ATLANTA — With 98,000 children as beneficiaries, Georgia’s college savings plan, the Path2College 529 Plan, has come a long way in the last decade. At a 10-year celebration today at the Capitol, Governor Nathan Deal joined other state officials to recognize the importance of the plan to Georgia’s children and to draw attention to some of the statewide efforts the program is executing to help raise awareness of college savings.

“Education is the foundation of our future—strong schools and an educated work force are keys to our economic development efforts,” said Governor Nathan Deal. “I have made education a top priority of my administration, and I am proud that for the past decade Georgia’s college savings plan has been working to help Georgia families plan for college.”



Deal said that nearly 13,500 Georgia families have already used around $162 million of their saved assets for college expenses, sending thousands of Georgia’s children on their way to a brighter future.

As part of the celebration, Deal presented a check for $5,529 to eight-month-old Emma Hayward of Atlanta. Hayward was the winner of Path2College’s 2011 Newborn Sweepstakes.

“We are very thankful to be the recipients of the Path2College Newborn Sweepstakes award, and we look forward to using the Georgia Path2College 529 Plan for the benefit of our daughter,” said Carolina Hayward, mother of Emma. “A college education has always been a priority for both my husband and I growing up, and we were both fortunate to be able to attend college and receive our degrees. As parents, we are hopeful that we can provide the same opportunity for our daughter.”

David, Emma’s father, said that they understand the importance of starting to save and invest now, and the Path2College 529 Plan is a means to prepare for Emma's future educational goals.

Northside Hospital, the participating hospital where Hayward was born, was also awarded a $1,529 cash prize as part of the sweepstakes which it will use to support its Parents Partnered for Preemies program. The Path2College 529 Plan encourages hospitals throughout the state to become official partners in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of saving for college.

“We are excited to partner with Path2College to promote the Newborn Sweepstakes for the past two years, to help our families prepare for their new babies’ futures,” said Russ Davis, director of marketing and public relations, Northside Hospital. More babies are born at Northside each year than at any other hospital in the United States. “We congratulate the Hayward family on being selected as the 2011 winner and wish them all the best.”

The Path2College 529 Plan is currently offering a 2012 Newborn Sweepstakes. This year’s sweepstakes provides Georgia families with the opportunity to enter their 2012 newborn babies – born between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 – for a chance to win $5,529 toward his or her college savings. Details about the sweepstakes, including the official rules and the online entry form, can be found at www.Path2College529.com. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.

At the event, the statewide Summer Reading Program, which also includes a sweepstakes— Think BIG! Save for College!—was highlighted. One participant in the Summer Reading Program this year will also win $5,529 toward a Path2College 529 Plan account. Details about the Think Big! Save for College! Sweepstakes, including the official rules and the online entry form, can be found at www.Path2College529.com/news/reading.shtml/. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.

“The thought of saving for college can be overwhelming, so every year we try to find fun ways to raise awareness of the importance of financial planning and remind people that by saving small amounts over time they can establish significant savings,” said Georgia State Treasurer Steve McCoy.

McCoy said it’s not an easy task, but with the rising cost of an education and the changing work force that demands continued training and education, it is something that is vital to the success of our children, our state and our nation.

Mitch Seabaugh, Georgia’s Deputy Treasurer who oversees the Path2College 529 Plan, said “one thing that we’ve learned over the past 10 years is that we can’t do this alone, and we’re very grateful to our partners across the state and to TIAA-CREF, who has helped us every step of the way. It takes partnerships and collaboration to be successful, and together we are helping Georgia’s children realize their dreams while creating a better future for our state.”

Looking forward, the Path2College 529 Plan will continue to provide a tax-advantaged college savings plan for Georgia families to help secure their educational goals by making college more attainable.

To learn more about Path2College 529 Plan or to open a Path2College 529 college savings account, visit www.path2college529.com or call 877-424-4377.