability to contribute to an account.
