College Savings Initiative

529s and Public Assistance

Asset Building — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:10:00 -0500

529s are tax-advantaged accounts designed to help families save for post-secondary education. In recent years, state policymakers and 529 administrators have worked to expand access to 529 plans and increase the participation of lower-income families through outreach, advertising, and targeted incentives such as matching deposits and reducing or eliminating fees.[1] Yet, as plan administrators and state and federal policymakers design new strategies for expanding the use of 529 plans

Podcast: Mark Huelsman on Encouraging College Savings

Asset Building — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:41:00 -0500

In this version of New America's weekly podcast, Media Relations Manager Kate Brown sits down with Mark Huelsman, Program Associate with New America's College Savings Initiative to discuss the connection between savings and college completion, the advantages of 529 college savings plans, the ability of low-income families to save for college, and policy proposals to help them do just that.

Linking Savings to College Access, Affordability and Completion

Kirsten Gilbert — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0500

A New America Event
11/05/2009 - 9:30am

Just last year, tuition and fees at four-year public colleges rose 6.5 percent. Unfortunately, this continues a decades-long trend of rising college costs, even during periods of economic unease and low inflation. Escalating prices have also coincided with stagnation in need-based financial aid availability, the result of which has been mounting levels of student debt for low and middle-income families. In this context, there has been greater reliance on savings, particularly through 529 college savings plans, in order to increase college affordability and

Low-Cost State Policy Innovations to Help Families Save for College

Asset Building — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:56:00 -0500

At a time when low-income students are underrepresented in higher education and the cost of attendance is becoming increasingly unaffordable, 529 college savings plans have the potential to address issues of college readiness, access and completion. Savings can help reduce higher education debt, making college more affordable, and has the potential to change aspirations and behaviors of both students and their parents. Research from the asset building field shows that even a relatively small amount of savings may have positive impacts on behavior and educational achievement.

Increasing College Completion Among Low-Income Students through Savings

Asset Building — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:03:00 -0400

Earlier this year, the Obama Administration released a bold new plan for improving the state of higher education in the United States. Its fiscal year 2010 budget proposal included several items aimed at increasing postsecondary education enrollment and completion rates, and decreasing the financial burden that college represents to many lower and middle class families. [1] These proposals include reforming the federal student loan program, expanding Pell Grants for low-income students, and creating a new College Access and

529s | Wall Street Journal

Cecille Isidro — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:00:00 -0400

Matching programs are one of the most effective ways to get these families to save for college, says Jackie Williams, director of the College Saving Initiative at the New America Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public-policy institute based in Washington, D.C. ...

Prepaid College Savings Plans Might Not Cover All Costs | New York Times

Cecille Isidro — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:01:00 -0400

“The reason they're popular is simply because the states bear the risk, not the individual,” said Jackie Williams, who was executive director of the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority for 10 years, until June. ...

Obama Tries to Coax the Middle Class into Saving for College | Los Angeles Times

Cecille Isidro — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:04:00 -0400

The New America Foundation, a public policy institute, said the task force should have gone further, recommending matching grants for families below certain ... and more »

New America Commends Obama Administration for Committing to Improve 529 Plans

Erin Drankoski — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:34:00 -0400

Washington, D.C. -- The importance of saving for college has increased dramatically in recent years. Tuition costs have vastly outpaced growth in both family income and federal student aid commitments over the past several decades. At the same time, the importance of receiving a postsecondary education has become paramount in getting ahead in today's global economy. The result has been unsustainable levels of debt for some students, while access and completion rates for low-income students have suffered. Research shows that even small amounts of targeted

529 Industry Reaches Out to Academia in Summit | InvestmentNews

Cecille Isidro — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:32:00 -0400

... are part of an initiative by 529 college savings officials to reach out to the higher-education community, according to Jacqueline “Jackie” Williams, ...